Similar in spirit? [LWN.net]

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 5:03 UTC (Thu) by Sombrio (guest, #26942)
In reply to: Similar in spirit? by AJWM
Parent article: Similar in spirit?

> I hesitate to feed the obvious troll, but...

Ok, this is just making me angry, and I have to disengage. I apologize for offending all of you to the point where I am now called names. I deny this charge, I am not a troll. I don't work for one of the companies all of you consider to be evil. I am not paid to annoy you. I simply disagree with you.

I certainly wish you all the best with your fight against DRM. Freedom is a great thing and you deserve the freedom to fight against your perceived evils.

I guess I need to go back to the fold of proprietary software developers. I do miss their professionalism and I think that I have just grown to the age where I can no longer relate to the ideals of the Free Software movement. You all just seem so radical to me now. I sure never thought I would join the establishment, but, they do have a whole lot more money, and I hear they are looking for evil coders. Now, where is that old Windows/CE manual.

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Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 7:32 UTC (Thu) by k8to (subscriber, #15413) [Link]

The initial statement was that locked-down systems can be a problem. Your hijack of this thread can be fairly described as trolling, by pulling it into a discussion of a particular type of locked-down system which is a hot-button toopic at the moment, and a particular set of issues and attitudes surrounding that type of locked-down system.

The debate about the issues surrounding DRM systems does have to occur in the open/free communities, but your narrow presentation and slicing don't help. You may not be a troll by intention, but you have achieved trolling by result.

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 9:27 UTC (Thu) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

I'm impressed by the reasoning at the end: don't respond to the arguments, just complain about unfairness and say you're going to pick up your toys and go home.

If that's 'professionalism', I'll take the free software community. I prefer amateurs anyway: they have more enthusiasm (and more competence).

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 14:47 UTC (Thu) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link]

I think the corollary to Godwin's Law should be extended to include the use of the terms "FUD" and "troll", which never advance the discussion and are basically just uncivil...

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 22:46 UTC (Thu) by man_ls (subscriber, #15091) [Link]

So, what do you say to someone which is spreading FUD or is an obvious troll? Like this:

Everyone I know does not believe in the DRM consipiracy theories either, so I am not alone.

Ad populum. Or this:

DRM is a problem manufactured by the FSF

Kill the messenger. Again in this:

I for one, would like to know what percentage of people in the real world would consider DRM a problem.

Ad populum again. Or even worse, this:

There is nothing wrong with DRM.

Blanket statement. And this?

A manufacturer has every right to incorporate any kind of technology into his device and offer it for sale, as long as it does not break any laws.

Excusation non petita, accusatio manifesta. Finally this:

But, do not characterize legitimate, law abiding, job providing, and upstanding members of our society as evil abusers of rights that you do not have.

Appeal to emotion. I'd say the message is a troll, even if the person is a cartesian thinker.

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 6, 2006 1:56 UTC (Fri) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link]

If you think someone has raised an irrlevant argument, ignore it. Or explain why it's worthless. Or just say it's a worthless argument.

I just see way too many posts in way too many threads where "FUD" and "troll" are used to mean "You disagree with me." The particular example where it was applied to Sombrio felt to me like such an example.

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 6, 2006 8:39 UTC (Fri) by stijn (subscriber, #570) [Link]

Agreed. The dissection in the grandparent post, now *that* carries weight.

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 13, 2006 8:06 UTC (Fri) by forthy (guest, #1525) [Link]

In Germany, being "professional" has two meanings, which are actually the same - doing it for money. The second meaning therefore is "prostitute", they are doing "it" for money, not for love. And then, "amateur" is the right opposite, since that's a french word meaning "lover". Most prostitutes are actually enslaved in some way or another (and it seems to be that this is true for other professionals, as well, who are wage sclaves ;-).