# "Troll" as a generally accepted term **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 1999, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757 "1999-08-23T02:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/1 "1999-08-23T05:12:00Z")
How did “Troll” become _the_ derogatory term to describe a nuisance poster to these threads? Is their a first cite? Though all trolls contribute to the further degradation ascribed to the word, was there an original troll? ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/2 "1999-08-23T05:26:00Z")
“Troll” does not stem from the ugly beast hiding under a bridge. It comes from “trolling,” when fisherman in boats drag their lines behind them in hopes that a fish will take their bait. So when people started posting on newsgroups such that others figured they were just trying to bait them into responding, they started calling it trolling. Somewhere along the line, the people who were doing it were called trolls. The rest is history. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BenDover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BenDover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenDover)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/3 "1999-08-23T02:27:00Z")
This does not, or course, preclude the possibility that any one who is a “troll” might also be an ugly beast that lives under a bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/4 "1999-08-23T02:40:00Z")
OR that a bunch of old goats are teasing said troll! ---
**Author:** ![Contestant\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Contestant\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contestant_3)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/5 "1999-08-23T03:32:00Z")
Or that those taking the bait are actually fish * * * Contestant #3 ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/6 "1999-08-23T07:33:00Z")
OR that… ah shoot, all the good ones are taken. So what’s the term for a person who trys to get on every thread? * * * “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/7 "1999-08-23T08:00:00Z")
TMTOTH - Too much time on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/8 "1999-08-23T19:42:00Z")
I always thought trawl is a more appropriate word. When you troll you merely drag one hook through the water and hope you catch one fish, when you trawl you drag many hooks through the water and hope to catch many fish… ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/9 "1999-08-23T20:34:00Z")
This topic is scaling new heights of absurdity. We’re swimming in these stupid puns – I’m up to my gills in wordplay. It’s just not finny anymore. Ok, I’ll quit casting about looking for new ones, if you guys will quit carping on me. * * * “Owls will deafen us with their incessant hooting!” W. Smithers ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/10 "1999-08-23T21:10:00Z")
_Trawl_ and _troll_ are synonyms, and are often used interchangeably. The former is more correctly used when talking about large boats, which fish with weighted nets or setlines. * * * I’m _not_ a warlock. I’m a witch with a Y chromosome. ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/11 "1999-08-23T21:12:00Z")
Dangit, I hit send too soon. I meant to also say that you can catch many fish either way. And when you’re trolling, your catch is still alive when you pull it into the boat, so you can throw it back and catch it again another day. ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/12 "1999-08-23T21:24:00Z")
Actually; “troll” is derived from the mythical troll and not the fishing practice. A “troll” in central-eurpoean mythology was a creature that gained strength from getting attacked. As in the monster prevalent in many role-playing games; the more you injured it the stronger it becomes. The “troll” in “net-linguistics” is a similar creature. They bait people into attacking them, and use these attacks as a means to strengthen their own mis-informed feelings towards the world. Trolls want you to attack them, the increased attention only makes them feel better about themselves. The only thing to do with a mythical troll was to avoid them; since any damage you attempted would only result in the troll becoming stronger. Likewise, with net trolls, the only way to get rid of them is to do the only thing that will damage their warped egos… Just ignore them. The fishing term “troll” or “trawl” seems somewhat applicable (to dangle a bait in hopes that someone will bite and be snared on your hook), but the true etymology of the word is much closer to the above…Remember that early proto-internet 90’s computer geeks (from which many of the “net-lingo” words arise) were more likely to be AD&D and Monty Python fans (ala “spam”) than fishermen… ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/13 "1999-08-23T21:25:00Z")
Actually; “troll” is derived from the mythical troll and not the fishing practice. A “troll” in central-eurpoean mythology was a creature that gained strength from getting attacked. As in the monster prevalent in many role-playing games; the more you injured it the stronger it becomes. The “troll” in “net-linguistics” is a similar creature. They bait people into attacking them, and use these attacks as a means to strengthen their own mis-informed feelings towards the world. Trolls want you to attack them, the increased attention only makes them feel better about themselves. The only thing to do with a mythical troll was to avoid them; since any damage you attempted would only result in the troll becoming stronger. Likewise, with net trolls, the only way to get rid of them is to do the only thing that will damage their warped egos… Just ignore them. The fishing term “troll” or “trawl” seems somewhat applicable (to dangle a bait in hopes that someone will bite and be snared on your hook), but the true etymology of the word is much closer to the above…Remember that early proto-internet 90’s computer geeks (from which many of the “net-lingo” words arise) were more likely to be AD&D and Monty Python fans (ala “spam”) than fishermen… * * * Jason R Remy “No amount of legislation can solve America’s problems.” – Jimmy Carter (1980) ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troll-as-a-generally-accepted-term/2757/14 "1999-08-23T21:37:00Z")
hey jay! you got one of those amazing self cloning return arrows too? Welcome to the chub,er club. Listen,I am a member of the school of live and let live and I am patient sole, but this kinda stuff just for the halibut, tends to rays my ire .So knock it off or eels the gillty ones shall feel my wrasse. * * * “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx