Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Internet Trolls, more of an Internet nuisance less of a cyber threat


Wikipedia defines a troll as “someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion”
The main objective of a troll is to intentionally lure a victim into a pointless or annoying discussion by responding to rude questions or statements. The troll amuses himself while the unsuspecting victim is emotionally riled up. Trolls have their own online troll communities where they boast of their exploits and rant on sites that have banned them.

Trolls use anonymous identities and create long term elaborate fictitious profiles not simply in name but in role, age, disability and sex. Some may be outright rude; others may act subtly to ruin the online experience of others posing as a newcomer deliberately making silly errors on a multiplayer game or on use groups asking stupid questions to derail discussions. The troll has very little accountability and acts online in a manner he never would in real life.
A troll works by casting baits, making provocative statements on RIP pages, blogs, Youtube, chatrooms, forums, and message boards, waiting for a victim to bite the bait and respond. If the bait is picked up, the troll then begins a vitriolic discussion with the victim. The Troll is always a winner, having nothing to lose and all to gain. The victim is always a loser.

Trolls are usually an online nuisance but there are instances when Trolls cross the line of rude behavior to criminality. This happens, when trolls post death threats, cyber bully, publish phone numbers of decent women for sex chats, or post fake advertisements for sale of goods online.
Why do people troll? Sometimes to settle personal vendetta’s or further a political agenda, but in a large number of cases, trolls have no agenda except to derive sadistic pleasure or to relieve real life frustration on strangers. Trolling could be the outcome of poor social skills, bad behavior, and lack cyber ethics or according to physiatrists a mental illness which needs treatments.

Related articles on Internet Trolls


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