sockmonk@gmail.com wrote:
Yes, in internet usage, a "troll" is usually someone who posts "flamebait" to a discussion. That is, they will state something that is highly controversial in order to elicit a strong reaction to it, typically a reaction against it. They are (usually) disliked because they are seen as just stirring up arguments for the sake of stirring up arguments. Occasionally, the troll might just be trying to get someone else's hidden opinion out into the open.
This is more in line with how I understand the term in an internet context. It allows for the fact that not all trolling is evil.
Ec