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Revision as of 00:15, 8 January 2009 view sourceBetsythedevine (talk \| contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers4,287 edits →Etymology: dragging, not waving← Previous edit		Revision as of 00:18, 8 January 2009 view source Manhattan Samurai (talk \| contribs)2,774 edits This is ridiculous! I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VOICE! People will read what I write.Next edit →
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	{{selfref\|"Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation ''DNFTT'' redirect here. For the Misplaced Pages ], see . For other uses see ].}}
	An '''Internet troll''', or simply '''troll''' in ], is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an ] or ], with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response<ref> Retrieved on 28 May 2007.</ref> or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.<ref></ref>

	==Etymology==
	] operation in fishing.]]

	The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s<ref name=nyt>{{cite news\|title=The Trolls Among Us\|date=2008-08-03\|work=]\|author=Schwartz, Mattathias\|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html\|accessdate=2008-08-01}}</ref>, but the earliest known example is from 1991<ref name=oed>Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006</ref>. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase ''trolling for ]s'', itself derived from the ] technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as ].<ref>Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997 </ref> The word also evokes the ]s portrayed in ] and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. <ref> </ref>

	===Early history===
	Prior to ]'s archiving of ], accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, ''alt.folklore.urban'' (AFU).<ref name=Porter/><ref>One early reference to ''troll'' found in the ] was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of ].</ref> Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that ]. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a ] to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.<ref name=SDope>{{cite web\|
	title=The Straight Dope\|
	author=]\|
	date=2000-05-14\|
	url=http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mtroll.html\|
	accessdate=2007-08-26\|
	quote=To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling.}}</ref><ref name=Porter>See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., at 48 ("he two most notorious trollers in AFU, ] and ], are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").</ref> One of the most notorious AFU trollers, ],<ref name=Porter/> went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.

	By the late 1990s, ''alt.folklore.urban'' had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in ]s where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun ''troll'' usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.

	==Identity trolling==
	In academic ], the practice was first documented by ] (1999), who used several ] examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "]":<ref></ref>

	{{quote\|In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.}}

	Donath provides a concise overview of ] games which trade on the confusion between physical and ]:

	{{quote\|Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.}}

	{{quote\|Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's ].''" (Donath, 1999, p. 45)}}

	==Usage==
	Application of the term ''troll'' is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as ''trolling'', while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy '']''.

	Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".<ref>Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.</ref>

	Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.

	== Concern troll ==
	A ''concern troll'' is a ] pseudonym created by a user whose actual ] is opposed to the one that the user's ] claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to ], but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow ] within the group.<ref>{{cite news \|first=Ana Marie \|last=Cox \|authorlink=Ana Marie Cox \|title=Making Mischief on the Web \|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570701,00.html \|work=] \|date=] \|accessdate=2007-03-30}}</ref>

	For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman ] (]-]), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, ] ], on several liberal ] blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.<ref>{{cite news \|first=Anne \|last=Saunders \|title=Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online \|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/09/26/rep_bass_aide_posed_as_opponents_supporter_on_blogs \|work=] \|publisher=] \|date=] \|accessdate=2007-03-30}}</ref>

	A recently declassified ] manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." <ref></ref>

	Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.

	For example, James Wolcott in ''Vanity Fair''<ref>{{cite news \|first=James \|last=Wolcott \|title=Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip \|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/blogs/wolcott/2006/10/political_pieti.html \|work=] \|date=] \|accessdate=2008-05-26}}</ref> accused a conservative '']'' columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the ]. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to ] "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
	:''These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.' ''

	In a more recent example, '']'' published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."<ref>{{cite news \|first=Markos \|last=Moulitsas \|title=Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'. \|url=http://thehill.com/markos-moulitsas/dems-ignore-concern-trolls-2008-01-09.html \|work=] \|date=] \|accessdate=2008-05-26}}</ref>

	==Parody==
	A monster in the ] card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."

	==See also==
	* ]
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	== References ==
	{{reflist\|2}}

	== External links ==
	{{Wiktionary\|troll}}
	{{commonscat\|Trolls (Internet)}}
	{{too many links\|date=September 2008}}
	* by Henk van Ess
	* by Steve Myers
	*: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
	* from the ]
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	* <!-- scare quotes from original paper -->
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	*; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.

	===Troll FAQs===
	*
	* (how-to)
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	* at ]
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	* ] entry in the ]
	*] in ]'s ] -->
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	{{Anonymous and the_Internet}}

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Revision as of 00:18, 8 January 2009