The Definitions Of Crank And Troll

It seems now more than ever people are using the words "crank" and "troll" to stand for "someone I simply don't like". So perhaps we need to clarify what, exactly "cranks" and "trolls" are.

Wikipedia article on cranks

Wikipedia article on internet trolls

Discuss.

Being a crank myself - were just ill-educated wannbee's, similarly me being a total troll and complete toss merchant is most true, however, once realized, there's a lot of incredible fun torturing others who've not realized this simple fact for themselves!

Cure; release ego and help others with this psychotic affliction.

What's wrong with giving a troll a few marshmallows? They always take the bait.
Their fun to watch when they have a tummy ache. It does take longer to kill one when they are fat from too many marshmallows, but that's part of the fun. For example,, Fraudstine and Bubba.

@ Agent X20,
Yes a self realized troll can be a hand full and should not be fed after midnight. But most trolls don't know that they are trolls ( in spite of being told so many times)

This post has been edited by paul h on May 17 2008, 09:04 PM

I want you to help me train ALICE, you frickin' madman. Read up on AIML sets in between kids and garden!

On-topic:

What about a poster who is both,
as DavidD appears to be.
Whose posts are so a-froth
with such stupidity,
that I wonder what he is, really.



Thank you.



Edit: Paul, you got there first. This:

was very fun!

This post has been edited by Sapo on May 17 2008, 09:07 PM

I've seen three kinds of people who get banned from this board.
1: People who don't have a clue what they're talking about, and get mad when the people who do know what they're talking about disagree with 'em.
2: People who do know what they're talking about, and get mad when the people who don't know what they're talking about disagree with 'em.
3: People who know what they're talking about and get off on making fun of the people who don't.
Frankly, I think the moderators had no business banning the second type. You could make a case to justify banning the third type, but you could also make a case against it, cause when you run off at the mouth and don't know what you're talking about, you're kinda asking for trouble, and I don't see no reason to punish the folks who give em what they got coming.
So as far as who the cranks and trolls are, they're pretty much all of the first type. They just like to throw those labels around so that people don't think too much of em. Kinda like the way the N word went from being an insult to being something black folks use without a second thought.

was very fun!

You hit the nail on the head with David, Sapo.
What makes him both, in my view, is that he is a crank by the way he considers his "ideas" novel and better than previous views, even though he has nothing by thought experiments to back them up, and he's a troll because he starts a thread with a question, lets someone answer it accurately, and then spews out his thought parade. This is trolling in the sense of fishing and he's snagged me a couple of times. I don't like being on the business end of his lures, so I try to not help him anymore!
5-d (sorry) AgentX20, just because your reincarnated doesn't mean you're a crank! You just happen to get caught being too honest with someone with less integrity.
Good thread, Doc.,
Peace,
Ron

This post has been edited by Ron on May 19 2008, 04:15 PM

More examples of the how the word "crank" is often misused...