Hardware

Ask something
Question Locked

What's a troll?

0 helpful
18 replies

by santeewelding

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

When so often within the community of interest the discussion spills out into the worldwide community of human interest, "troll" is invoked. It is used like spit to drive away one from without.

Where is the border of within from without?

And what, then, is a troll?

18 replies

by w2ktechman

:)

However, it is a question, so therefore it seems proper to put it in the questions forum. Unlike many who post questions in the discussions.

by w2ktechman

someone who purposely and/or willingly tries to incite others by attacking/bashing and/or creating bigoted/hateful/racist remarks, usually with no credibility or facts to back them up.

At least my definition at least...

by dr dij

I prefer the meaning from the Volvo ad where they are crossing a small bridge on a tiny woodsy country lane and a troll comes out with a large club and asks them to answer three questions before they pass. Hilarious.

Or the Cave Adventure game (was it Zork?) where you reach, on foot, a stone bridge and a sign says 'Stop, Pay Troll'. You try and cross and a large troll ambles out from underneath.

Having picked up an axe previously on your adventures, you throw it at the Troll. He deftly catches it, examines it and hands it back, saying 'Sorry, not treasure quality!'

You leave and later find some coins to give to the Troll to let you across. After all, there is a room beyond that with a bear on a chain and a pot of gold within the bear's reach, if only you could distract the bear..

by thumbsup2

A troll, when used in the context of "the internet", refers to a person who words their questions in such a way that there can NOT be any one correct answer to it. All answers are hypothetically correct, yet all answers are also hypothetically incorrect.

A troll posts questions or thoughts as a means to start a discussion with no intention of ever participating in that discussion.

A troll has nothing better to do with their time than to clog up a forum with useless discussions because they don't know how to ask a QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A troll is someone who looks exactly like YOU! Now, look in the mirror and ask that troll ...... WHY do you do that? The discussion you have with yourself should, of course, be recorded for use later by your Therapist. ]:)

by santeewelding

Then, the security of a forum rests on black and white. Unlike, for instance, the polymath Apotheon resting cryptology ultimately on trust and broadband internet on sentiments of common law.

by older mycroft

Next you'll be rushing away to check the proper spelling of 'Praetorian Edict' [don't bother checking!].

However, the internet can hardly rely on sentiments of common law unless the Roman's had the foresight to insert a Praetorian Edict covering computer comms protocols.

My sword is beginning to glow in the early evening darkness... maybe you're not a Troll, maybe you're a GRUE !!!

by w2ktechman

That is exactly the kind of remark that confirms it.

Where is my bug spray??? :^0

by tig2

We frequently get "seagulls", people who post once and move along but the post is such that it will get people's backs up. A troll is similar but hangs around the thread they have created and attacks anyone who posts to it.

I happen to like Wikipedia for things like thi kind of question. Here's a link to their definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

Hope this is helpful!

by thumbsup2

Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding encourages a true troll to continue disruptive posts ? hence the often-seen warning "Please do not feed the troll".

by mjd420nova

My definition of a TROLL is an individual that spends inordinate amounts of time scanning forums and jotting down names and things related to those names that they can use to bait/piss them off. I can see you have done your homework. I try/endeavor to never fall into those traps and therefore shall exit this endless attempt to bait more users.

by santeewelding

Attention to forums? Yes. Remembering who speaks well and soundly? Yes. Bait/piss them off? No. Not if you mean as you have.

by w2ktechman

I dont think that a true Troll would have given thumbs!!!

Interesting... Confusing as well.....

by tig2

I know Santee reasonably well. He lives and works near where I lived last in CA. He's a reasonable man of his own convictions. Deepsand and he don't get on well at all and I don't think he and Absolutely get on well either. Santee and I disagree on some things but I refuse to take a single facet of a person as representative of the whole.

So my take? I think that Santee was merely trying to understand how WE define a troll. I have no reason to believe that he was trying to be inappropriate in any way. I think that he took us at our word when we say "If you have questions, ASK".

Santee has been with TR for some time, contributes to a variety of discussions, offers opinions, and does no harm. I took this at face value- he had a question and he asked it.

This discussion is closed to new replies.