Forum Trolls & Trolling
Forum Trolls & Trolling
Forum trolls are people who participate in forum discussions to post inflammatory, insincere, digressive, or off-topic messages, intending to disrupt the discussion, manipulate other forum members, or elicit an emotional response.
Trolls may believe they are advancing an agenda, but they often simply amuse themselves at others' expense.
Trolls may also be forum users who target others through cyber-harassment, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, defamation, deception, disinformation, extortion, or duplicity.
A troll's target may be a specific forum member, whom he may stalk from one forum to another, or the target might be the forum as a whole.
In some cases, the troll may consider himself to be a proponent of an agenda or cause, but, failing to effectively advance this cause through reasonable discussion, the troll might seek to disrupt the conversation through intimidation, demands for citations that will be summarily dismissed, or through off-topic posts, memes, videos, or photos.
Although trolling behavior is sometimes unintentional, a forum troll is a forum user who purposefully and actively acts to provoke, defame, anger, inflame, or incite other forum users. Usually, the troll does not even know the target of his vitriolic statements and behaviors.
Forum trolls are not a new phenomenon. They existed long before the Internet became available to the public, as they were active in computer Bulletin Board System (BBS) forums and Usenet groups, which preexisted the Internet.
Trolling behaviors are sometimes obvious, even bizarre, but they can also be more subtle.
Most forum trolls seek attention, recognition, pseudo-notoriety, or retribution for a perceived injustice, and are probably fueled or encouraged by the Internet's anonymity. Anonymity likely leads some people to behave in asocial ways, showing little guilt or remorse for the harm they may cause.
Forum trolls often portray themselves as doctors, lawyers, intellectuals, or professionals, although in reality the troll could be a forty-year-old man living in his mom's basement.
Forum trolls are usually men who spend long periods of time online and are likely addicted to the Internet or at risk of becoming Internet-dependent. They are likely to have few offline friends, and their online friends are often those who engage in similar trolling behaviors. Fueled by an offline reality of being insignificant, angry, and alone, they may have a pathological need to experience power and control online. Online, they often show a lack of empathy, a low capacity for shame or guilt, and callous behavior. Usually, they are aware of the harm they are doing, but take pleasure in it.
Trolls agitate to start fights between other forum members and to stir up discontent with the forum administrators. Sometimes, the goal is to make other forum members uncomfortable or miserable, but it might also be to shut down a particular discussion, or even to destroy a forum.
They may torment people who are struggling with illnesses or with the loss of a loved one. They often troll for weaknesses they can exploit for their own amusement. They disrupt forums with off-topic comments, brag about themselves, set forum members against one another, and ridicule other forum members.
They use lies and deception to cause damage, and they enjoy every moment of it.
There are several types of forum trolls, though they are better viewed as types of trolling than as identifiers for an individual troll, since many use several of these methods. In other words, one type of troll may appear as another, depending on the situation. Nevertheless, several types of trolls and trolling behavior have been identified, including the following.
Agenda Trolls -- Agenda trolls join a forum or thread solely to pursue an agenda. This may be a cause they feel strongly about but often don't understand well. Believing they are advancing their cause, they might try to argue their position but, when they are not immediately recognized as the authority on the subject, they redirect their efforts toward disrupting the discussion through personal attacks on participants they view as being on the other side of the agenda. To discourage further participation, they may also use other tactics, such as off-topic comments, memes, or photos, to further disrupt the conversation.
Angry Trolls -- These people are angry. They are so angry that they probably enjoy being angry. They are angered by happy people. They are angered by sad people. They are angered by other angry people. They get angry about whatever anyone wants to talk about.
Arguing Trolls -- Demonstrating an uncanny ability to twist nearly everything into an argument, an Arguing Troll might leave the target wondering what the hell just happened.
AI Trolls -- A new type of troll, an AI troll (also known as ChatGPT Troll) won't bother to use his own brain in a discussion, but will turn to ChatGPT, CoPilot, or another AI program to frame his posts for him, rather than participating in an actual discussion between people. AI Trolls aren't necessarily trying to disrupt a forum, as they may have simply accepted that artificial intelligence is superior to human intelligence, or perhaps they hold their own intelligence as being inferior. Whatever the motivation, most people don't want to join in on a discussion with someone who is copying and pasting AI responses in lieu of actual content.
