What is a "troll"?

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively "fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what or who they are.

Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Mario Blataric said:

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively
"fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Click to expand...

Of course Mario, happy to oblige!

A troll, in my understanding, is a person who posts on a newsgroup with the sole intent of sparking off a furious debate among members while having no other particular interest in the subject.

Cheers,
--
Hans H. Siegrist

Hans H. Siegrist said:

Mario Blataric said:

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively
"fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Click to expand...

Of course Mario, happy to oblige!

A troll, in my understanding, is a person who posts on a newsgroup

Click to expand...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The true meaning of troll is a monster renowned in folklore and myth. However, as each generation comes along they feel the need to make changes to words and phrases to fit the times of today, but are not really the true meaning of a troll. Trolls were fierce in battle and were better left alone . To avoid them was wise due to their size and strength. My choice of word to describe the people. that you are referring to, in today’s world would be nuisance.

Poochy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Member said:

with the sole intent of sparking off a furious debate among members
while having no other particular interest in the subject.

Cheers,
--
Hans H. Siegrist

Click to expand...

Just to keep it light...

For someone in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (which you get to by crossing the Mackinaw Bridge spanning the straights of Mackinaw which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) a Troll is someone from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula because they "live under the bridge". As we all know from childhood fairy tales all trolls live under bridges...

Rick Whitman

pocchy said:

Hans H. Siegrist said:

Mario Blataric said:

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively
"fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Click to expand...

Of course Mario, happy to oblige!

A troll, in my understanding, is a person who posts on a newsgroup

Click to expand...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The true meaning of troll is a monster renowned in folklore and
myth. However, as each generation comes along they feel the need
to make changes to words and phrases to fit the times of today, but
are not really the true meaning of a troll. Trolls were fierce in
battle and were better left alone . To avoid them was wise due to
their size and strength. My choice of word to describe the people.
that you are referring to, in today’s world would be nuisance.

Poochy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

pocchy said:

with the sole intent of sparking off a furious debate among members
while having no other particular interest in the subject.

Cheers,
--
Hans H. Siegrist

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

pocchy said:

Poochy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

pocchy said:

with the sole intent of sparking off a furious debate among members
while having no other particular interest in the subject.

Cheers,
--
Hans H. Siegrist

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Or a pain in the neck. I quite agree although the term is rather unspecific. So far, I haven't been able to find any trolls outside some newsgroups. The latter seem to be convenient burrows for those creatures now that the real world negates their existence.

Cheers,
--
Hans H. Siegrist

Mario

When you post a message - a list of posting rules pops up - in that list the webmaster defines what a 'troll' is on this site.

"Trolls - Anyone deliberately antagonizing other forum users by posting 'flame bait' type messages are not welcome. See first rule."

This rule is totally ignored on dpreview, for example I see many other camera owners/users slagging the E1 knowing people will respond in kind - they for most part do not own the camera and are just here to play out some perverse new age web activity.

This being the most popular digital website it would be impossible to police these forum as per the rules. I understand that Phil will react if he gets enough complaints about a particular troll poster. Although I wonder about that.

It is all fun in the end.....

Terry,

Mario Blataric said:

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively
"fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Click to expand...

--
'A luminous object need not shine light upon itself'

http://info.astrian.net/jargon/terms/t.html#troll

--
http://jonr.beecee.org/

Mario Blataric said:

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Click to expand...

Although the meaning of "troll" in this forum is something different, "troll" is an ancient Nordic word, actually of unknown origin. According to the Swedish National Encyclopedia a "troll" is an ugly, clumpsy and rather stupid supernatural being who, according to ancient folklore, reside in the deep forests, usually living in a mountain or down under and mostly hostile to man. The word is also used to describe people with unpleasant looks or characteristics ("ugly like a troll"). All this might be quite off topic for this forum -- I just thought it could be interesting to know about the true origin of this word.

Here is a link to a site about the Swedish painter John Bauer whose "troll" illustrations in "Bland tomtar och troll" (Among Elves and Trolls, an annual Christmas book for chlidren) are the perhaps most famous incarnations of Trolls ever: http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/bauer.htm (any resemblances with DPR forum posters are purely coincidal).

I guess if "Fawlty Towers" was made today in Internet time, someone in the following conversation from "The Germans" episode would be considered a troll:

German Guest: "Could you PLEASE stop talking about the war!"
Basil Fawlty: "But you started it"
G: "No we didn't!"
BF: "Yes you did, you invaded Poland!"

Karlsson
jleyman wrote:
[snip]

Actually, on a forum the word “troll” is a fishing term.

When you "troll" you cast your bait out and just motor around hoping to hook something.

On the forum a troll sets his/her bait out waiting for somebody to get hooked.

A true troll isn’t somebody who just bashes things, they are usually more subtle. They often don’t argue but cause others to do so. They like to “stir the pot”. I think Hans did a great job in describing what a true troll does.

TrentMcD said:

On the forum a troll sets his/her bait out waiting for somebody to
get hooked.

Click to expand...

Would´nt it be called a troller then?

Trolling, as the term is used with discussion boards, originated with the activity normally associated with fishing, not the mythical creature. This is to say that you toss out some bait in an indiscriminate fashion and sit back and wait to see if anyone bites.

In online forums, this refers to someone who posts an outrageous statement, purely to stir up emotions. As brand loyal as some people can be about digicams, they seem to be particularly suceptable to this sort of 'baiting'.

Best way to handle a troll is simply to ignore it, hence the notation - don't feed the trolls. Trollers do what they do to get attention and evoke a reaction. If they get no reaction, they will pull up and go elsewhere.

Mario Blataric said:

I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Click to expand...

Well, a colleague of mine who is a professional photographer and an expert in camera design claims he's owned an E-1 for 2 years and that it's a worthless piece of junk.

He's now switched to an EOS 300D and he's much happier: not only is he selling full page actions shots to Sports Illustrated, but his sex life has greatly improved and he's won the lottery.

Arthur Finklebreath

PS. No no no... don't respond... this is not a real message... just a demonstration of trolling

Mario Blataric said:

I suppose a stupid question and also off-topic.

But I am not that much on forums, neither usenet and I'm relatively
"fresh".

Yes, I've heard of "trolls", but never managed to figure out what
or who they are.
Since that issue rised here recently, could someone put more
details about it and satisfy my curiosity?

Mario

Click to expand...

A troll is term for a Usenet poster (or any internet forum poster) who posts something which will intentionally incite flames, passions, and the like.

However, there is more to it than just that. A troll is never sincere, and posts for teh amusement of causing an uproar on a given forum.

For example, on a Christian newsgroup (one of many forums on Usenet), a troll may drop in and declare that Jesus was a pedophile. No substantive facts, no path of logic, no nothing, just a blatant declaration to stir things up. Trolls rarely answer rebuttals, they just want to see a long flame-ridden thread which they initiated. They get their kicks by doing this. Kind of pathetic, when you think about it.

That is obvious troll. More artful trolls will post something more elaborate, and try to elude the typical troll radar most seasoned forum contributors and developed, over the years, who have seen just about every kind of troll imaginable.

It is a game, for many, but the problem is trolls are using up bandwith for their own gratification, and contribute nothing to a given forum. Next to spammers, they are the scourge of Usenet and any internet forum.

Patrick

I thought all trolls had Macs as well...

;o)