What exactly is trolling?

Someone remind me:
What is trolling exactly?
fftopic:

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Moved this post from here b/c I'm unable to come up with a good answer and I figure I let you guys, members and staff, explain it to him.

Let's see what kind of definitions we can come up with for what we consider trolling on GFF. =)

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Entering a thread with the intent to be disruptive for the sake of own entertainment. Does not yeild to warnings, and often targets specific members.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

Let's see what kind of definitions we can come up with for what we consider trolling on GFF. =)

I was going to say 'act like an asshole and bother other members', but then 95% of GFF consists of trolls.

Hey, that might be pretty accurate though.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Winter Storm

Entering a thread with the intent to be disruptive for the sake of own entertainment. Does not yeild to warnings, and often targets specific members.

For example, if I were to say "Winter Storm is a wuss," that would be trolling.

I was speaking idiomatically.

So then why would Capo call this post:

Originally Posted by bobd

I think LMAO means Laughing my ass off, and LOL means Laugh Out Loud, and ROFL means Rolling On the Floor Laughing... not the other things

"blatant trolling?"

Granted he is not a staff member, to be able to call the shots; but calling something like that "blatant" seems like a rather confident and serious charge. One which implies that he knows, or at least thinks he knows, that many people agree with him that it qualifies under the board's anti-trolling policy.

If, by chance, that post was not blatant in its trolling qualities, could it then be said that Capo's charge of trolling is in fact trolling? After all, I think many people will feel compelled to defend themselves, given the serious nature of the charge; and if the post was not really trolling, and Capo knew this, is his remark then inflammatory for the sake of getting a reaction?

Maybe I'm also reading waaay more into this then I should be.

Also, Capo, don't mean to put you on the spot on purpose. I thought this was as good a time as any to question such a situation.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by packrat

So then why would Capo call this post:

"blatant trolling?"

Granted he is not a staff member, to be able to call the shots; but calling something like that "blatant" seems like a rather confident and serious charge. One which implies that he knows, or at least thinks he knows, that many people agree with him that it qualifies under the board's anti-trolling policy.

Or Capo may just be, you know, joking.

FELIPE NO

If you're making a post with the primary intention to annoy other users, then you're trolling. Back in the good old days of usenet it used to be primarily people who weren't a regular of the group in question, but these days it's accepted that even regular members of a forum can and do often troll.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Bigblah

Or Capo may just be, you know, joking.

Yeah, he was. He later PM'd me telling me he wasn't serious in that post. =P

But hey I wasn't sure at the time either so I don't blame packrat. =)


Not bad so far, guys, but we need moar! MOAR! =U

Jam it back in, in the dark.

According to Wikipedia (Yeah, I know. LeHah's gonna love this post<3 ) a troll is:
"someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy or antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion, including the personal attack of calling others trolls."

There's nowhere I can't reach.