Trolling

added Apr 27, 2009 at 03:19AM UTC

part of a series on Internet Slang

This is an introductory/supplementary entry to Trolling and related online behaviors.





Trolling mememath via Penny Arcade

About

A troll is someone who will state something only with the intention of stirring up controversy. Typicaly the statement is so absurd that only the most noobish of noobs will get offended and respond.

For example, one might purposefuly spel things wrong or use poor grammar, knowing that this will drive some people crazy, eliciting a response.

A more advanced troll might even spell things wrong in a post criticizing the spelling in someone else’s post, hoping to elicit an angry counter-reaction. Numerous forums and Usenet boards are dedicated to the fine art of what the NYTimes called “manipulating other people’s emotional equilibrium” [trying to remember for sure if they should get the credit]

Trolling can be considered a form of cyberbullying and in video game circles the practice is often called “griefing”.

Why Troll?

Successful trolling brings lulz — pleasure at the expense of others. By participating in flamewars with a troll they become your puppetmaster, manipulating your emotions for their own enjoyment.

Wikipedia has an overview of research behind the human motivation to troll & acquire lulz.

If you respond to a troll, you are said to be feeding the troll. You’ve got better things to do than feed trolls… so keep your coolface on.

Trolling By Promotional Vector

A common problem is determining if someone is sincerely crazy/idiotic/racist/etc. on purpose… or if they are trolling.

This controversy often fuels the popularity of the original content so it tends to go unmoderated. The true troll stirrs up controversy over something’s legitimacy in order to fuel this popularity as part of their original intention.

  • Boxxy is widely considered an ‘accidental troll’, containing many features of a troll but w/o the purposefulness and true intent needed to make her an actual troll
  • debate over the legitimacy of WoW Freakout/Account Crusher accuses OP of trolling

Numerous derivative memes have also sprung up around communicating to others to beware that a troll is present in a forum thread or conversation.

Trolling In The Wild

External Links

Showing 1-69 of 69 photos

Add Photo

Login or Sign Up to add photos.

56 Comments

kikinak
Apr 30, 2009 at 01:05AM UTC , kikinak wrote:

lol, p3wnt

ZombieFu
May 03, 2009 at 01:49AM UTC , ZombieFu wrote:

OMG hahaha…great.

kikinak
May 07, 2009 at 02:16AM UTC , kikinak wrote:

sweet.

kikinak
May 08, 2009 at 05:41PM UTC , kikinak wrote:

will troll for food

james
May 16, 2009 at 01:42AM UTC , james wrote:

ok, really? this was deadpooled?

why do i even bother

Tylord14
May 19, 2009 at 12:11AM UTC , Tylord14 wrote:

how is this dead pool? confirm for great glory

james
May 19, 2009 at 03:01AM UTC , james wrote:

i think the mods don’t like me XD

james
May 19, 2009 at 03:03AM UTC , james wrote:

you know, trolling and the internet are like peanut butter and sex, when one finds the other you can’t separate them: you just have to enjoy it for what it is.

Z
May 20, 2009 at 10:33PM UTC , Z wrote:

They are trolling us by putting this here….
MUST. NOT. REACT. AAAAAA

james
May 22, 2009 at 12:54AM UTC , james wrote:

you know, that has to be it, well played old chap.

4ndre D'Form
Jun 30, 2009 at 09:28AM UTC , 4ndre D'Form wrote:

i think this was dead poled because it doesn’t really specify where is trolling in general or the vid.

masterochicken
Jul 28, 2009 at 12:05AM UTC , masterochicken wrote:

Hahahaha. I have this on dvd. Definately the perfect example of trolling.

Jamie Dubs
Aug 05, 2009 at 02:27AM UTC , Jamie Dubs wrote:

did some serious cleanup & bumped back to submissions — dunno how this got deadpooled! youse trollin!!11

Chris Menning
Aug 05, 2009 at 03:03AM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

I loves me some grammar and spelling trolls.

Jackal Lantern
Aug 05, 2009 at 05:00AM UTC , Jackal Lantern wrote:

Theres a ll sorts of speling and gramatical errors in this entry! Are you a retart or somethign?

Jackal Lantern
Aug 05, 2009 at 05:00AM UTC , Jackal Lantern wrote:

Theres a ll sorts of speling and gramatical errors in this entry! Are you a retart or somethign?

</obligatorytrollcomment>

Xippy Xippo
Aug 05, 2009 at 11:30AM UTC , Xippy Xippo wrote:

Jackal. Don’t be such an idiot. If your going to criticize someones spelling, you should check your own.

I’d like to see what you’ve contributed to this website before you start criticizing everyone else. It’s totally rude.

Why even make an account if you’re just going to try to bring other people down.

Cooper Smith
Aug 05, 2009 at 05:06PM UTC , Cooper Smith wrote:

hmm…. you just got trolled.

Jackal Lantern
Aug 05, 2009 at 09:53PM UTC , Jackal Lantern wrote:

]

Jackal Lantern
Aug 05, 2009 at 10:05PM UTC , Jackal Lantern wrote:

Photobucket

BA_moooper_4000
Aug 06, 2009 at 02:20AM UTC , BA_moooper_4000 wrote:

GNTELMNE.