Artistic Trolls -- These creatures are intelligent individuals who are adept at the fine art of trolling. Their goal is to make others look foolish. Often using the techniques of the Deceptive Troll, they string forum participants along until, at some point, they reveal the ploy, admit their deception, and laugh at everyone for being dumb enough to fall for it.
Back-Stalker Trolls -- After selecting a target, this type of troll will pore through older threads and posts, looking for something the target may have written that can be made to seem to contradict something they wrote more recently, and then call them on it.
Been There, Done That Trolls -- These trolls know everything and have experienced everything. They will drown you in facts and anecdotes until you give up. Of course, not everyone who has been there and done that, in a particular discussion, is a troll.
Bitter Trolls -- These are a cross-species. In the beginning stages, they were probably another breed, but became Bitter Trolls after earlier trolling activities were seen for what they were. Frustrated, resentful, and angry about being outed, A Bitter Troll wages a campaign of indignant complaints intended to focus attention on whoever was responsible for identifying him, or against the forum as a whole.
Cancel Trolls -- This type of troll is on a mission to trip forum members up, hoping to elicit a response that can be used to label them as racists, sexists, or some other pejorative. They then use that label to negate anything they say afterward.
Cannibal Trolls -- Often viewed by other forum members as helpful, Cannibal Trolls consider it their mission to root out other trolls and expose them. Those who do this privately with forum administrators or moderators are benign and may not be trolls at all, but those who repeatedly expose suspected trolls in open forums disrupt discussions.
Citation Trolls -- Citation Trolls are not truly interested in what another forum member has to say unless they agree with it. When faced with a contrary view, the Citation Troll demands a citation, with the unspoken message that the other forum member’s word is suspect. The difference between a Citation Troll and someone who truly wants additional information is that the Citation Troll's goal is to discredit the other forum member without having to argue the point and, at the same time, disrupt the discussion. Someone truly interested in the topic will show interest and ask politely, or research the topic himself. Citation Trolls are often Agenda Trolls.
Classic Trolls -- Often more sophisticated than most other types of trolls, Classic Trolls will gratify their own egos by pretending to be someone or something they are not. Classics will make up stories about themselves, sometimes mixing in elements of truth. Although there may be ulterior motives, a Classic Troll is often just amusing himself or living a proxy life online.
Colluding Trolls -- These are people who work together to create chaos. One member might use Classic trolling techniques, while others pose as normal members of the community. At some point, these other members will publicly defend the obvious troll or attack those who disagree.
Comedian Trolls -- Often more mischievous than malicious, Comedian Trolls are sometimes genuinely funny and likely to be appreciated by many forum members. However, the Comedian feels the need to make a joke of everything, and constant interruptions with humor may not be appreciated by those trying to discuss a topic they are interested in. Keep in mind, however, that humor does not necessarily suggest trolling behavior. Is it frequent? Is it disruptive?
Complaint Trolls -- These trolls complain about everything anyone posts, or any decision the forum administrators or moderators make. They complain that a thread participant gives too much or too little information, that the thread is boring, or that the whole forum is boring. They will complain if someone is banned. They will argue that the forum used to be much better, or that other forums do a much better job, and so on. Complaint Trolls are so unhappy that you've got to wonder why they bother to log in.
Concern Trolls -- Concern Trolls disrupt forum discussions or undermine participants' morale by pointing out that forum members, or the site itself, may be getting themselves in trouble for some reason. Posting with an air of authority or power, they point out problems that don't exist, derailing, stifling, and controlling the conversation and causing legitimate forum members to question their safety. Those who air concerns privately with moderators or forum administrators are usually not trolls.
Conformist Trolls -- A common breed of troll, Conformist Trolls frequent political and religious forums or threads, and are characterized by a disdain for individual thinking. They insist that anything not verified by official government sources, the mainstream media, or credentialed experts (who themselves have not been discredited by the government or the mainstream media) is not worthy of consideration in the discussion. No consideration is given to anything another forum member might say unless it conforms to their idea of the mainstream. Conformist Trolls often use the tactics of Citation Trolls, then dismiss any and all citations based on the source rather than the information. Conformists don't truly take part in a discussion, nor do they want to let anyone else. Rather than using their own brainpower, they have experts decide everything, with the mainstream media and government deciding who qualifies as an expert. In this way, they stifle forum discussion because the mainstream media and the government are not forum participants.
