[WikiEN-l] Troll?

[Ray Saintonge]

NSK wrote:

>On Wednesday 10 November 2004 02:55, Josiah wrote:
>  
>
>>what exactly does it mean to be a Troll?
>>    
>>
>It's an insult and when used on Internet communities it has several meanings:
>1. Troll is anybody who is disliked by the person who uses that word.
>2. Troll is anybody who disagrees with the older users or the administrators.
>3. Troll is anybody who intends to destroy a community.
>4. Troll is anybody who intends to be entertained at the expense of other 
>users.
>
>When used outside the context of Internet communities, a troll is a Nordic 
>dwarf and http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=trolling
>
The internet definitions that you provide suggests a particular POV, 
especially the imputation of intent.

Although a troll can indeed be a nordic dwarf, that may not be the 
appropriate meaning.

More relevant is that the verb "to troll" is a fishing term to describe 
fishing method where by a fishing line with one or more often baited 
hooks is dragged behind a moving boat.  The line itself can be referred 
tp by the noun "the troll". 

By transference to internet parlance it becomes the practice of putting 
out bait to see who will grab it.  The advice to not feed the trolls 
thus becomes a warning to the fish that they should not attempt to eat 
the fishhooks.

Trolling need not be inherently bad, though unfortunately many who troll 
do tend to take advantage of others.  Sometimes putting out a little 
bait may be the only way to encourage a discussion that people tend to 
avoid.  That practice, of course, needs to be used with great caution to 
avoid having the discussion deflected from the issue to the person who 
raised it.

Ec