Trolling: Difference between revisions

==Etymology==

The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|title=The Trolls Among Us|date=2008-08-03|work=[[New York Times]]|author=Schwartz, Mattathias|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html|accessdate=2008-08-01}}</ref>, but the earliest known example is from 1991<ref name=oed>Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006</ref>. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase ''trolling for [[Catostomidae|sucker]]s'', itself derived from the [[fishing]] technique known as [[troll (angling)|trolling]].<ref>Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997 </ref> The word also evokes the [[troll]]s portrayed in [[Scandinavian folklore]] and children's tales; they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. <ref> [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=troll Etymology online dictionary]</ref>

===Early history===

Prior to [[Deja News|DejaNews]]'s archiving of [[Usenet]], accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, ''alt.folklore.urban'' (AFU).<ref name=Porter/><ref>One early reference to ''troll'' found in the [[Google Groups|Google Usenet archive]] was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on [[February 8]], [[1990]], saying [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.flame/msg/80135728c2dc034b "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll."] However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of [[Epithet#Linguistics|epithet]].</ref> Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that [[Glass#Behavior of antique glass|glass flows over time]]. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a [[Shibboleth]] to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.<ref name=SDope>{{cite web|