Contrarian Trolls -- This particular breed frequents forums or threads whose main opinions are contrary to their own. For example, a Contrarian might join a religious forum or thread for the sole purpose of repeatedly voicing his disdain for religion with the intent of disrupting or demoralizing forum participants.
Crazy Trolls -- As the name suggests, Crazy Trolls don't make any sense at all, and may use up a lot of words saying nothing that anyone else can understand.
Crybaby Trolls -- Crybaby Trolls live to be offended. If anyone disagrees with a Crybaby Troll, you can expect a lengthy post about why they are never coming back to this forum again. A few days later, they'll be back looking for more abuse. Often, before the goodbye rant, they'll file numerous reports on other forum members for attacking them. If "too easily offended" were an encyclopedia article, the Crybaby Troll would be pictured in the margin.
Cussing Trolls -- They don't last long on forums that don't welcome that language, but they aren't uncommon. Cussing Trolls seem to enjoy utilizing bad language wherever and whenever they can. When their language stays long enough for many members to see it, they can drive people away from a forum, however.
Downer Trolls -- Downer Trolls are often truly unhappy people who want to make sure that no one else is allowed to have or to express a happy moment.
Elder Trolls -- These trolls may once have been productive members of the forum, but now stick around only to stir dissent or troll newbies, often getting away with things without question from other members because of their status as long-time members. Elder Trolls are sometimes also Recruitment Trolls.
Expert Trolls -- Expert Trolls know everything about everything, and they insist on being the resident expert on any subject that comes up. If the subject is education, the Expert Troll has been teaching for fifty years and knows everything there is to know about the subject, often despite the fact that he can't string a sentence together. Expert Trolls may portray themselves as doctors, lawyers, historians, scientists, or whatever they need to be. In reality, they might be unemployed and logging into the forum from the public library.
Facsimile Trolls -- An oft-used method of garnering support in a forum argument is to register multiple accounts on the same forum, creating false members who can be called upon to support the troll's argument and make it appear that the target is outnumbered. In forums where polls are used to make decisions, Facsimile Trolls may be used to manipulate the vote.
Faux Novice Trolls -- This breed of troll is a subset of the Agenda Troll. He has an agenda to advance but, rather than doing so directly, pretends not to understand arguments against it to frustrate other forum members and push his agenda further. By pretending to be a novice, he can get away with being combative without appearing obviously aggressive or hostile. Poor arguments can be excused as ignorance or genuine inquiry. The Faux Novice can advance the agenda without doing much real work.
Flamer Trolls -- All too common, this type of troll has little or no interest in the topics under discussion but just wants to cause trouble for his own amusement. On a senior forum, a Flamer Troll might be a 20-year-old trying to incite the older members. Characterized by insults, Flamer Trolls don't last long on a well-managed forum, but they can stir things up before they are banned.
Flirting Trolls -- Flirting Trolls aren't interested in any of the subjects under discussion. They are looking for a date, online sexual experiences, or something else.
Flooder Trolls -- Often Contrarian, Flooder Trolls will try to break a forum by posting the same thing over and over.
Gibberish Trolls -- This breed of troll will spout gibberish in the hopes of boring or confusing those with whom they disagree.
Grammar Trolls -- There are two types of Grammar Trolls. The Pure Grammar Troll can’t help but point out every spelling or grammatical error they come across, and they believe strongly that a misspelled word negates everything the writer has said. Secondary Grammar Trolls might be another type of troll who point out spelling or grammatical mistakes to discredit someone they disagree with or to disrupt a discussion that isn't going their way. Secondary Grammar Trolls often ignore the argument and pick on the one word used incorrectly.
Grand Exit Trolls -- They don't begin as trolls but, at some point, usually when they don't get their way, they threaten to leave the forum forever. Rather than simply leaving, however, they create an exit thread, either hoping someone will beg them to stay or at least enlist other forum members in their defense. Usually, they return in a few days, and the drama repeats later. Not everyone who posts an exit message is a troll, but the effect is the same.
Hate-Monger Trolls -- Although they don't last long in any one forum, Hate-Monger Trolls enjoy posting hate speech wherever they go online.
