Define trolling

[uchytjes]

How do you define trolling? is there a way to define it?

I've always understood that trolling is trying to get people to try to reply to you by doing something that is meant to make them react to you. is that the correct definition? If so, how do you separate trolls from people that are just new and don't know what they are doing?

 

[Marter]

Well, the <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/codeofconduct>Code of Conduct has a definition.

Posting inflammatory, extraneous or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion

So there's that. I think it's a pretty good one. It makes sense to me and I don't think it leaves out much of anything.

 

[Realitycrash]

Intent, mostly. A troll wishes to cause mischief, and has a clear intent of doing so.

 

[DoPo]

How do you define trolling? is there a way to define it?

I've always understood that trolling is trying to get people to try to reply to you by doing something that is meant to make them react to you.

Sort of - it's about trying to provoking an extreme reaction of the other party. If you get mad, they win, that was their goal. Sometimes it's to force other people into breaking the rules and being punished as a result, other times, not really but deception and manipulation are the goal, the result must be some kind of mischief. New users aren't likely to be doing it intentionally.

If you want a brilliant troll masterpiece, then read the article Is Your Son A Computer Hacker [http://www.adequacy.org/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html]. No new user would be able to pull that off ever. And If the new users are trying to provoke people online, then they are trolls. As simple as that.

 

[Rawne1980]

It's someone who provokes a reaction from other people on purpose.

A disagreement of opinion is NOT trolling.
Calling someone out on bullshit is NOT trolling.
Telling someone exactly what you think of them is NOT trolling.
Telling someone their taste in music/tv/film/games/women/men is shit is NOT trolling.

Going into a debate on gender roles and saying "women belong in the kitchen" keeping a straight face to look serious is what trolling is.

Basically, anything that gets a rise out of people while the person doing said trolling laughs his/her arse off at the reaction.

If you want a brilliant troll masterpiece, then read the article Is Your Son A Computer Hacker [http://www.adequacy.org/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html]. No new user would be able to pull that off ever. And If the new users are trying to provoke people online, then they are trolls. As simple as that.

I can't decide what I found more hilarious.

The article itself was amusing and also made me see that I too am a hacker and must therefore ban myself from my PC.

Or....

The comments. How some people take such an obvious, light hearted jest seriously is beyond me.

 

[Crazy]

Trolling is usually defined as people who disagree with others, and those people call him a troll. In actuality, a troll is someone who posts with the intention of annoying another member.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I always thought of it as webspeak for "tease".