Sidebar: Holy Troller, Batman!

Working for a highly political organization for many years, I watched the politics in action and learned the do's and don'ts...one if the many things I learned was that you don't "burn your bridges" by alienating everybody, because sooner or later, you're going to alienate someone who's going to hurt you back more than you think....in other words, actions have consequences.

For the first time, at the Facebook commentary suggestion of one Shiela Fahey Wallenius, I visited my conservative counterpart Bryan White's Facebook "Wall".  It looked like a laundry list of various PolitiFact commenters, Bryan's lengthy "j'accuse" of those committing some version of fallacy sin.

If she had been posting regularly at FB PolitiFact's page, she would know this is not true.

Wallenius, however, decided to take it one step further when Bryan decided to pick on her (see above snippet from Facebook).  She declared Bryan a "professional troll" since it appeared that his only purpose--his assignment--was being the in-house aggravator of PolitiFact's (Liberal or Democratic) Facebook page commenters, as noted by her suggestion above.  She stated she had not only blocked him but reported him. Another commenter, Barry Powers, joined in. Bryan's co-conspirator "Deff Jyberg" rushed to Bryan's defense, but the commenters ganged up on both of them, one of them linking Deff Jeff Dyberg to Bryan's PolitiFact Bias blog site.   It was an engaging reading.

It was clear to me that Bryan would compose something in his blog about this, so it did not surprise me when it was out there within 24 hours.  This also brings to light something I wonder about him, because I told him at one time he did not have to tell me who he was or what he did (he has been amazingly evasive on these points), but it kind of makes you wonder.  I am retired--I do not have to work (at least for the time being!), as I collect a pension.  So my time is my own.  But I cannot keep up with Bryan's blog....I cannot respond to every one of his detailed, often lengthy and carefully crafted criticisms of PolitiFact.  I simply don't have the time.  So, assuming Bryan is younger than me and not retired, and working, where on earth does he find the time to do all this?  In addition, I often see his Facebook comments (often lengthy as well) made at times that would indicate he made them in the middle of the night.  He supposedly lives in Largo, Florida, a "suburb" of either Tampa or St. Petersburg, which is on Eastern Standard Time, which is my time when I am in Michigan as well as in southwest Florida, about two hours south of Largo.  So it's not necessary for me to factor in time differentials with him.

So, Bryan is either a retired older guy with nothing better to do, or "cocaine-addled" as one commenter described him one time, which would help him stay up at night.  While he's not a troll, he's definitely on a singular mission against PolitiFact. 

Bryan's style of rebuttal is what turns people off.  If he found a more diplomatic way of doing it he might not be mired in this.  For example: (emphasis added)

Barry Powers wrote:
***He also has figured out how to view your posts even if you are blocking him (good for you Bryan, clever).***

It's intriguing how the progressives have turned the harassment policy on its head. Instead of using it to avoid being harassed by others, it is used to post libelous material about others so that they cannot see it in order to respond. Clever, progressives. And then report me if I respond. It's a beautiful thing.

I hope Jeremy's wrong about the screen shots! lol

First off, I've seen conservatives do the exact same thing--they certainly haven't cornered the market on turning harassment such as this on its head. But libelous? It's words such as these, sort of threatening legalese, that make Bryan so "creepy". To me "libel" is a serious exaggeration; and it certainly does not rise to that level. It does not hurt Bryan financially; he's already ruined his own reputation on the Facebook PolitiFact page all by himself. In open, free forums such as Facebook, this is the risk that you take, and you get what you deserve. If he does not want to be "libeled" he should not respond--he should not even be on Facebook. But his narcissisticly neurotic penchant for needing to tit-for-tat, always have the final word, get in the final "jab"--can also get him banned. He needs to cool it.

I actually came to Bryan's defense on this, however, as I do not believe he meets the definition of troll, at least the ones I've come up against.   But it's his own fault for being, as I described, such a pain in the ass to other commenters.