6 Things You Learn Getting Paid To Troll People Online

[SidDithers]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Raine1967 (a host of the General Discussion forum).

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-things-you-learn-getting-paid-to-troll-people-online/

#5. Negative Feedback And Hate Reading Gets You Paid

I've done a pay-per-click gig, but I have had a few gigs that paid me extra for reaching a certain page view threshold. Either way, at this point in my career I am now a known quantity. Editors know they can rely on me to produce a stream of punters giving them the sweet page views and click-throughs they need to pitch to potential advertisers. So basically every time you read my article, comment on it, and/or share it with your friends while telling them what a dick I am, you're helping me buy another pair of $400 jeans. Thanks for that!

Keep on hating, haters.

Oh, what's that? You're unfollowing because of my article? Congratulations. No one gives a shit, because 20 other people just followed and you'll be back the second the website runs a picture of cleavage again. Unfollowing a page on Facebook is like voting Libertarian; it might make you feel better at night, but at the end of the day, you've accomplished precisely nothing.

Remember this the next time someone posts a link to an article calling Obama a "Trojan Horse", or something similar.

For online writers, it's all about page views and clicks. The more outrageous or sensational an article is, the more likely it is to be widely shared, and the more cheddah it generates for the site and the writer.

Sid

[leftofcool]

1. I wonder how much I could get paid?

If I link to all the Hillary hit pieces online with cutsy OPs and get the massive amount of DUers who hate her to click on the links, I wonder if I could get a pair of those $400 jeans?

[Agschmid]

2. Well I'd wait for a sale... But yah.

[Jester Messiah]

3. His point #3 is dead on.

Journalism has gone the way of the Fuolornis Fire Dragons.

[sufrommich]

4. "Unfollowing a page on Facebook is like voting Libertarian;

it might make you feel better at night, but at the end of the day, you've accomplished precisely nothing."

[FSogol]

6. +1

[AZ Progressive]

55. +100

People like to think that they are the center of the universe. That may make them feel better at night, but they pretty much tell everyone else that they live in their own bubble.

[FSogol]

5. K & R. n/t

[Pooka Fey]

7. OK, got it.

[hedda_foil]

8. Cool, Sid. Did you write it?

[oneshooter]

19. Jury Results

Somebody has a sad.

On Wed May 27, 2015, 06:59 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Cool, Sid. Did you write it?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6734030

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Personal attack - not very subtle

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Wed May 27, 2015, 07:04 AM, and the Jury voted 0-7 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Really? You waste my time on this post?
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Get a life.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Head That Is Foiled isn't fit to carry Sid's suitcase but I voted to LEAVE IT ALONE.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I am voting to leave it alone because it is unclear if it truly is a personal attack or if it is a joke.

[SidDithers]

20. OMG. That was alerted?...

Sid

[ChisolmTrailDem]

27. Like you didn't know. nt

[Fuddnik]

31. !

[SidDithers]

33. Nope. Wasn't me...

I still have my alert privileges.

Sid

[brush]

47. Glad they left it alone.

Post was informative and explains some of the outrageous posts that seem geared for sh_t storms and clicks.

[MineralMan]

9. Dude! I've gotta get a job like that.

I wonder who's hiring...

[daleanime]

10. Not to be mean....

but you don't seem the $400 jean type.

[MineralMan]

12. I could learn to be, maybe.

Or, I could buy a lifetime supply of the cheap jeans I wear now.

[leftofcool]

13. Hey! That was my plan!

I am thinking that $400.00 would buy lots of Wranglers from KMart.

[daleanime]

14. Boot cut of course.

[MineralMan]

16. Dude! Check out Mills Fleet Farm!

5-Pocket Field & Forest Jeans - Sale Price $9.99!

[Fuddnik]

34. My wife won't let me go to K Mart.

I mentioned one day that I was going to run up to K Mart and buy some new jeans. She said, "No you're not"!

She left, and came back a couple of hours later with several new, and like-new Levis and Wranglers from a thrift shop, for about the same price as one pair of Wranglers.

[daleanime]

40. +1

[mountain grammy]

32. I find them at the thrift shop for $7

I could sell my soul and be buried in jeans..

[cyberswede]

28. Why buy the cow

when you can get the milk for free?

