• ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    Is all bad online behavior “trolling” now? Isn’t “shill” a better word for someone who is paid to surreptitiously promote something?

    • Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Back in my day trolling meant something. It meant you cared enough to actually form a real argument that withstands scrutiny, just to setup for the rug pull. The better your polemic, the more engagement as people debated if you were for real or not.

      Shitposting controversial hot takes or dog whistle memes is mid af, do better

    • paraphrand@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      No, all bad online behavior now is “bots.”

      At least that’s how people in the comments on lemmy and Reddit label them.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        There’s no way it’s a banned word. /r/neoliberal has a “neoliberal shill of the year” award where they vote for their favorite economist based on social media posts, books released that year, etc.

    • gohixo9650@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      it is not “now”. It is exactly as it was being used in 2020, when the article was written, by the mass media. They were calling “troll” everyone they were disagreeing with.