Hater Trolls -- This type of troll moves from victim to victim and from forum to forum, saying unkind things to people. Intelligent Hater Trolls can often persuade their victims that they deserve the hate, and they may persuade other forum members to believe it. Like many other types of trolls, Hater Trolls are often timid people in their offline life.
Hijacker Trolls -- As the name suggests, the Hijacker isn't interested in going where the opening post wants to go. Hijackers wait for the chance to interject their own topic or story, even though it is off-topic in that thread. Often, the Hijacker's post is well stated and might have value if it were the opening post in a separate thread, but the Hijacker is more interested in disrupting this discussion than starting another. The Hijacker is often an Agenda Troll.
Holier Than Thou Trolls -- Often believing themselves to be Christian, these trolls will nevertheless display decidedly un-Christian online behavior, often making an ass of themselves and a mockery of the religion they claim to represent. While bringing their religion into every possible discussion, their behavior often includes a great deal of anger and hostility. This type of troll is likely to use Scripture to justify being mean to others.
Honor Trolls -- While espousing the virtues of honor and integrity, these trolls seem convinced everyone around them lacks honor, integrity, humility, and similar traits, but they fail to understand these traits themselves because they use them to smear others. Truly honorable people don't generally apply the term as a label to describe themselves.
Iconoclast Trolls -- Often intelligent and industrious in their endeavors, the Iconoclast is on a mission to help others discover the truth (as they see it), often by saying things that are completely factual but intended to discomposure the target. The Iconoclast may also post links to contradict their target's worldview. The Iconoclast is a difficult type of troll to deal with because he uses actual discussion, but with the goal of making his victims uncomfortable.
Idiot Trolls -- The Idiot Troll responds to anything you post with things that a blithering idiot would say. While the Idiot Troll might not be the smartest tool in the box, his intention is to disrupt, not participate.
Jerk Trolls -- These are forum members who have persuaded themselves that being a jerk qualifies as a legitimate sense of humor. While they may be jerks in their offline lives as well, they often wouldn't do this face-to-face; they do it in forums because they don't consider fellow forum members actual people. In some cases, these are people who would like to do this to others face-to-face but are too timid to do so in their offline lives. Online anonymity gives them the courage to be a jerk.
Knee-Jerk Trolls -- These trolls won't read what you have to say but still feel the need to offer their opinion. They will read only enough of a post in order to know what the topic is and will respond with their opinions, usually in disagreement with whatever they think your opinion might have been, had they actually read it. If you address anything that he posts, he will respond as if you hadn't.
Know-it-All Trolls -- Whatever you know, they know more. Whatever you've done, they've done something better. These are similar to Been There, Done That or Expert trolls, but they generally don't take the time to do the homework those other trolls might. They're just bored with whatever you say.
Liar Trolls -- This common troll likes to pretend or live a forum life separate from their offline life. Usually, Liar Trolls are harmless as long as they aren't trying to set up a real-life encounter.
Line-Crossing Trolls -- These are people who enjoy pushing the limits, not because they need to make a legitimate point, but to see how far they can go. The danger is that when a weak forum administrator lets them do it repeatedly, the forum's original mission can be lost.
Middle School Trolls -- They're not truly interested in anything you have to say but will interject comments that might have seemed clever when you were in Middle School.
Munchausen Trolls -- Munchausen Trolls will claim any number of things in order to gain the sympathy of other forum members but aren't truly experiencing these maladies. This type of troll may actually suffer from a mental disorder, but may also be doing so for amusement or, in some cases, to solicit unneeded assistance from well-meaning forum members. Forum members who express actual challenges that they are going through are not trolls.
Never-Surrender Trolls -- In their minds, these trolls are never wrong. They are always right, and they will battle to their online death to prove it or force their adversaries to surrender. When reality isn’t on their side, they'll make something up or pretend they weren't just proven wrong. These people may not truly fit the definition of a troll because disrupting the forum might not be their ultimate goal, although it is often the result.
Nigerian Trolls -- Although they may or may not be from Nigeria, these scammers hope to relieve you of your cash. To stay off the radar of forum administrators, they may prey on other forum members through private solicitations.
Offended Trolls -- Similar to Crybaby Trolls, the Offended Troll is forever looking for opportunities to be offended on behalf of someone else. You probably won't see goodbye rants from them; instead, they stick around to make sure no one ever says anything that could possibly offend anyone else, particularly people who aren't even in the forum.
