She states many of the same points I have frequently made both here and in real life.* Trolls say things using the anonymity of the web that they know would cause damage to them in real life. They thrive on stirring up anger and, as Basu says, spewing venom.
It is possible that they don't realize that most websites can, if the offense is blatant enough, track them back to their lairs through servers and ip addresses. I don't know how many times this has been done in the case of a troll but it certainly can be done.
My mama raised me with a maxim: "Never put down on paper anything you wouldn't want everyone to read." This was in reference to paper correspondence but it holds true for the web, as well. I can get pretty raw at times and will offend some people but I don't do it for a thrill nor intentionally.
Something that I, and many others, have noticed? A majority of trolls are close to being functionally illiterate. Their composition skills are nonexistent, they don't understand grammar, syntax nor that written English is not the same thing as spoken English. The meaner and more vile the troll seems, the more ignorant their posts. There have been posts that were so bad I couldn't figure out what in the world they were trying to say, other than they were mean. It's easy to ignore those people, though.
The ones that are not so easy to ignore are the ones who are literate. Those who are educated, with responsible jobs, families... for instance, why would a software analyst post the following?
"What they really should be discussing is how to better please the men in their lives. If they would learn to be better in the sack, keep the house tidy, and cook a few good meals they might have more influence over the true leaders in this society - men."**That is just plain stupid. Really, it is.*** So much of what trolls post is just plain dumb, though.
* I haven't had the opportunity to read the Times article she mentions but I will find it and read it.
** That guy has two daughters, as well. hmmmmmmm, wonder if they wear Promise Rings and attend Purity Balls, eh?
*** It may be true that men are still the leaders and look at the mess we have thanks to their leadership.
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