Oh no, the trollz are coming! Quick, call out the ‘Net police, there’s TROLLZ on the loose!
FOX News, desperate for any small item of blame to pin on the Obama administration, warns us that the online transparency promised to us might be in danger of being compromised because of….Internet trolls!
Ironically, they point to an example that isn’t an example of trolling at all.
Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the “trolls” had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.The president himself had a good laugh about the volume of marijuana-related questions, saying, “I don’t know what this says about the online audience — we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don’t think that is a good strategy to grow our economy.”
Now, I realize that Rupert is a little addle-pated and not quite with it when it comes to the ways of the Internets, but it’s just fascinating to me that a “coordinated campaign by [fillintheblankhere] advocates” becomes a threat to the online transparency pledge of the White House.
Where does that logic come from? Wait, wait, wait. Because they do answer that:
But the die was cast. Through a perfectly legal “underground” campaign, a relatively insignificant question had risen to the top.
Well, relatively insignificant unless you’re one of the fine upstanding citizens of this country who has had to endure systematic criminalization for medicinal use of marijuana. Or, if you believe, as many do, that legalization and taxation of marijuana is a better way to go than, say, shooting dealers at the Mexican border.
The point isn’t whether marijuana should be legal. The point is that FOX News, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that the question is relatively insignificant. And even if it is insignificant, it doesn’t rise to the level of “trolldom”.
As a long-term denizen of the Internet, political discussions, and news-related fora, I assure you that coordinating an effort to garner attention around a legitimate issue is not even close to what a troll is, and the author of this silly article does sort of come around to that admission in a backhanded way.
While Obama’s marijuana advocates wouldn’t technically be considered trolls, who are defined by their lack of definitive positions and a simple desire for disorder, these special-interest groups do muddle the president’s message and related discourse.
Actually, I’d argue that the muddle is at Faux News, who wants to report on the legalization of marijuana like they want a hole in the head. It offends their air of authority.
However, I can highlight some shining troll examples for them, if they’d like. Here are a few, taken from the comments on their own article about…being a troll!
sherlock: “Obama won’t let the media ask him anything that’s not pre-screened. He has no clue what he’s doing so he’s trying to hide that fact.”
yankey: “by granitestate = moron hey lib!!!!! waite and see your time is coming!!! go to ussr and liveNo waite your gutless and never did any thing in your life dork?”
fortsmith1: Acorn protestors are a bunch of retardes
There are many, many more. These are just some of the shining highlights.
Oh, did I mention that comments on the FOX news site are moderated? I guess the moderators don’t know what trolls are either.
(image courtesy of wikimedia commons)
