# Internet Troll Theory **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745 "2004-05-24T04:34:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/1 "2004-05-24T04:34:10Z")
Have there been any studies of internet trolls? I’m almost afraid to post this, and if it must migrate at mod command I’d hope it goes to IMHO rather thaN GD or The Pit. Really, though, I’ve just come from one of our ancillary boards where anonymous people are attacking someone with obvious b.s. styled to be as inflammatory as possible. More than likely, I’d guess, the trolls don’t even know the people they’re maligning. Starting with things like, “I heard that…” followed with their own fantasies designed to denigrate someone else with false, dreamed up information. Is it like graffitti vandals who just want to see some evidence, however pitiful, of their own existence? Or is it more like the plague of phony military veterans who apparently desire to pump up their lives through the Walter Mitty Extension Plan? I’ve seen postings that attempt to explain it, and a lot have made apparent sense. But what I’m asking is has anyone articulated an hypothesis and attempted to falsify it (requiring, I’d imagine, gathering data from identified trolls), putting forth, finally, a theory? ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/2 "2004-05-24T06:30:11Z")
_Have there been any studies of internet trolls?_ [Yes, there have been.](http://www.io.com/~zikzak/troll_thesis.html) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/3 "2004-05-24T07:41:54Z")
I dunno, Daffy. I’m barely into this “thesis,” and my BS-o-meter has already redlined too many times. > [@](#): > > A total of 58 individuals were interviewed during the course of the research. Of these, 7 were determined to be completely fictitious people > [@](#): > > The first three troll types also were preoccupied with members of the opposite sex at a young age, often finding themselves being punished for playing “doctor”. The malicious type, on the other hand, maintained a firm belief in girls having “cooties” until well into their late teens This last quote was supported by a link to [pbs.org/wgbh/arthur/prunella/cootie/index.html](http://pbs.org/wgbh/arthur/prunella/cootie/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/4 "2004-05-24T12:17:04Z")
Ooh…I’m reminded of a study which had in its published title the word “vampires” that dealt with trolls pre-WWW. Googling on “vampires” and “trolls” brings up things that are rather unrelated to this subject. I’ll see if I can find the title and post it, but I thought I’d mention the partial info in case someone else remembered it. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/5 "2004-05-24T12:20:56Z")
Actually, yes. [Doctors Gabe and Tycho Brahe of Penny Arcade University did a study, the results of which are here.](http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-03-19&res=l) (May not be work safe, language). ---
**Author:** ![bilbobaggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b4bc9f/32.png) [@bilbobaggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bilbobaggins)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/6 "2004-05-24T15:53:46Z")
> [@Ringo](#): > > Have there been any studies of internet trolls? > > I’m almost afraid to post this, and if it must migrate at mod command I’d hope it goes to IMHO rather thaN GD or The Pit. > > Really, though, I’ve just come from one of our ancillary boards where anonymous people are attacking someone with obvious b.s. styled to be as inflammatory as possible. More than likely, I’d guess, the trolls don’t even know the people they’re maligning. Starting with things like, “I heard that…” followed with their own fantasies designed to denigrate someone else with false, dreamed up information. > > Is it like graffitti vandals who just want to see some evidence, however pitiful, of their own existence? > > Or is it more like the plague of phony military veterans who apparently desire to pump up their lives through the Walter Mitty Extension Plan? > > I’ve seen postings that attempt to explain it, and a lot have made apparent sense. > > But what I’m asking is has anyone articulated an hypothesis and attempted to falsify it (requiring, I’d imagine, gathering data from identified trolls), putting forth, finally, a theory? Wow having just read through that board I am amazed. Whoever that troll is must be such a bitter, twisted, horrible person. I feel sorry that its actually getting to one of the members. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/7 "2004-05-24T16:02:41Z")
When I first saw that someone with the username **bilbobaggins** had posted to a thread about Trolls, I admit my first thought was that it would be a humorous reference to the Troll scene in _The Hobbit_. Imagine my disappointment. Of course using the word troll in an Internet Message Board context has more of the fishing connotation than the monster connotation. I wonder which came first in our language and if the roots are related? By the way, I’m not aware of any scientific study with regard to the OP. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/8 "2004-05-24T16:16:19Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Of course using the word troll in an Internet Message Board context has more of the fishing connotation than the monster connotation. I wonder which came first in our language and if the roots are related? Well, I believe that the word “trolling” is a bastardization of “trawilng”, which is the fishing term: **trawl** verb: to fish or catch with a trawl **trawl** noun: 1. a large conical net dragged along the sea bottom in fishing 2. a long heavy fishing line equipped with many hooks in series (Webster’s New American Dictionary) So I would say the two terms were unrelated, originally. The connection (and the bastardization) came only with the advent of the Internet meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/9 "2004-05-24T16:19:10Z")
… and my first sentence should read “trawling” not “trawilng” … ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/10 "2004-05-24T16:32:50Z")
Actually, I think trolling comes from the fishing term “trolling:” 1. a. To fish for by trailing a baited line from behind a slowly moving boat. b. To fish in by trailing a baited line: troll the lake for bass. c. To trail (a baited line) in fishing. (from [Dictionary dot com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=trolling)) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-troll-theory/246745/11 "2004-05-24T16:52:37Z")
First, Yes, Trawling and/or trolling are fishing terms that are very different. However, both can be used in the context of the OP. I do not think looking too deep into trolling will yeild much of anything but speculation. That said, I think people should look into the humans ability to control the things around them…The way one controls the tenets of their surroundings effects all parts of their life. A troll is no different, and if anything, they give the perfect answer to their motives, by their actions. It’s a control thing people, manipulations, shouts, you name it…they are searching for some semblance of control. What better way to gain some than by trolling. To me, the theory seems sound.