Please don't laugh when I ask this, but WHAT ARE TROLLS?

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There are probably four types of Trolls and I will use this forum (YAP) as an example:

1/ You have the bored kid/adult sitting at home with nothing to do so he/she logs on and gets into a forum. He/she then proceeds to cause some havoc by asking silly questions or giving provocative answers. The example below was probably a Troll:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlrEClcfnxxxVMRLegb1eU_h5gt.?qid=20070705005905AA8gQ5u&show=7#profile-info-jCDPC8vBaa

2/You have the Clone Troll. This person copies a regular's Avatar and then proceeds to ask questions and answer in such a way as to insult or ridicule one particular YAP user.
e.g. http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ai69mYOc0M3kIZvG2BWd4hTh5gt.?qid=20070629171752AAK2Mse&show=7#profile-info-kRmhTW85aa

3/ You have the funny Troll who doesn't answer any question seriously, doesn't insult anyone and at the same time gives you a bit of a laugh.

4/ Then you have the Troll Master/s. These guys have multiple sign ons which they use to vote for themselves or to attack anyone who disagrees with their answer.

Probably the only way to avoid Trolls is to keep a low profile and not answer their questions.

Ways to pick possible Troll accounts:
1/ brand new account,
2/ no email etc,
3/ immediately attacks someone,
4/ asks a lot of questions.
Not a foolproof method but I find it helps a bit.
Hope this was of some help.

Thanks Felicity I changed my barber (hehe)

Black Hat

A TROLL is an "idiot" or someone who acts immaturely.

A TROLL likes to post "repetitive messages" in a forum or here in Yahoo Answers.

Since in stories and mythology trolls are generally stupid and very dumb people who act childish and post such content are considered trolls.

Look I got a THUMBS DOWN from a Troll. I hit one of them with my stone.

Sheer, thanks. I'm so excited to see your "balat"

Ajeet M

In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who intentionally posts derogatory or otherwise inflammatory messages about sensitive topics in an established online community such as an online discussion forum to bait users into responding.[1] They may also plant images and data on networks that others may find disturbing (usually indirectly relating to the individual in person) in order to cause confrontation.

sheerâ™¥black

ADD TO MIGs: They also look like trolls! lol. kidding.

sweet water

The nasty tr0lls have the collective IQ of a rusty nail. When you see someone posting DNFTT (as in do not feed) it is a fair warning of a tr0ll's presence and an advice to just ignore him.

LOL they are people that are pesky and try to (and do) cause problems on forums, and other places where a community of people can chat online.

NONAME

i ignore them

loobyloo

Trolls are mythical beings from Scandinavia- they are small, ugly, and have long straggly hair. There is no way a human being can become a troll because they are not real!! Rather like ogres, giants, elves, pixies etc, they exist only in our imaginations!

Inday

I'd limit my definition to the bad trolls. These are the ones whose screws and nuts and bolts up there are mis-aligned or altogether missing.

vibal

you got one troll above me now!

Divina

Well, well, well, Well.... they got pink hair and look exactly the same and their mantra has something to do with $2.8M. They piss you off with their delusions of grandeur but come begging for your love.

eezy_jex Â®

I will answer that in Tagalog:
Yung bang mga taong walang kwenta, nagpapasikat eh laos naman. Nagyayabang ng walang ipayayabang. Mga may kleng-kleng sa utak na nagpapa-pansin sa iba't ibang paraan.

2py

sometimes trolls can be so stupid they can make you laugh...

jan-na~â™¥~ and im luvin it

trolls could be the mythical creature mentioned by some answerers above and sometimes they exist in chats or forums.

here in YAP, if you answer their questions, they might report your answer and you loose points and worst your account could be deleted. or they put thumbs down to your answers. they stalk you, too.

like sherrylani said, ignore them

Felicity???

Big Chuck and MiGs are right. <*-*>

Nice hair, Big Chuck! <*-*>

Cyn

Internet trolls are people who cause trouble online, usually in chatrooms. They usually send nasty messages or gossip about other members, with the intention of gaining attention from other members.

anonevyl

They are mythological creatures, yes, but they are also the name we call people who "troll" forums and other places where people on the web congregate to make nuisances of themselves, because they have nothing better to do, and because they think it's fun (I suppose). I also have a suspicion that they are between the ages of 14-20 with a lot of time on their hands. I also believe they are, by and large, social misfits.

Well

I spent about $2.8M into the Philippines in 2006 and a little bit more by the end of this year, by way of programs and projects in education and healthcare. i indeed do work for those noble causes. it doesn't make me noble--but it sure feels good. you should try it sometime.

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