Who among us hasn't read about some Threatened or Endangered species and wondered if our last cryptozoological lunch did the deed? I know I have. Knowing that I helped eat some beast to extinction is one of life's simple pleasures. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that it is every American's God-given right to seek out endangered species and drive them to extinction by whatever means they wish. "Whatever boils your crawfish", they used to say, before BP did the Deepwater Dirty. (Nobody wants to eat a crawfish now, of course, though I hear the little critters make fine candles.)
So I hope you'll understand that I don't begrudge Kos's right to render one or another class of user or conversation extinct on his site. It's his site, after all, and he's clearly enjoyed a exterminating all manner of Constitutionally-protected speech in the past. We've all had good laughs at the banning of conspiracy theories and Birthers and Armando and... but, well, after we're done laughing at some stupid animal that'll never breed again, we do — or at least I do — feel a little sadness that we'll never get to hunt the little bastard again. Bashing a Birther isn't quiet as much fun as bashing a baby seal, but it's about as close as you can get on the Internet. Some animals are more fun to hunt than others, of course, and many (like birthers and baby seals) don't put up much of a fight.
Now, I bring this up because, well, I fear that through destruction of habitat, DK4 has put the troll on the endangered species list. If nothing is done to save the trolls, there will be no more Troll Diaries or troll wars or troll hunts or trollhouse cookbooks, and we'll all be poorer for the loss.
Some wags claim that trolls are damaging to a community, but they are irredeemable idiots. The simple truths are that
- Adventurers bond through adversity. trolls are the common enemy in a social ecosystem of shared interests; they create the conflict around which common identity is formed.
- Without adversity, adventurers are just out for a stroll. trolls create the strife which makes otherwise soporific forums dramatic.
- Taking blood is cathartic. trolls serve as release valve for interpersonal stress, which can be safely misdirected for the common interest.
- trolls are a renewable resource and sign of a healthy social ecosystem. If carefully managed, they can serve your community and may be some of your most loyal members.
The only people who would dispute these facts are humorless tight-asses, witless class traitors, and Joe Lieberman. But I repeat myself.
Anyway, if you treasure
trolls and would like to help promote
Troll Diaries and preserve the Dkos traditions of trolling,
troll wars,
troll hunting and
trollhouse cooking, I hope you'll consider joining the only group that would make
ErrinF an editor:
Trolls at DailyKos.