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In my opinion this is due to people increasingly reappropriating the term 'bot' much in the way 'troll' has been. Troll originally had a clear meaning. It was p

In my opinion this is due to people increasingly reappropriating the term 'bot' much in the way 'troll' has been. Troll originally had a clear meaning. It was people posting things exclusively to obtain incensed reaction. Now somehow 'troll' has increasingly been applied to anybody stating something somebody else strongly disagrees with. And now the same thing is slowly happening to bot. It's not only people 'trolling', but it's being done by 'bots'. I believe this is largely a product of the increasing antagonism and radicalism in different 'sects' of our country today. By referring to people you disagree with as 'bots' and 'trolls' it works exactly like wartime propaganda - it dehumanizes and delegitimizes the 'enemy'.

rectang 8y ago
Competent trolls don't evince normal human reactions; if their manipulation is effective, trollees will have their emotions toyed with yet won't be able to break through the troll's facade and get them to respond in kind. Perhaps the experience of being trolled successfully is not unlike interacting with something inhuman... or robotic.
- wincy 8y ago
  That reminds me of the writer who managed to get ahold of a major troll of hers and talk to him on the phone. And... he apologized. An interesting listen. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/545/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say-say-it-in-all-caps https://www.thisamericanlife.org/545/if-you-dont-have-anythi...
wincy 8y ago
I’ve noticed the conservatives? Alt-right? People on T_D on Reddit? Have started calling liberals “NPCs” (non player characters in video gaming terms). On both sides it’s a worrying trend of dehumanizing the other. A trend of cutting economic ties (boycotts, getting people fired) is also worrying, because you don’t go to war with people you trade with. Cutting economic ties is a sign of impending conflict.
- sievebrain 8y ago
  Countries do go to war with countries they trade with. People were saying record high levels of trade would prevent war ... in Europe, right before world war 1
  - Nasrudith 8y ago
    To be fair they were totally right that going to war would be a terrible idea but they did it anyway - given that World War 1 pretty much killed off the ruling aristocracy, lead to countless suffering, and stagnation. If they were smart it would have prevented the war but as Bismark predicted it all blew up over a fool thing in the Balkans. It is like MAD - the assumptions are based upon rational actors which is why they are terrified of proliferation beyond just others getting in their clubhouse.
- justtopost 8y ago
  NPC is a general meme, there are many of NPC wearing maga hates, etc. Lets not make it partisian in the vein of pepe.

rectang 8y ago

Competent trolls don't evince normal human reactions; if their manipulation is effective, trollees will have their emotions toyed with yet won't be able to break through the troll's facade and get them to respond in kind. Perhaps the experience of being trolled successfully is not unlike interacting with something inhuman... or robotic.

wincy 8y ago
That reminds me of the writer who managed to get ahold of a major troll of hers and talk to him on the phone. And... he apologized. An interesting listen. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/545/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say-say-it-in-all-caps https://www.thisamericanlife.org/545/if-you-dont-have-anythi...

wincy 8y ago

I’ve noticed the conservatives? Alt-right? People on T_D on Reddit? Have started calling liberals “NPCs” (non player characters in video gaming terms). On both sides it’s a worrying trend of dehumanizing the other. A trend of cutting economic ties (boycotts, getting people fired) is also worrying, because you don’t go to war with people you trade with. Cutting economic ties is a sign of impending conflict.

sievebrain 8y ago
Countries do go to war with countries they trade with. People were saying record high levels of trade would prevent war ... in Europe, right before world war 1
- Nasrudith 8y ago
  To be fair they were totally right that going to war would be a terrible idea but they did it anyway - given that World War 1 pretty much killed off the ruling aristocracy, lead to countless suffering, and stagnation. If they were smart it would have prevented the war but as Bismark predicted it all blew up over a fool thing in the Balkans. It is like MAD - the assumptions are based upon rational actors which is why they are terrified of proliferation beyond just others getting in their clubhouse.
justtopost 8y ago
NPC is a general meme, there are many of NPC wearing maga hates, etc. Lets not make it partisian in the vein of pepe.