# What is trolling? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298 "2010-06-24T01:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/121 "2010-06-26T01:16:41Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > See… that’s trolling. Mods, I forgot something–please enjoy receiving trolling notifications on every single one of my posts from now until I inevitably get banned for farting too loud. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/122 "2010-06-26T01:20:09Z")
Simple solution–don’t fart too loud. I normally only report posts when I have a question about policy. Never reported one of yours. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/123 "2010-06-26T01:27:27Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > Never reported one of yours. Except for your very last post, where you said I was trolling? ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/124 "2010-06-26T01:29:07Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Except for your very last post, where you said I was trolling? Wasn’t a report. Wasn’t directed to the Mods. You asked, “What is trolling?” I showed you an example. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/125 "2010-06-26T01:31:33Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > Wasn’t a report. Wasn’t directed to the Mods. You asked, “What is trolling?” I showed you an example. So why is that post trolling exactly, IYHO? ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/126 "2010-06-26T01:35:32Z")
The first sentence wasn’t. The rest was either posted by a troll or by a drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/127 "2010-06-26T01:41:04Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > The first sentence wasn’t. The rest was either posted by a troll or by a drunk. Ah. Well, that explains it quite well, thank you. A trolling post is a post that is posted by a troll (or a drunk). It’s all clear to me now!! ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/128 "2010-06-26T01:44:20Z")
To answer your question, the first sentence was perfectly fine. The remainder was borderline incomprehensible and looked to be nothing but yet another of your personal attacks thrown up for your amusement. But for now on, whenever accused of trollery, you should claim drunkenness, instead. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/129 "2010-06-26T01:51:25Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > If that’s where you want to be when Jesus returns. Jesus is coming **back**? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/130 "2010-06-26T01:53:54Z")
Soulfrost, I’d appreciate it if you could reply to every one of my posts from now on within 5 minutes of me posting it. That way, if you tell me I’m trolling, I can just delete it (or alter it per your instructions). Thanking you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/131 "2010-06-26T01:55:21Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Jesus is coming **back**? :dubious: Please stop posting trolling posts. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/132 "2010-06-26T01:55:24Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Soulfrost, I’d appreciate it if you could reply to every one of my posts from now on within 5 minutes of me posting it. That way, if you tell me I’m trolling, I can just delete it (or alter it per your instructions). Thanking you in advance. Hell, son… I’ve already offered to make all of your posts for you. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/133 "2010-06-26T01:59:06Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > son And that’s an insult. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/134 "2010-06-26T01:59:37Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > But you can engage in hair-splitting and angel-counting and discriminate against minority viewpoints if you want to. Your warnings for trolling came when you started a thread about pedophilia just for laughs in the middle of a Board controversy about the subject, and when you decided to goad another poster on the subject of underage sex. I fail to see that these are “discriminating against minority viewpoints.” You can try to play the tired old “this board discriminates against conservatives” as a cover-up for your trolling, but I doubt many people are really going to buy it. We have plenty of non-trolling conservatives who don’t get warned. > [@](#): > > If that’s where you want to be when Jesus returns, it don’t make me no never mind. You think Jesus loves trolls? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/135 "2010-06-26T02:03:32Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > See… that’s trolling. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Mods, I forgot something–please enjoy receiving trolling notifications on every single one of my posts from now until I inevitably get banned for farting too loud. > [@SoulFrost](#): > > Simple solution–don’t fart too loud. > > I normally only report posts when I have a question about policy. Never reported one of yours. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Except for your very last post, where you said I was trolling? > [@SoulFrost](#): > > Wasn’t a report. Wasn’t directed to the Mods. You asked, “What is trolling?” I showed you an example. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > So why is that post trolling exactly, IYHO? > [@SoulFrost](#): > > The first sentence wasn’t. The rest was either posted by a troll or by a drunk. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Ah. Well, that explains it quite well, thank you. A trolling post is a post that is posted by a troll (or a drunk). It’s all clear to me now!! > [@SoulFrost](#): > > To answer your question, the first sentence was perfectly fine. The remainder was borderline incomprehensible and looked to be nothing but yet another of your personal attacks thrown up for your amusement. > > But for now on, whenever accused of trollery, you should claim drunkenness, instead. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Soulfrost, I’d appreciate it if you could reply to every one of my posts from now on within 5 minutes of me posting it. That way, if you tell me I’m trolling, I can just delete it (or alter it per your instructions). Thanking you in advance. > [@SoulFrost](#): > > Hell, son… I’ve already offered to make all of your posts for you. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And that’s an insult. [Moderator Note] OK, guys, fun is fun but enough. ATMB is for answering questions about board policy, not for posters to get in squabbles with one another. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/136 "2010-06-26T02:03:34Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And that’s an insult. OK, I’ve pointed out your useful points, answered your questions to the best of my ability, and tried to keep my parts of the thread somewhat light in tone. But you’ve shown that you don’t care about having a discussion, you just want attention, so I’m through with you. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/137 "2010-06-26T02:04:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You think Jesus loves trolls? :dubious: Jesus was the ultimate troll. Just ask the Pharisees. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/138 "2010-06-26T02:05:01Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderator Note] > > OK, guys, fun is fun but enough. ATMB is for answering questions about board policy, not for posters to get in squabbles with one another. About 3/4 of what you quoted was perfectly within the scope of ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/139 "2010-06-26T02:06:47Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Jesus was the ultimate troll. Just ask the Pharisees. And we all know what happened to him… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298/140 "2010-06-26T02:08:01Z")
> [@SoulFrost](#): > > About 3/4 of what you quoted was perfectly within the scope of ATMB. Individual posts, OK, but you were mostly doing it to needle one another. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/544298.md?page=8)