Forbes: Internet Trolls Really Are Psychos

[Ace Nova]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2014/10/06/internet-cupcakes-really-are-psychos/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Internet cupcakes Really Are Psychos

If you’ve ever managed an online community, a blog, or a brand’s Facebook page, you have encountered the dreaded “cupcake.” These community members can be provocative and rude, and are known for creating posts for the sole purpose of agitating their fellow members. cupcakes add inflammatory comments not because they hope to inform or convince others, but because they know they’ll spark an avalanche of negativity.

Left unchecked, cupcakes can destroy communities. Helpful members tire of the conflict and eventually leave. cupcakes present a challenge to community managers not just because of their toxic behavior, but because they don’t always overtly break community rules. Many people make comments that prove to be inflammatory, often unintentionally. Trollish behavior is evident only after a pattern of such comments emerges.

Conventional wisdom says that the anonymity of the Internet lets people behave in ways they never would in real life, or online if their identity was known. But, if you think that means that cupcakes are normally nice people who only act out in their online persona, think again. New research shows that internet cupcakes are, in real life, narcissists, psychopaths, and sadists.

The paper’s title, cupcakes Just Want To Have Fun, is amusing, but the findings are anything but funny. Canadian researchers surveyed more than a thousand internet users about their commenting behavior. They then administered a personality test designed to measure, among other things, what’s known as the Dark Tetrad. That’s a measure of negative traits: sadism, psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.

The correlation between these negative traits and trollish behavior was striking. No other kind of community participation showed such a relationship.

The research validates what most community managers have always believed: cupcakes are awful people in real life, too.

These results may not be of much use in curbing cupcakes online, but it does suggest that trying to stop the behavior by gentle coaching is doomed to fail most of the time. That, too, won’t surprise experienced community operators. In my years of community building, I’ve seen a few cupcakes that actually tried to mend their ways but inevitably reverted to their old ways.

Since cupcakes actually derive pleasure from the suffering of others, engaging with them at all can be counter-productive. Instead, follow the simple maxim of experienced community leaders: “Don’t feed the cupcakes.”

Anyone that has ever moderated a forum (or been around one for a while) would totally understand where this is coming from. Now there's actual research that validates it.

[Ketan]

'dont feed the cupcakes' you want this place to shutdown or what?

Edited November 5, 2014 by Ketan

[downzy]

I have to say that I'm somewhat surprised at how little trolling goes on around here. I suppose I've only been a mod for two months or so; that might have something to do with my perspective. Most of the trolls that plagued this place have been kicked out a long time ago.

[Ace Nova]

Most of the cupcakes that plagued this place have been kicked out a long time ago.

^^This^^

[downzy]

The funny things about trolls is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a troll admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest trolls accusing others of being trolls. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

[username]

I love this article. A lot.

[DieselDaisy]

The thing is with mygnr, the subject matter sort of, deserves its cupcakes haha. If there is anyone who deserves a good trolling it is Rosey.

[streak]

I think people take too much notice

[magisme]

The funny things about cupcakes is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a cupcake admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest cupcakes accusing others of being cupcakes. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

Exactly. How do you spot a cupcake? Wait for them to call someone a cupcake.

[netcat]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2014/10/06/internet-cupcakes-really-are-psychos/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Internet cupcakes Really Are Psychos

sadism, psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.

so the research basically says internet trolling doesn't keep them away from fucking people up in real life? i'm disillusioned

[moreblack]

The trolling that goes/went on here is child's play compared to what you see on other sites.

[WFA]

the best cupcakes are the IRL cupcakes

[Dan H.]

The funny things about cupcakes is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a cupcake admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest cupcakes accusing others of being cupcakes. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

Exactly. How do you spot a cupcake? Wait for them to call someone a cupcake.

What? Is this a whoever smelt it dealt it kindof thing? So anytime you guys call someone a hipster or a cupcake then that makes you a hipster/cupcake right?