Off-Topic Trolls -- Some people just enjoy taking every forum discussion off-topic. Although not everyone who does this is a troll, those who do it habitually are either trolls, spammers, or scatterbrained. On some forums, continuous off-topic posts might be from spambots, although I don't believe that a spambot has ever gotten through to the SENIORSonly Club forum.
Old Warrior Trolls -- Sharing characteristics with some other types of trolls, the Old Warrior has been there and done that, and has little time to spare for those who haven't already been there and done that, but he does have time to make this clear. The Old Warrior is always right, and anyone who disagrees with him is wrong by definition and should just shut the hell up. Although his own credentials may be unverified, the Old Warrior usually places a high premium on credentials relevant to the topic under discussion. Old Warriors often elevate other forum members who agree with him against those who disagree.
One-Track Trolls -- This type of troll has an ulterior motive or agenda. Whether through one-off comments or engaging in back-and-forth, One-Track Trolls always want to bring the discussion back to their pet agenda. If this troll's pet agenda is gun control, he will turn every discussion back to the need for gun control. If the original post is about cancer, this troll will post statistics about the number of gun deaths, suggesting that guns are a bigger problem than cancer.
Paranoid Trolls -- This breed of troll is so concerned about online safety that it's hard to understand why they even have electricity in their homes. Paranoid Trolls will voice concerns over a forum's requirement for a working email address, the acceptance of cookies, or other things, and they do so in public posts, with the clear intent of scaring other forum members.
Peacemaker Trolls -- Peace is universally recognized as a good thing, but Peacemaker Trolls can be particularly aggravating to forum administrators and moderators. Peacemakers wait for a point of dissent between another forum member (or members) and the forum administration. The Peacemaker steps in as a self-appointed arbiter, usually in a public forum post. Seemingly eager to help, the Peacemaker Troll seeks a middle ground the general public has been conditioned to view as good. If the administration gives in, a line has been moved, and someone will soon push on that new line. If the administration holds firm, those forum members who viewed the Peacemaker Troll as genuine will become discontent. While Peacemaker Trolls may not have the conscious goal of disrupting the forum's operations, that is the result, and the Peacemaker is truly interested only in the power he has been able to assume.
Playtime Trolls -- These creatures play a short, simple game. They are easy to spot because their attacks or provocations are fairly blatant, and their persona is two-dimensional. Playtime Trolls generally don't have a defined target. They are simply amusing themselves before their character is banned.
Point-Misser Trolls -- Sometimes it's hard to tell if the Point-Misser is actually a troll or just someone who has trouble getting the point. They tend not to get the point of a joke, a story, or an argument, and often reply to something merely peripheral to the point.
Preacher Trolls -- Whatever the topic, the Preacher Troll will find a way to turn it into a theological debate.
Professional Trolls -- Believe it or not, some people are paid to troll on the Internet. Political foundations and issue organizations hire people to give you a hard time for having an opinion opposed to their employer's interests. These people are more likely to be found on Facebook, Twitter, or other major social media platforms than on a senior's forum, however. For the most part, we get the ones who will do it for nothing.
Profundity Trolls -- Profundity trolls post endless lines of pretentious drivel that is supposed to sound wise but generally makes little sense, if any. They enjoy asking themselves questions, sometimes answering them and, at other times, leaving them hanging. They seem to believe this looks intelligent and lends an aura of mystery to their incoherent ramblings.
Psycho Trolls -- Exhibiting a possibly unconscious psychological need to feel good by making others feel bad, the Psycho Troll may not even be aware that he is trolling.
Ranting Trolls -- Ranting Trolls are angry about something, which may or may not relate to anything anyone else said on the forum. Regardless, they have something to say, and they are going to say it, wherever and whenever they can. Ranting Trolls rarely read or respond to any replies to their rant. Sometimes they make sense, and sometimes they don't, but they have no interest in being a productive member of the forum, which they view simply as a platform for their rant.
Recruitment Trolls -- These are members who may have once been productive members of the forum but have since joined another forum with a similar demographic, usually after not getting their way about something. Now, they stick around to instigate dissent at every opportunity, and to encourage other members to join the other forum instead, often through private messaging. In some cases, a Recruitment Troll was never a productive member of the forum but joined for this purpose.
