Why People Become Internet Trolls

Re:Why People Become Internet Trolls by mike741 on Monday August 24, 2020 @06:11PM (#24266119)

The article equates "trolling" with phishing and harassment. It states "Trolling is a hard concept to define" and uses this as a convenient excuse to make false equivalences. The term "troll" is actually easy to define: "antisocial, quarrelsome and slow-witted creatures which make life difficult for travelers." Its the literal interpretation from norse folklore. The troll doesn't follow you around, build a following, or encourage suicide. The troll sits under a bridge and charges you a "toll" (time, monetary, or emotional) as you pass by it.

One could argue that this author is trolling their audience with obfuscatory language.

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Re:Why People Become Internet Trolls by mdonahoe on Monday August 24, 2020 @10:22PM (#24267618)

I prefer the urbandictionary definition:

“Trolling on-line forums as described above is actually analogous to the fishing technique of “trolling”, where colorful baits and lures are pulled behind a slow moving boat.”

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Re:Why People Become Internet Trolls by mike741 on Monday August 31, 2020 @08:59PM (#24337476)

I think that definition has too much overlap with the already popularized coinage "Phishing" where a user is baited into giving up something.

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