[brush]

11. Now I get what the POS used car salesman poster is up to

"Remember this the next time someone posts a link to an article calling Obama a "Trojan Horse", or something similar.

For online writers, it's all about page views and clicks. The more outrageous or sensational an article is, the more likely it is to be widely shared, and the more cheddah it generates for the site and the writer."

Thanks for the tip, SidDithers.

[JTFrog]

23. Indeed. n/t

[Bobbie Jo]

37. Explains why several other prolific personas

have managed to hang on here.

Clickety click click....

[brush]

46. Yep! Eventually things come out

You learn a lot on DU.

[Quackers]

15. "Prince Charles is President Obama's secret love child!" More at link!

[gregcrawford]

17. The fact that Prince Chuckie is older than Barry...

... would not even register with those who thrive on such sensationalism.

[Quackers]

18. But, but, I read it on the Internet!

[Iliyah]

22. LOL

[octoberlib]

21. Who's Barry?

[gregcrawford]

35. Short for Barack

It's what Obama went by in his youth, and I believe Mrs. Obama is allowed to call him that behind closed doors.

[NCTraveler]

24. The "Trojan Horse" mentality directed toward Obama is based in pure racism.

One does not need to be a paid poster to be racist. Though, it brings them the controversy they need to garner clicks.

[bemildred]

25. "Any response just gives them credibility." nt

[WillowTree]

26. The guy who wrote that article sure is in love with himself.

Just sayin'.

[sufrommich]

29. That's the joke. nt

[underpants]

39. I agree

If this is some sort of an inlaid joke I didn't get it.

[zeemike]

30. There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say.

And same for disinformation...the other way is to create paranoia, so that ideas can be dismissed out of fear that you are being manipulated.

So it can work for you even if it is exposed...win win for the manipulators.

[TlalocW]

36. I've been doing it for free all these years?

Fun fact: When Everquest first came out in the early 2000s, a bunch of co-workers wanted me to play it with them because they wanted someone who would be able to piss off other guilds. Tempting as it was, I declined.

TlalocW

[kentauros]

38. Seems to me

that if you "feel better at night" then you have indeed accomplished something: lower stress

[MannyGoldstein]

41. Fantastic info, thanks!

Now I'll be much better prepared at my next contract negotiation.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

42. good read!!

I liked it!

[OnyxCollie]

43. Thanks to NAFTA

US trolls have been outsourced to Canada.

[stonecutter357]

44. K&R!

[Romulox]

45. That hits close to home!

[davidthegnome]

48. Hmm.

From the (post? article? whatever?)

"For the last three or so, I've basically had money coming out of my ass. Seriously. I just bought a $500 leather fanny pack from Japan. I am that fucking out of shit to spend money on."

Leather fanny pack.... dude just lost the internet. Everything else is irrelevant. Leather fanny pack = - however many points you have ever had.

[geek tragedy]

49. those trolls are like a bull in a china shop while on fire with hundred-dollar-bills falling out of

their asses nt

[zappaman]

50. I've worn Levi's all my life.

What do 400 dollar jeans look like?
Are they woven with gold?

[pintobean]

53. Something like this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Levis-505-Big-E-Jeans-Size-34-X-29-5-/161704359029?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a654b475

I kid

[GusBob]

51. lol "growing up in a place where everyone is a dick ( New England)"

I really enjoyed this post. I really get the phrasing thing in such a way to piss people off

[Fumesucker]

52. 7 things actually

People will believe anything is #7

I thought this bit was particularly ironically LOL worthy...

For online writers, it's all about page views and clicks. The more outrageous or sensational an article is, the more likely it is to be widely shared, and the more cheddah it generates for the site and the writer.

[AZ Progressive]

54. The writer lives in L.A., a haven for assholes and other aggressive people

I'm not surprised.

And I'm not impressed. If you have no ethics, no character, money is damn easy to make.

Another thing is that guys love to brag and exaggerate. I wonder how much of this is exaggeration.

[Raine1967]

56. Locking post:

As per a host discussion, this is deemed disruptive meta.

DISRUPTIVE META-DISCUSSION
Positive threads about Democratic Underground or its members are are permitted.

Threads complaining about Democratic Underground or its members; threads complaining about jury decisions, locked threads, suspensions, bannings, or the like; and threads intended to disrupt or negatively influence the normal workings of Democratic Underground and its community moderating system are not permitted.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025307978