It occurs to me that some people may not understand the term "Troll" or "trolling" in the context of online behavior.
This is for the people who would like to know, and for those who continually deny they fall under the category "Troll," even though they obviously do:
In Internet slang, a troll is a person who starts flame wars or intentionally upsets people
on the Internet. Typically they do this by posting inflammatory and digressive,[1] extraneous,
or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or
blog), with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses[2] and
normalizing tangential discussion.[3] This is typically for the troll's amusement, or to achieve
a specific result such as disrupting a rival's online activities or manipulating a political process.
Both the noun and the verb forms of "troll" are associated with Internet discourse. However,
the word has also been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling
with online harassment. For example, the mass media have used "troll" to mean "a person who
defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families".[4][5] In addition, depictions
of trolling have been included in popular fictional works, such as the HBO television program
The Newsroom, in which a main character encounters harassing persons online and tries to infiltrate
their circles by posting negative sexual comments.[6]
So, as an example, if you are hijacking threads, then you are a Troll. It doesn't matter if you intentionally did it or not. Nobody here can ascertain anyone's intentions. If you can't control your trolling inclinations, then maybe the Internet just isn't the place for you?
In short, if your comments are meant to do nothing more than amuse yourself, disrupt the discussion, provoke others, and offer nothing of value to the conversation, you are the definition of a Troll.
Too many people assume they know what words mean. Thought I'd make sure we are on the same page at least.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
