The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, 1993-2007 Denis Howe
troll
1. [From the Usenet group alt.folklore.urban] To utter a posting on Usenet
designed to attract predictable responses or flames; or, the post itself.
Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from
mainstream "trolling", a style of fi****ng in which one trails bait through
a
likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post that
induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more
clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy
and
experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll. If you don't fall for
the
joke, you get to be in on it. See also YHBT.
2. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts
specious
arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or
in
email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion.
Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in
learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait.
Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming
characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life
on
the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll."
end-of-quote
as in sense 1, a troll is a simple tactical procedure in verbal warfare,
that classifies as a "reality threshold". by kicking down at the newbies
and kissing up to the savvies, regardless of who they might be in person,
you claim such a separation to exist and to be relevant, and consequently
a particular truth to be inaccessible for discussion or trial if brought
on by green people, with the intention of indefinitely stalling the trial
until someone with sufficient credibility is found willing to repeat it.
the purpose of it is to protect and maintain existing structures of power,
specifically those depending on types of reality that conflict with
reason,
by posing so many credibility thresholds for those who care to correct it
that exposure of it and even disagreement itself becomes insurmountable.
history has proven the tactic well capable of defending that the sky is
green instead of blue indefinitely, provided that you have enough men of
sufficient stature to defend the reality, by continuously exercising the
right of being challenged only by men of equal stature and credibility.
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