When you see the word “troll”, what do you picture? A big, ugly creature that lives under a bridge and eats goats? Well, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. But when it comes to online trolls, that’s not quite accurate.
Troll actually comes from the verb trolling, a practice of deep-sea fishing that involves throwing a hook baited with a chunk of meat off the back of a boat, then driving the boat through the waters, dragging the bait behind you, hoping to attract large fish.
People who troll online do something similar when they post inflammatory, digressive, extraneous, off-topic, or provocative comments in an effort to derail the discussion or evoke an emotional response from the readers. A troll, then, is someone who baits others online.
A troll isn’t just someone who posts something you disagree with. Nor is it someone who posts something that upsets you (at least not necessarily).
Be mindful of this the next time you’re tempted to call someone a troll in a comment online.
