Re: Information

From: Ilya <ilya@spam.free.gamecommandos.com>

Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Sam Palmer wrote:
>
> >Go right ahead.
> >
> >Still waiting for you to ask about Troll.  <---- elegant self-reference,
> >eh!
>
> That's not a bad idea. Go for it drop the reference on me.
> Sam Palmer

To Troll can mean many things, all of which appear to revolve
around being intentionally provocative.  Considering the numberless
legions of flamers out there, it's surprising that Trolling would
ever be needed.  I mean, why try to pick a fight if everybody's
already got such an itchy trigger finger that they're already
blasting everything that moves anyway?

Well, sometimes peaceful, constructive, collegial exchanges
occur on the usenet.  Most often I think they happen on moderated
newsgroups, but they do happen even in unmoderated groups like
this one.  And when they do, Trolls have their chance.  Nobody
fighting?  Provoke them!  Troll!

We used to call it "fishing for compliments" or "trolling for
compliments" when a person would say "Oh, I'm so ugly" in the
hopes that the listener would say "No no, you aren't ugly at
all!"  I believe people who go fishing use the term "trolling"
to describe a kind of fishing where you are moving along dragging
the bait and hoping something will bite on it.

Regardless of the accuracy of the above, trolling in usenet
newsgroups certainly shares enough characteristics with both
of those usages to make the kinship obvious enough.

Maybe Steve Pritchard will make another excellent contribution
to this tiny thread and give another of his fine demonstration
responses.  We can only hope.

Cheers,
--
Ilya (at) gamecommandos (dot) com

References

Re: Information
"Steve Pritchard" <steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk>
Thu, 03 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Information
Sam Palmer <Sam@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Sat, 05 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Information
Ilya <ilya@spam.free.gamecommandos.com>
Sat, 05 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Information
Sam Palmer <Sam@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Sat, 05 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Information
Sam Palmer <Sam@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Thu, 03 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000