Please Define: Troll

[shiny]

I'm a new at actually posting on this site (even though I have enjoyed reading it) and I thought I knew what it meant when someone was called a "troll"

I thought it meant someone looking for clients for their business (mostly selling financial advise, etc) or would that be "trawling"?

Then I thought it was a mean person that called other people names, like the troll that lived under the bridge in Billy Goat's Gruff.

But now someone who started a topic about a poll that has been in the news was called a troll. Is this right?

 

[haha]

A troll is someone who has an opinion different from the opinion of the dominant posters on a board. When he is shown the error of his ways, he still continues to put forth his ideas. This is the most general definition of "A Troll".

Sometimes, but not always, trolls put forth opinions that would be unattractive to almost anyone.

I am not sure, but I think it relates to the verb-"to troll". As in fishing, where one might drag bait along behind a boat, hoping to incite strikes by a fish.

Or perhaps as in prostitution, where the lady in question might troll her attractions up and down a street.

It is taken for granted that the "troll" does not believe in his opinions, but is only stating them to draw fire. I think this is definitely sometimes the case, but often appears not to be, as in the case that you cite.

For this reason, I prefer the most general definition - someone who persistently disagrees with whoever is crying troll.

I hope this helps. 

Ha

 

[moghopper]

Then I thought it was a mean person that called other people names, like the troll that lived under the bridge in Billy Goat's Gruff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

I would generally confine it to "..a person who makes inflammatory or hostile comments, which by effect or design cause disruptions in discourse, or a post made by such a person..."

But, I wouldn't disqualify those who purposely invoke inflammatory subjects... e.g. Abortion should always/never be used...

 

[Leslie]

A troll lacks facts and typically, the ability to argue effectively; when backed into a corner or asked for specifics on his/her point of view, a troll resorts to name calling, such as: "Buckwheat," "Professor," "Einstein", "numbnuts," "idiot,"and refers to alternate points of view as "retarded." A troll will at some point invoke Nazi, Germany which usually kills a thread dead in its tracks.

Oh, I know--see the China thread for an example.

Hope this helps!

 

[unclemick]

Aaaaaah! - you rookies!

Go to search on this forum - type - SWR of 6.21% for 26 years.

Boy oh boy - I'm feeling bad to the bone this morning.

Heh, heh, heh - evil, evil, evil - Heh, heh, heh.

Another cup of coffee and one more pastry - I'll mellow out.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Largely someone who posts with the intent of creating inflamation. A typical troll creates a huge quagmire, pokes and prods it to stoke up the fire, then sits back and enjoys their handiwork.

A really, really good troll (good being relative) does all this without the user community realizing right off that they're a troll. They might look like someone who just has a strong opinion. They may turn the fire up and down, go away a while and come back.

The bottom line is that its usually someone with low self esteem that is trying to create a reaction, tying their self worth to the level of reaction they can give rise to.

The post Unclemick refers to is a good example. It was created by a troll under an alternate 'disguise'. It picked on what is probably at its most basic form, a good example of one of the holes in the SWR theory. The troll, under its regular name, then stoked up the discussion and ran it to 20-something pages of people slugging each other in the face.

 

[shiny]

Thanks for the clarification. The Wikipedia link was especially helpful, I will refer to it now in all matters of message board etiquette.

Ha ~ your reference to the prostitute trolling her wares was sort of what I first thought a troll was, someone looking for business, but I guess the fishing reference is more accurate ~ baiting someone!

I think Leslie and I have the same visions of trolls and how they might act

I don't think I will go back and read a long, contentious post (The SWR post cited). I experienced enough of that already in my working years as an attorney!

 

[REattempt]

Was going to start a new thread on "trolls" after the "how do I protect my house from the nursing home" troll popped up. This throwback is better than what I could start...

 

[JoeWras]

Trolls are the arsonists of the internet.

 

[easysurfer]

Trolls are the arsonists of the internet.

+1.

As for here, is someone is a total nuisance, remember there is that "add to ignore" option for person or thread.

Otherwise, you can read the trolled thread for entertainment purposes .

 

[dixonge]

And don't forget the #1 rule:

 

[target2019]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

There can be narrower or wider definitions.

I notice that the label is sometimes mis-applied. Many years ago it was improper to label the troll too early. You'd wait a few pages until it was obvious, then a mod or senior poster would tag the troll as such.