Read on Twitter
The GameStop stock valuation brouhaha with r/wallstreetbets is really illuminating about the power and reach of trolling and its IRL effects
trolling is an initial expression of nihilistic irony poisoning that calls for manipulation of symbols minus any connection to IRL impact
trolling is an initial expression of nihilistic irony poisoning that calls for manipulation of symbols minus any connection to IRL impact
A lot of Trump’s initial online support on, like, r/theDonald was specifically conceived of as trolling for the lulz b/c they saw political discourse as meaningless
but over time trolling leads to people calcifying their identity around it
but over time trolling leads to people calcifying their identity around it
That’s why the redditor above is now ardently defending the GameStop valuation. What was done in irony must now be defended in earnest as a way to say “fuck you” to the existing stock valuation system of meaning
And, like, sure tuck hedge fund managers, but this attitude applied to politics and discourse in general leads to horrible effects
trolls liked Trump bc he smashed through the rules of political discourse
But there were good reasons for a lot of those rules
trolls liked Trump bc he smashed through the rules of political discourse
But there were good reasons for a lot of those rules
this is why we now have explicit calls for violence and open mainstreaming of racism as a rapidly growing part of the political discourse
Because we had rules against that and those rules were smashed as part of Trumpism. This was a principal appeal of Trump.
Because we had rules against that and those rules were smashed as part of Trumpism. This was a principal appeal of Trump.
So there was a two pronged appeal of:
1) breaking the discourse rules when trolls saw the rules as meaningless, therefore flouting them produced lulz
2) openly breaking the discourse rules w/o real consequence created a permission structure for ppl who wanted to be more racist
1) breaking the discourse rules when trolls saw the rules as meaningless, therefore flouting them produced lulz
2) openly breaking the discourse rules w/o real consequence created a permission structure for ppl who wanted to be more racist
what’s worse is that ppl can dismiss the danger and say “it’s only online” when a troll movement starts
but it moves from ironic nihilism to earnest destruction extremely quickly
ask any BIPOC person, woman, trans person, or queer who gets hate brigaded on here
but it moves from ironic nihilism to earnest destruction extremely quickly
ask any BIPOC person, woman, trans person, or queer who gets hate brigaded on here
I’m just a cus white gay guy thinking out loud here but reading people like @Blackamazon , @UnburntWitch , @sassycrass , @so_treu (and many others) has made me think more deeply about online behavior that should set off warning bells for everyone but doesn’t
*cis, jeez
Early warning signs are ignored because they usually are noticed by people who are not cishet white men, and our discourse around online/tech centers the cishet white make experience
this means that the folks who give early warnings are ignored/dismissed
Early warning signs are ignored because they usually are noticed by people who are not cishet white men, and our discourse around online/tech centers the cishet white make experience
this means that the folks who give early warnings are ignored/dismissed
*male, not make
Anyway, please fucking pay attention when folks who aren’t cishet white men give warnings about online movements
They’re usually only broadly listened to after real damage is done, and often not even then
Anyway, please fucking pay attention when folks who aren’t cishet white men give warnings about online movements
They’re usually only broadly listened to after real damage is done, and often not even then
(Credit to the phrasing of “trolling is an initial expression of nihilistic irony poisoning that calls for manipulation of symbols minus any connection to IRL impact” goes to @aphyr)
