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True Origin of Trolls

Story: What would Linux users do without flamebait?Total Replies: 2
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patrokov

Feb 13, 2006
1:55 PM EST 		We call them trolls, not because of the folkloric creatures, but because of the fishing technique of the same name. When trolling, you bait your line and move the boat slowly so that the baited line trails the boat and looks like a fish moving. A troll is person who purposely throws out inflammatory remarks or comments for the purpose of having other people take the bait and respond. It looks like a real comment, but it's actually designed to get lure people into silly arguments and fights. So you see, J.R.R Tolkien has nothing to do with it. You think it would be quite clear; after all, the title of your story includes the fishing term "bait" right in it. ;-)
tadelste

Feb 13, 2006
2:08 PM EST 		I understand the verb, to troll. I didn't connect it since to troll is an action rather than a noun. But, we mericans make verbs into nouns and vice versa on a regular basis. Since trolls are a designation of a sub-culture of the sub-culture of nerds, it all makes perfect sense to me now.

See, I think different and I have a new slant on life!

Cool.
AnonymousCoward

Feb 13, 2006
3:54 PM EST 		patrokov: in the context of your remark, there's a better name for "inflammatory remarks or comments for the purpose of having other people take the bait and respond" and that's "burley" or "chum". http://saltfishing.about.com/od/accessorie1/a/aa041106a_3.ht... http://www.freediver.net/freedivelist/faqstuff/faq_chum.html http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/feature_stories/article_...

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