# What is 'trolling?' **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 6, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242 "2010-10-06T12:21:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaking\_Boot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e68b1a/32.png) [@Leaking\_Boot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaking_Boot)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/1 "2010-10-06T12:21:09Z")
I know I’m gonna take a few hits over this, so yeah, I’m thick, shouldn’t be allowed near a computer, thought ‘internet’ was where a northern bloke put his fish etc. etc. But still. Just so I don’t do it. What exactly is trolling - and where can I find a good example? (I’ve probably read dozens today and just didn’t know it.)😕 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/2 "2010-10-06T12:29:46Z")
[Relevant SD article.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562482) ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/3 "2010-10-06T12:29:49Z")
IMO trolling is posting a message purely to annoy, antagonize, or get a rise out of people. I wouldn’t consider posting a contrary opinion trolling if the poster actually believes in the opinion, or if the poster is trying to play devil’s advocate, or even just trying to be contrarian. I define “trolling” as more of a malicious act, carried out in order to make people angry. (Hence the term “trolling”, as in “trolling for angry reactions”.) ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/4 "2010-10-06T12:38:50Z")
Moved from The BBQ Pit to ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/5 "2010-10-06T12:44:03Z")
The “classic” trolling is when one posts something inflammatory they do not really believe in order to get a rise out of the reader. Others say the term applies even if the poster actually believes what they write in the inflammatory post, but is still being purposely provocative. And some use it to describe any post they disagree with. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/6 "2010-10-06T12:52:20Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > And some use it to describe any post they disagree with. I’ve seen a lot of this lately (especially with people who I suspect are new to online communication) POSTER A: Here’s my opinion on Topic X. POSTER B: I disagree with you. I have Opinion Y instead. POSTER A: Opinion Y is stupid. You’re stupid. POSTER B: Opinion Y is superior because of Reason A, B, and C. POSTER A: Quit trolling me! ---
**Author:** ![Leaking\_Boot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e68b1a/32.png) [@Leaking\_Boot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaking_Boot)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/7 "2010-10-06T13:50:59Z")
Brilliant! Thank you all. Kind of what I thought anyway, but it never hurts to ask. Should really have found it out myself, but am one lazy sonnovagun. My initial response, of course, was to say, “no that’s not what trolling means, you’re all wrong.” Would anyone have bothered responding? Thought not. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/8 "2010-10-06T13:51:38Z")
[What is trolling?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=568299) ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/9 "2010-10-06T21:56:13Z")
I have sometimes mused about the possibility of passive aggressive trolls who just lurk and hit Report Post. It seems that some moved threads and some blocked threads are moved late or blocked late and for very little reason. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/10 "2010-10-06T22:35:21Z")
> [@Leaking\_Boot](#): > > . . . My initial response, of course, was to say, “no that’s not what trolling means, you’re all wrong.” Would anyone have bothered responding? Thought not. Well, if someone thought of a really good, snarky riposte, or a really bad pun; or if they could lead into a Monty Python quote, they’d respond. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/11 "2010-10-07T12:26:17Z")
“No trolling” is one of the hardest rules to enforce. The line between someone holding an unpopular opinion and trolling is a very fuzzy one. It’s based (primarily and IMHO) on reading the poster’s intent, which ain’t easy. If you think someone is not really interested in discussion, but just in provocation, then use the REPORT button (the ! in the red triangle in the upper left of the post) and let the moderators decide. (Calling someone a “troll” outside the forum called BBQ Pit is a personal insult and thus rules violation.) ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/12 "2010-10-07T21:40:14Z")
I think when we use the term “troll” we deliberately conflate the 2 definitions: “To fish while covering a wide area” and “A loathsome, lurking character”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/13 "2010-10-08T02:25:30Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > “No trolling” is one of the hardest rules to enforce. The line between someone holding an unpopular opinion and trolling is a very fuzzy one. It’s based (primarily and IMHO) on reading the poster’s intent, which ain’t easy. I can certainly point out a few examples if that would help 🙂 Just let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/14 "2010-10-08T03:21:29Z")
Trolling is a art. ---
**Author:** ![EVERYNAMEISTAKEN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@EVERYNAMEISTAKEN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EVERYNAMEISTAKEN)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/15 "2010-10-08T03:45:21Z")
In my opinion trolling is anytime you post something with the intention and desire of getting a negative reaction from people. I appreciate intellectual trolls for providing interesting satire. Some of my favorite trolls: [http://theflatearthsociety.org](http://theflatearthsociety.org) [http://youtube.com/user/youlovemolly](http://youtube.com/user/youlovemolly) [http://youtube.com/user/coppercab](http://youtube.com/user/coppercab) Of course, some trolls just go around shouting insults at people on the Internet which personally I find less impressive than those who actually provide interesting social commentary. The fun thing about trolling is that anyone who gets the joke gets to be in on it. ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-trolling/556242/16 "2010-10-08T10:38:21Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > I think when we use the term “troll” we deliberately conflate the 2 definitions: “To fish while covering a wide area” and “A loathsome, lurking character”. I thought you were getting confused with “trawling” for fish, but I googled the phrase and learnt something. Thanks!