So either no one is a hipster or cupcake or everyone is?

[WFA]

The funny things about cupcakes is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a cupcake admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest cupcakes accusing others of being cupcakes. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

Exactly. How do you spot a cupcake? Wait for them to call someone a cupcake.

What? Is this a whoever smelt it dealt it kindof thing? So anytime you guys call someone a hipster or a cupcake then that makes you a hipster/cupcake right?

So either no one is a hipster or cupcake or everyone is?

sounds like a cupcake to me......

[Dazey]

the best cupcakes are the IRL cupcakes

The ones that live under bridges?

[Nosaj Thing]

In my opinion, only retards use the term cupcake or trolling to describe that specific type of behavior. There are countless of words to replace that internet slang or whatever it is. I guess people just get used to it and repeated it until it became normal.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Nosaj Thing

[maynard]

The thing is with mygnr, the subject matter sort of, deserves its cupcakes haha. If there is anyone who deserves a good trolling it is Rosey.

This

The trolling that goes/went on here is child's play compared to what you see on other sites.

And this.

Although the D&N 1st page right now is plagued with posts from finck6 and Morpheus. It seems the cupcakes are making a comeback lately.

[WFA]

the best cupcakes are the IRL cupcakes

The ones that live under bridges?

i was thinking more along the lines of nathan IRL trolling his mom as a little kid

[Nosaj Thing]

and Morpheus.

What? Is that shit person back? He was banned. What's his alternate account?

[Dan H.]

I feel like trolling didn't used to have to definition of 'anyone who's an asshole on the Internet'

[WFA]

and Morpheus.

What? Is that shit person back? He was banned. What's his alternate account?

Dark Knight.

I feel like trolling didn't used to have to definition of 'anyone who's an asshole on the Internet'

this. trolling gets tossed around so much these days

[Nosaj Thing]

I feel like trolling didn't used to have to definition of 'anyone who's an asshole on the Internet'

That's what I was saying, and even if a group of sad losers started using it, why would you immediately think that's a common or valid term to describe someone's behavior? I don't get it. I have never used it.

[magisme]

The funny things about cupcakes is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a cupcake admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest cupcakes accusing others of being cupcakes. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

Exactly. How do you spot a cupcake? Wait for them to call someone a cupcake.

What? Is this a whoever smelt it dealt it kindof thing? So anytime you guys call someone a hipster or a cupcake then that makes you a hipster/cupcake right?

So either no one is a hipster or cupcake or everyone is?

I don't care about the whole hipster thing, so let's leave that aside. I'm not saying that someone becomes a cupcake when they call someone else a cupcake. I'm saying that the people who tend to accuse others of being cupcakes are usually cupcakes themselves.

[Nosaj Thing]

and Morpheus.

What? Is that shit person back? He was banned. What's his alternate account?

Dark Knight.

So I wanted saber_ back and all they sent was utter shit Dark Knight? Jesus Christ. Well, it will be fun until he gets banned again.

[Roush]

The funny things about cupcakes is that they share a very similar trait to hipsters: neither posses much self-awareness and are often the first to label others the very same thing that they are themselves. You'll never see a hipster or a cupcake admit that they themselves are such, but boy they're quick to accuse others of being either. It always made me laugh to see the biggest cupcakes accusing others of being cupcakes. It was a funny, but also sad, form of projection.

Exactly. How do you spot a cupcake? Wait for them to call someone a cupcake.

What? Is this a whoever smelt it dealt it kindof thing? So anytime you guys call someone a hipster or a cupcake then that makes you a hipster/cupcake right?

So either no one is a hipster or cupcake or everyone is?

I don't care about the whole hipster thing, so let's leave that aside. I'm not saying that someone becomes a cupcake when they call someone else a cupcake. I'm saying that the people who tend to accuse others of being cupcakes are usually cupcakes themselves.

So the "He who smelt it, dealt it" Theorem.