What is a TROLL?

-- Gary (gnb@co.clark.nv.us), February 01, 1999

Answers

There's an actual definition which someone will no doubt provide, but mainly it's a denigrating term for a person who wastes everyone's time either with bad information or by just being obnoxious. Living under a bridge isn't actually necessary, altho it wouldn't suprise me if some of them do.

-- not one myself (not@aol.com), February 01, 1999.

In general, a troll is someone who makes posts for the sole purpose of upsetting other forum participants. For example, a troll might post a recipe for barbequed cat to rec.pets.cats

Their posts may or may not reflect their real views but are designed to invoke a harsh response from forum participants. The troll gains great pleasure from seeing other participants react strongly.

Some trolls are witty but most are simply people who have no interest in contributing to the group. They are most often very naive on the subject at hand and are simply seeking to disrupt. Mostly juvenile and sometimes vulgar.

A small minority are actually well thought out and intended to entertain forum participants rather than upset them. They are a rare bird, however.

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), February 01, 1999.

Think of them as cyber vampires who feed on disruption and chaos. Best strategy is to simply ignore them. If you do, they will eventually go away.

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), February 01, 1999.

Trolls are people that after you answer them, you feel like S*** !* The opposite for giving answers to real forum participants. Good barometer.

I really had to ask myself - why am I wasting my time on answering these trolls ???!! Waste a day doing it, you'll "get it." :-(

-- Debbie Spence (dbspence@usa.net), February 02, 1999.

They're also trolling like fishermen do, tossing some bait out there and riding along with it to see if they can get some fish to bite. Guess they have a life deficit.

-- Noah Simoneaux (noaj@yournet.com), February 02, 1999.

I liked the description of "trolling" as a fisherman does it, but would recommend you think of the complete picture:

A troll typically wanders around and over the surface of the problem, with some superficial knowlegde of the surface of the problem, but willingly ignorant of what lies deep below, continuously throwing smelly, rotten, chuks of dead cut-up fish ("chum") in his wake hoping to attract attention.

But many throw barbed hooks in with their poisonous bait - again, waiting to reel in and kill whatever they find and catch.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 02, 1999.

Great definition from months ago of "troll" for our troll-heavy weekend-weariness. Reanimated for your caveat. Ignore the trollish, Lovelies! Playing (criticism, sarcasm) with them only encourages the pests, ...it's rather like encouraging the "demopublicans/republicrats" by pretending with them that there is a two party-system.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 18, 1999.

Computing Dictionary

Definition of "Troll"

"An electronic mail message, Usenet posting or other (electronic) communication which is intentionally incorrect, but not overtly controversial (compare flame bait), or the act of sending such a message. Trolling aims to elicit an emotional reaction from those with a hair-trigger on the reply key. A really subtle troll makes some people lose their minds. "
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), April 19, 1999.