I remember when trolls were just some ugly creature that lived under a bridge (e.g. Billy Goats Gruff) and tried to catch and eat you. But I guess that definition kind of applies to this modern day troll as well.
An internet troll posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. They are in the same genus as hackers and spammers.
Quoted in Maureen Dowd’s column from the NY Times:
Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New Republic, recalled that when he started his online book review he forbade comments, wary of high-tech sociopaths.“I’m not interested in having the sewer appear on my site,” he said. “Why would I engage with people digitally whom I would never engage with actually? Why does the technology exonerate the kind of foul expression that you would not tolerate anywhere else?”
Brooke McEldowney who draws two of my favorite comics (Pibgorn and 9 Chickweed Lane) won’t allow comments on the wall where his art is posted. Commentary has been taken elsewhere (Facebook and yahoo groups) but at least the swill isn’t displayed with his drawings.
I think I prefer taking my chances with the old-style trolls rather than these anonymous, limited-thinking vermin.
