To: Fellow Palin Cultists
From: Norm Lenhart
Chief Druid, Cult of Palin
Re: Trolling and the futility of repeating ourselves
Fellow Cult members, True Believers and general Palin supporters...
As the end of Sarah Palin’s SELF ANNOUNCED timeframe comes closer, the Trollkind inhabiting Free Republic are coming out of the woodwork. This increases daily and aside from annoying the hell out of everyone, has resulted in a number of personal attacks on posters for the dread crime of supporting our choice of candidate. Allow me to get right to the point...
There is no point typing up book length answers to bring facts into the discussion. They are not interested. They will blow off your carefully researched data and opinions with one liners, diresion and mockery. As such, the only way to win the game is simply not to play.
Below you will find a number of cut and paste replies to most of the standard issue troll posts. Save your self hours of time best used to concentrate on working toward furthering Palin or any other candidate you believe in.
“She can’t win/She’s not running”
Answer - “Prove it” “That’s your opinion and you are welcome to it” “Can you send me the winning lotto numbers too?” “I’ll wait until her stated time-frame ends to decide for myself, thanks.”
“High Negatives”
Answer - “13 months to go. Call me back in about 12.” ‘Reagan and Clinton shared that problem. In both terms.’ “Don’t care what Liberals think”
“Divisive”
Answer - “If you’re a Democrat. Palin is following the Republican platform.”
“Self centered/serving/attention hound”
Answer - “Opinion, nothing more”
“Her supporters are nuts/Cultists/Palinistas and bad for her image”
Answer - “Opinion and nothing more.”
In fact, most troll blather should be answered with “Opinion and nothing more because most of their ‘facts’ are just that.
So Join me in an effort to save Jim’s bandwidth. It’s environmentally conscious and makes trolls ‘green’ as well since they won’t get the attention they crave. Lastly, when you encounter one, take a look at their posting history before you reply. You might just decide to save yourself some otherwise wasted time.
Feel free to copy and distribute to fellow “Cultists”
“Lastly, when you encounter one, take a look at their posting history before you reply. You might just decide to save yourself some otherwise wasted time.”
Sound advise!!!! :)
I got a live one here.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/2779998/posts?page=161#161
Been reading some of the back and forth, and you are correct, the Trolls are insulting and annoying. Your suggested answers are fine, but don’t forget there is the option of not responding, or just reply ‘yes dear’.
Thanks Norm!
I've kind of come to that point over the last few weeks, although I have been lured back into the predictable punching at shadows game a few times.
Last night I got into it with a well-known PDSer, and right at the height of the frenzy, I just stopped. It occurred to me that I was engaged in an activity that I didn't have the slightest interest in, so I simply walked away and left it to spin all on its own.
It's still tough to zip my lip when I see some of the scurvy dog blatherings around here, but I'm getting better. As you said, why repeat myself (for the thousandth time?) I really do have much better, and more fulfilling things to do, such as get hooked up with organized Palin supporters in the real world. We're going to have a lot to do, in the very near future.
Windy
First Order Adherent
Cult of Palin
Abbey of Trollhenge