Bugmaster comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! (5th thread, March 2013) - Less Wrong

27 Post author: orthonormal 01 April 2013 04:19PM

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Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 23 April 2013 03:23:14AM 5 points [-]

Designating PrawnOfFate a probable troll or sockpuppet. Suggest terminating discussion.

Comment author: Bugmaster 23 April 2013 04:46:47AM 0 points [-]

What is your basis for the designation ? I am not arguing with your suggestion (I was leaning in the same direction myself), I'm just genuinely curious. In other words, why do you believe that PrawnOfFate is a troll, and not someone who is genuinely confused ?

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 23 April 2013 05:54:32AM 1 point [-]

Combined behavior in other threads. Check the profile.

Comment author: wedrifid 23 April 2013 09:45:22AM *  0 points [-]

In other words, why do you believe that PrawnOfFate is a troll, and not someone who is genuinely confused ?

"Troll" is a somewhat fuzzy label. Sometimes when I am wanting to be precise or polite and avoid any hint of Fundamental Attribution Error I will replace it with the rather clumsy or verbose "person who is exhibiting a pattern of behaviour which should not be fed". The difference between "Person who gets satisfaction from causing disruption" and "Person who is genuinely confused and is displaying an obnoxiously disruptive social attitude" is largely irrelevant (particularly when one has their Hansonian hat on).

If there was a word in popular use that meant "person likely to be disruptive and who should not be fed" that didn't make any assumptions or implications of the intent of the accused then that word would be preferable.