Have a read of the link Lady Fuschia posted in her comment here- http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/64101

Good wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

As far as I understand it, they're people who give you a bad rating just because they dont like you or what your saying...I think I'm right anyway! (let me know if I'm not people)

That's real close. Then there are point trolls I call them, who do nothing but ask any question that comes into their mind to get more points. Same with people who answer as many questions a day as they possibly can. Usually not long answers, or well thought out. But they often get points. Both types of trolls are equally unhealthy for AB, and I wish there was a good way to get rid of it, but I doubt there is.

So are you still a troll if you like someone enough that you give them +3s, rather then -3s? Sorry about reversing thinking.

2 definitions of Troll troll, trolling 1) angling by drawing a baited line through the water 2) (Scandanavian folklore) a supernatural creature (either a dwarf or a giant) that is supposed to live in caves or in the mountains

Good question, because I don't know what it means either.

It means to purposely try to get someone to start flaming, to ignite a flame-war between two debating or arguing people/groups, or to just spam people with offensive crap. The methods used by internet trolls vary, but for inciting flame-wars usually it's a personal attack or the troll gives an uninformed and/or highly offensive answer or comment. The goal is to piss people off and get them rabidly flaming you or others. Then the troll sits back and laughs(as well as others who recognize him as a troll). Since people, especially ones not in touch with internet culture, take themselves too seriously, troll attacks are usually very successful outside the internet sub-culture forums/websites. I also consider forum raids, where many members of one forum or online community spam another forum in the hopes of bringing it down, a type of troll attack. The idea here is to hit the other forum with as much offensive content as possible, and elicit as much negative response from the users as possible. The combined traffic is usually enough to take down a forum or at least make it unusable for a period of time due to a high about of traffic or moderators having to lock it out. For anyone that has witnessed a good troll at work, it is a hilarious sight. You just have to understand the humor, and it only comes from being in touch with the real internet culture, not that youtube or myspace crap.

Trolling on AB: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/100647 What is a Troll? http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/158474 Anti-troll Club: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/96655

In general online terms, and not just the peculiar AB definitions that people use on here, it means to post content with the aim of offending, making people angry or provoking them into a negative reaction so as to start a "flame war", ie. an exchange of insults and abuse. Trolling is frowned upon because it disrupts usually peaceful communities and affected sites can become very unpleasant places to pass the time. Sometimes the trolling is non-specific and the troll is casting around, fishing for targets who will respond to them in the way they were hoping for, and sometimes they are "trolling someone", where their attentions are aimed chiefly at one particular individual with the aim of disrupting that user's usage of the site.

One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.

A troll is someone who arbitrarily and often malisciously downrates questions. Sometimes they strike everyone they can, sometimes they stalk someone in particular. Personally, I think a lot of people who simply downrate a question or two are confused with trolls, but they're out there.

This is called a troll. Probably a random person who is bored, decided to follow you around and downrate all your answers. Feel excited! That's like an elitist club- like the mile high club. It took me like 5 months to get my first real troll. It happens to everyone. Just take it with a grain of salt. They're just bored a**holes who have nothing better do do with their time. And if you DID piss them off, feel happy that you affected someone so much they got that angry. :P THIS ANSWER IS BY Penny P-wizzle has COCD58 SO PLEASE DON'T RATE IT!!! IT'S NOT MY ORIGINAL ANSWER, I JUST REALLY LIKED HIS ANSWER TO I POSTED IT!!! AGAIN PLEASE DON'T RATE

A troll is someone who delights in stirring up trouble, being malicious, rude and hateful to get a rise out of people and start arguments. They also delight in stalking decent folks and DRing them. I find it very sad and pathetic that there are those who enjoy being jerks and love it when people hate them.

Trolling is an activity (not the word I'm looking for but it shall suffice) that some people undertake in order to irritate or cause grief among others. It would be like this: Question: I am a Christian, how can I further my walk with God? Troll: THERE IS NO GOD HAHAHA YOU WORTHLESS CREATIONIST. They may/may not be that obvious while trolling.