Science Forums 2

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by freeztar

For the sake of collaborative argument, can we please define what a "troll" is? Sure, it's subjective, as Bo points out, but surely we can come to a group consensus on troll-like behavior in general?

Let's work from this:


Troll (Internet) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

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Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used as an ad hominem strategy to discredit an opposing position by attacking its proponent.

Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".

Frequently, someone who has been labeled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.

Motivating my question is the numerous posts I see trying to discredit evolution, global climate change, relativity, and anything else that puts chinks in their religious faith-based armor.