What, you may ask, is a Troll anyway? On the Internet the term does not refer to those icky creatures under the bridge who tried to eat the
Three Billy Goats Gruff, nor is it a reference to the creature in the girls' bathroom in
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, although it could be argued that the behavior of Internet Trolls bears some similarity to the trolls in fiction.
According to
Internet Trolls on Flayme.com the use of the word "Troll" on the Internet comes from a very different source:
"The term derives from 'trolling,' a style of fishing which involves trailing bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The troll posts a message, often in response to an honest question, that is intended to upset, disrupt or simply insult the group."
A troll can be simply a very immature person posting obnoxious and usually off-topic statements intended to upset others, or it can be someone with an axe to grind, slinging mud in the hope that some of it will stick. Trolls are generally cowards, hiding behind a made up name and sharing little, if any, information about themselves.
Most Trolls are sad and lonely creatures who want to be noticed, and they feed on negativity. Like a spoiled two-year-old, or a lonely teen, they act up to get a reaction, and if their bad behavior is ignored, if they don't get the reaction they are hoping for, they will eventually go away.
For a more detailed discussion on how to handle negativity online see this blog:
Non negative comments.
For more information on Trollish behavior and how to deal with it, check the link at the beginning of this article, and remember,
Please don't feed the Trolls.Photo: Max Hale as The Troll