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