Jamie Dubs
Aug 06, 2009 at 02:21AM UTC , Jamie Dubs wrote:

]

Max nunyobisnis
Aug 06, 2009 at 07:19PM UTC , Max nunyobisnis wrote:

i’m 12 years old and what is trolling?

Badgerfrank10
Aug 07, 2009 at 06:48AM UTC , Badgerfrank10 wrote:

immmm not trollin!

i am boxxy u see!

Dean Joy
Aug 15, 2009 at 11:12PM UTC , Dean Joy wrote:

This aint evan a memee, plus tha OP has heapsa misinformation.

Dylan James
Aug 22, 2009 at 12:56PM UTC , Dylan James wrote:

Trolling is hilarious. Personally, I don’t do it, but it’s hilarious when it happens to others.

BTW, isn’t the X Y is X a meme?
Successful troll is successful

anyone?

MissAllahAkbar
Aug 22, 2009 at 01:57PM UTC , MissAllahAkbar wrote:

All aboard the trollercoaster!

pokecatchsoul
Aug 25, 2009 at 10:57PM UTC , pokecatchsoul wrote:

I’m 12 and what is this?

Adler
Aug 27, 2009 at 10:14PM UTC , Adler wrote:

Ahh Trolling. The easiest meme too do.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 07, 2009 at 05:31PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I found a pic of an option that the Sims can do on their computer: “Troll on forum”

Chris Menning
Sep 10, 2009 at 05:47PM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

yup, when a sim has the “evil” trait, they can troll.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 12, 2009 at 05:24AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Dropping the Macrochan link and the YTMND explanation for this article.

Alfred Kahn
Sep 18, 2009 at 12:27AM UTC , Alfred Kahn wrote:

Oh yeah. I know all about trolling.

chubbthehippo
Oct 01, 2009 at 01:15AM UTC , chubbthehippo wrote:

Trolling is best.

Also, Adler it isn’t easy if you’re doing it rite.

chubbthehippo
Oct 01, 2009 at 01:21AM UTC , chubbthehippo wrote:

And can someone explain the demotiviational up there with the sea of piss picture and the trolls saying, “I got 150m get”?

Eliwyn
Oct 11, 2009 at 11:45PM UTC , Eliwyn wrote:

:/

TheErwinator
Oct 12, 2009 at 08:09PM UTC , TheErwinator wrote:

I think this is the best vid on this subject :D

Bbionicjive
Oct 20, 2009 at 08:15PM UTC , Bbionicjive wrote:

This is an extremely retarded meme.
Whoever posted this piecing of shit is not good being. I mean it wont not make any sence and is being retarded
FAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack Mannik
Oct 23, 2009 at 04:55PM UTC , Jack Mannik wrote:

fake.

Shadowfury
Oct 30, 2009 at 12:35AM UTC , Shadowfury wrote:

The problem is that people think they can troll, but really they’re just making asses of themselves. You’ve got to be really creative and subtle to troll properly. There’s an art to it.

Jostin Asuncion
Oct 30, 2009 at 12:43AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Shadowfury
Oct 30, 2009 at 01:45AM UTC , Shadowfury wrote:

@Jostin: I was so tempted to do that…

Shadowfury
Oct 30, 2009 at 02:28AM UTC , Shadowfury wrote:

Related videos are related:

Watcher
Oct 30, 2009 at 02:37AM UTC , Watcher wrote:

I hate people who troll. Especially racist trolls.

TheErwinator
Nov 02, 2009 at 06:22PM UTC , TheErwinator wrote:

Not even anime is save

kikinak
Nov 19, 2009 at 07:03PM UTC , kikinak wrote:

trolling is the basis that hold /b/ together. you can’t have raids without trolling. and you cant troll without trolls. even the rules of the internet has rules having to do with trolling.

confirm for great justice!!!

Captain Blubber
Nov 19, 2009 at 07:04PM UTC , Captain Blubber wrote:

Umm…

It has been confirmed.

desudesu4lyfedesu
Dec 16, 2009 at 08:09PM UTC , desudesu4lyfedesu wrote:

you no whuts up with trulling right godz sez supz

Chi The Cat
Dec 17, 2009 at 04:37AM UTC , Chi The Cat wrote:

LoL if you hate people who troll, you’re one easy target.

The point therein.

sleepy bump
Dec 17, 2009 at 11:37PM UTC , sleepy bump wrote:

trolls can go die

Curlybash
Dec 26, 2009 at 05:19AM UTC , Curlybash wrote:

i would consider this a meme, even though it exists in more than just /b/

trolling irl is even better.

Chi The Cat
Feb 06, 2010 at 09:12AM UTC , Chi The Cat wrote:

Anyone know where the green troll head came from, though? Or is that just a troll-ified anon with the green head?

I would not have sexual intercourse with you.

meatrod
Feb 22, 2010 at 06:25AM UTC , meatrod wrote:

i troll irl

Kytosai
Feb 24, 2010 at 08:10PM UTC , Kytosai wrote:

^this.

Anonymous efar
Mar 11, 2010 at 01:05AM UTC , Anonymous efar wrote:

if ur guna make a stewpd meem entree thin lurn to spel faggg

Sumas Bignose
Mar 11, 2010 at 01:40AM UTC , Sumas Bignose wrote:

dang, m00t’s hot.

Login or Sign Up to participate!