Study: Trolls Are Even Worse When Using Real Names
from the it's-not-the-anonymity dept
It's a bit of "common wisdom" on the internet that you hear people repeat all the time, even though it's hogwash: the idea that people act trollishly online because they're anonymous. So many people want to blame the anonymity and demand real name policies. Yet, as we've been pointing out for many years, plenty of people troll under their real names -- and tons of valuable content is posted by anonymous users (including right here at Techdirt).And now we've got a bit of research to back that up. Some recent research found that trolls can actually act even worse when they troll under their real name. From the research:
Results show that in the context of online firestorms, non-anonymous individuals are more aggressive compared to anonymous individuals. This effect is reinforced if selective incentives are present and if aggressors are intrinsically motivated.Now, this is just one report on one dataset, and there may be a variety of other factors at play. But it certainly matches with our own experience here as well. The idea that people only act like jackasses because they're anonymous just doesn't fit with the pattern we've seen in the over 1 million comments we have on this site. Yes, sometimes there are anonymous jerks, just like there are sometimes named jerks. But on the whole, anonymity doesn't seem to magically lead to worse comments.
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Filed Under: anonymity, real names, trolls
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interesting and non-intuitive
I'm going to take that as further confirmation that I just do not truly understand the trolling mindset. I'm glad it's being studied.
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Where's *THAT* anonymous coward??
Trolls do what rewards them. The rewards are just different -- like validating one's anger.
When Techdirt puts in the right words, it breaks the reward cycle. There are of course, other ways, like moderation, but that also involves human effort.
Paul Hansmeier, anyone?
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Re: interesting and non-intuitive
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Re: Re: interesting and non-intuitive
Instead of thinking about why people are railing against them they expend effort to spew a flurry of bullshit to drown the other out. It was never about critical thinking just shutting up the opposition.
Anyone that disagrees is a fucking Islamophobic, Racist, Bigoted, Misogynist, Xenophobic, Homophobic fuck-stick!
Getting the picture yet?
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Re: Re: interesting and non-intuitive
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Mostly fits my observations
But then, it's hard to see how this could be effectively measured since it's impossible to know if a commenter is using their real name or just a pseudonym name that sounds real.
I suspect that the real underlying correlation isn't anonymity but the fact that nobody has to look anyone in the face while they speak.
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Re: Mostly fits my observations
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Selection Bias
As a polite anonymous poster, I can't make directly calling you a jerk funny without deviating into this second paragraph where I specifically point out that it's a joke in a sort of amateurish Brechtian alienation.
You jerk.
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The real take-away
E.g., We all assume that laws applying penalties will reduce violations of those laws. That's just common sense, right? But there is plenty of evidence that it's not true.
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I was surprised by this ...
The open racism, confrontational attitudes, and flagrant trolling by neighbors I'd never met (and I live in a pretty close-knit community) and whose name and address are prominently displayed on the site was shocking.
Turns out it's not the anonymity; it's just that some people are assholes.
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Re: I was surprised by this ...
I'd go one step further:
The more of an asshole the person is, the less they feel the need to be anonymous.
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Re: Re: I was surprised by this ...
when people get to be anonymous they will often relax some prejudices because they are no longer "socially responsible" to be that way.
Example, Black man call white man a cracker. Not much out rage.
White man calls a Black man a nigger and all fucking hell breaks loose then people need to lose their jobs and families lose their bread winners!
Yesterdays oppressed are tomorrows oppressors. Humans will never be fair to each other! Historical Fact!
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Re: Re: Re: I was surprised by this ...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: I was surprised by this ...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: I was surprised by this ...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I was surprised by this ...
*Eats popcorn*
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Re:
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Why? Because sometimes I like to troll. Sometimes people have opinions that I agree with, but I want to see them defend their positions. Some people have come to (what I consider) good conclusions with bad methods. Sometimes it's just funny. I've done it here. I routinely do it at Gawker (they're all hilarious over there...everyone gets so up in arms about everything). I used to do it on Reddit, but gave up.
Everyone assumes when I admit that I'm a troll that I have some sort of psychological need to break down others to make myself feel better. Untrue. I feel pretty good about myself no matter whether I'm trolling or not. They assume that I'm a kid who has nothing better to do. I'm a professional making about triple the average household income for my area. They assume I'm a republican, democrat, libertarian, left wing nut, right wing kook, or some other political ideology. I'm actually an issue voter. Everyone's assumptions about me are completely wrong.
I say all that to say this: It's surprising that people would troll using real (or even "regular") names to troll. I wouldn't want it associated with me. Maybe that's because of who I am and what I do for a living. Maybe it's because anonymous idiocy should be taken with a grain of salt and that makes it palatable. Maybe I'm just not normal in the world of trolls.
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Re:
People with more open minds tend to be impervious to this because they're more willing to consider alternatives to what they believe.
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one persons troll...
i REALLY dont get why people are so wierded out, put off, or upset by so-called trolls: you dont like what they said ? ignore it and move on., what is so fucking difficult about that ?
just seems like crybabies who dont really like free speech (and there are FAR too many willing to sacrifice free and unfettered free speech for the sake of 'niceness', those people are fools who can not reason...)
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Re: one persons troll...
The only time trolling really irritates me is when it takes over the comments, and no effective discussion related to the actual article can take place. But that sort of thing is the fault of everyone engaging the troll more than anything (I'm guilty of this from time to time).
Left unchecked, trolling can destroy destroy a community, though. The classic example would be the YouTube comment section of old. A comment section like that is no better than not having a comment section at all.
My favorite approach to the whole issue is Slashdot's, although it is certainly imperfect. Techdirt's works well enough, too, although I do wish there was a way to collapse comment threads. I think that would allow people who love to troll or be trolled to do their thing, but still keep it usable for those who aren't interested.
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Re: Re: one persons troll...
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Trolling, or Harsh Truth?
Trolling, or heated argument (whether informed or not), few can define it enough to actually say who is trolling, and who isn't.
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Re: Trolling, or Harsh Truth?
I do not care if the person is playing devils advocate, the discourse itself IS the merit.
People running around calling others trolls are the real problem. If you do not like what someone says, just ignore it. Paying it any mind only lends it more power!
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Targets
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The problem is the suckers who keep falling for the bait. Every. Single. Time.
Trolls eventually lose interest and move on, but the suckers are still there, ready for the next troll.
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