In fairness, the whole 'lol trolls r no lifers wif no friends lol' angle doesn't really hold much merit and is full of the same misconceptions and stereotyping that is sent the way of role-players. Just because someone acts like a bit of an idiot at times it doesn't mean they're without friends, a real life or are truly a terrible person. It's usually just a bit of fun to them. Tasteless fun, sure, but it's hardly the crime of the century.
Heck, I know a lot of players who would be interested in role-play if not for the abundance of role-players with questionable character concepts, the obsession with ERP and various other factors such as the vast levels of drama that inevitably pop up in role-playing communities. I'd have to seriously scratch my head in confusion if someone honestly can't see why role-players have such a poor reputation given the sort of horror stories that can be told regarding the goings on beneath the surface.
Heck, I know a lot of players who would be interested in role-play if not for the abundance of role-players with questionable character concepts, the obsession with ERP and various other factors such as the vast levels of drama that inevitably pop up in role-playing communities. I'd have to seriously scratch my head in confusion if someone honestly can't see why role-players have such a poor reputation given the sort of horror stories that can be told regarding the goings on beneath the surface.