The subtle art of trolling is almost as old as the Internets themselves, if you are new to the Internet and unfamilliar with trolling then I'll give you a quick guide.
Troll is a name for both people who post inflamatory messages on open forums, and the inflamatory messages themselves. Usually posting or provoking flamebait (posts aimed at getting strongest replies), the troll often pretends to strongly support a view he/she actually opposes or is indifferent to, just to cause debate.
Trolls argue that trolling is fun, it weeds out newbies and idiots in a forum and promotes healthy (albeit chaotic) discussion. Trolling a group is a good way to find information on a subject, for example if you didn't know whether to buy an iPod or a Zune, you could troll about how great iPods are and sift through the flames to find the genuine pros and cons spouted by experts on both sides.
Is it wrong to use people this way, or is it the correct way to use the Internet? Is it an art form or a nuisance?
2007-12-19
11:03:46
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15 answers
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asked by
Mantrid
5
in
Philosophy