Anatomy of a social media 'troll' – Chicago Tribune

Jon Timowski has been described as a social media "troll."

In internet slang, a troll is a person who stirs the pot by purposely starting arguments, angering social media users, or posting inflammatory comments solely to provoke an emotional reaction from others.

"How do I respond to being called a troll? I really don't," said Timowski, 40, of Lowell. "It is and has been very typical, and telling, for the left to lash out to name calling."

Though he disregards such disparaging labels from his critics, Timowski views our polarized country as left versus right, liberals versus conservatives, Democrats versus Republicans. In his personal world, "snowflakes" have nothing to do with winter storms and everything to do with political storms.

In internet slang, the word snowflake is used by conservatives or Republicans to mock liberals or describe Democrats who feel they're unique when they're anything but unique. Another insulting connotation refers to snowflakes easily melting when confronted by opposing views. It's an overused insult, I say, even pass at this point.

Like most social media users, Timowski is convinced about his political and ideological convictions, which have become heightened since President Trump has been on the scene. Timowksi also is prolific with his hundreds of unrelenting comments on many people's Facebook pages, including on my public page.

For several months, Timowski has been commenting on my social media posts regarding political topics, typically with a bluster that rankles other readers. Only once did I have to tell Timowski to ease back with his name-calling or I'd have to ask him to avoid commenting on my posts. (I've told this to quite a few readers through the years.)

Timowski understood, which is more than I can say about a few other online readers.

Though Timowski and I disagree on most everything political, or so it seems, I enjoy reading his comments and sharing his impassioned voice with my online readers. I think it offers an attempt at a balance between clashing viewpoints, especially with my own viewpoints.

"My purpose for comments, especially to (readers) on the left, at first was to educate them why the right, or conservatives, look at them the way they do," Timowski told me. "It was to point out the flaws in thought and, more importantly, actions that were waking the sleeping and forgotten conservatives."

A Hammond native, Timowski is married with a son. He works in the field of safety and security with disaster planning, which restricts him from sharing his photo for this column, he said. He's been using social media since the days of MySpace which, in the fast-paced evolution of social media, certainly dates him.

On one of his recent Facebook posts on his own page, Timowski wrote, "I love how many people are against the government except on the 1st of the month."

Would you describe his post as inflammatory or informational? Purposeful or confrontational? Is it the work of a social media troll or a "conversation starter," as I've been called by some readers?

"I believe social media can be a way to debate and discuss everything under the sun," Timowski told me. "Unfortunately, it often brings out the worst in people."

This is the absolute truth, as any user has found out. This also is why I wanted to profile Timowski and others like him who have been labeled as a troll by others. I'm guessing that Timowski is not the person you may first think they are, according to his posts and comments. The same can be said for many other social media users, I believe.

It's become too easy to judge others based on only one thin slice of their life. In this case, their social media rhetoric or comments, which can be redundant to the point of exhaustion or aggravation.

For instance, I had Timowski pegged as a lifelong conservative, voting Republican in every election regardless of race or candidate. I was wrong.

"I have been a lifelong Democrat, only voting for two Republicans in a local election in my lifetime," said Timowski, who said he voted for Trump in November. "Every other race locally, state and federal have been for Democrats. I guess that means I don't affiliate, but I have leaned left throughout my lifetime thus far."

So why the change in political parties and viewpoints?

"As a lifelong Democrat, I was awakened at what area officials had let happen to my home city and others around it while the conservative areas prospered and made better financial decisions," he replied.

In the past, Timowski was, "active on liberal-leaning webpages, trying to shed light that the country was growing tired of poor behavior, violence, laziness and entitlement," he said. "I truly wanted to help the left that I had voted for my whole life to get away from these things."

"The constant corruption and indictments did not help," he added. "I began to see through, what I was told my whole life, that the rich and business leaders were the devil. After learning to let go of hatred for others' success, I decided I wanted the best business decision-makers running my tax dollars."

"While I disagree with conservative ideology on many subjects, I realize government is in fact a business and my personal life choices are to be done on a personal level away from government," Timowski said.

He also cites the "violence and ignorance" that America has witnessed this past year through so many protests and demonstrations.

"While the right, and namely Trump supporters, have shown ignorance and even some isolated cases of violence, the left has far outreached these cases with the masses," he said. "It's like much of the same results we see with Democratic stronghold areas when it comes to violent crimes. Much like my childhood city (Hammond) and northern Lake County."

Timowski and I agree on one thing.

"We all have a trillion thoughts, and speak a trillion words, but we will be judged on only a few opinions if people don't bother to learn about each other," he said.

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter@jdavich

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Anatomy of a social media 'troll' - Chicago Tribune