Reincarnated Trolls -- When a new forum member sounds an awful lot like another one who has been banned for trolling behavior, that member has probably simply set up a new account.
Rent-a-Mob Trolls -- A troll of any other type might bring an army of trolls into a forum to help fight their cause. Keep in mind, however, that the mob could simply be one person who has managed to secure several member accounts.
Revenge Trolls -- Revenge Trolls are obsessive Bitters who never forget, never forgive, and hold a grudge until the day they die, often copying and pasting old diatribes, or waging complaints about things that leave most forum members wondering what the issue is. Most Revenge Trolls are nearly incoherent, although the more lucid ones can morph into dangerous Stalking Trolls.
Sneaky Trolls -- Sneaky Trolls often pose as someone with a genuine interest in the topic before posting messages that undermine the discussion. This is common in political and religious forums.
Snob Trolls -- No one is quite good enough for the Snob Troll. They claim nothing anyone says in a discussion forum is worthy of serious attention. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't need to know you're boring them.
Sock Puppet Trolls -- These are alternate identities created by a sock puppeteer who seems to have a lot of time on his hands. The sock puppeteer creates multiple alternate identities, often using VPNs or even library connections to bypass rules against multiple accounts. Sock puppets flank the puppeteer, supporting his arguments or comments or attacking those who disagree.
Sophist Trolls -- These individuals view themselves as enlightened philosophers or learned experts of the highest order. Often, they are well-educated and can speak intelligently on a variety of topics. They can be worthwhile forum participants, except that they are an extremely hostile and overbearing species. At their best, they tend to talk at other forum participants rather than with them.
Spam Trolls -- These are people who would rather insert links into a forum post than words. Sometimes they are paid to insert links to various websites into forums, blogs, or elsewhere. At other times, they simply don't want to take the time to become familiar enough with a topic to discuss it, so they post links to third-party websites instead. Although the links might point to on-topic content, they take people away from the forum rather than encouraging them to participate in forum discussions. A link posted for clarification or additional information is not spam.
Stalking Trolls -- This is a particularly venomous sort of troll who maliciously sets out to disrupt the lives of forum members with whom they disagree, or with whom they may have had a falling out. Once they focus their hatred on an individual, they become obsessed with every detail of their target's life they can determine. Stalkers will follow their target from one forum to another, trying to prevent them from feeling comfortable anywhere. If they can determine a target's identity, the Stalking Troll may pose a real-life threat, although many of these people wouldn't have the courage to confront someone without the anonymity of the Internet. Stalking Trolls are probably the worst of the lot.
Strategic Trolls -- Less common, Strategic Trolls have a long-term mission and are often funded by government, corporate, or organizational sources. Usually working in concert with others, their goal is to integrate themselves within the forum structure, becoming moderators or administrators, for the purpose of invading a list of the membership or disrupting a forum with the intent of shutting it down. An example of Strategic Trolls might be a group of agency people who join a Ku Klux Klan forum to collect a list of members or, perhaps, take control of it for a long-term operation. Issue forums may likewise be infiltrated by opposing entities.
Tactical Trolls -- Similar to Strategic Trolls, but not usually associated with a government or organization, a Tactical Troll plays a long game, creating a credible persona to gain the confidence of other forum members to provoke strife in a subtle but effective manner.
Twister Trolls -- They take everything you say out of context and use it to try to make you sound like a douche.
White Knight Trolls -- These noble souls skim through forum posts looking for something someone said that might hurt someone's feelings. Once they find it, they don their shiny armor and joust for honor and goodness. They often do this even when the person they deem wronged is a politician or celebrity who is never, ever going to read that post or care about it.
Yapping Dog Trolls -- Usually acting as a pack, Yapping Dog Trolls are characterized by vehement, repetitive, and often ignorant criticism of anything they don't like. Yapping Dogs often focus on one or a few forum members they disagree with and attack their target over and over again. When their target is a forum, they often bring members of their pack to join that forum to foment discontent. When their target is an individual, they may become Stalking Trolls, following their target from one forum to another.
You're an Idiot Troll -- This type of troll wants everyone to believe he is better than everyone else. These trolls tend to be condescending and smug, constantly looking for things to criticize in what others say or how they say it. This type of troll tries to convey that he is too good, too talented, too smart, or too well-educated to listen to people like you.
Please keep in mind that not everyone who disagrees with you in a forum discussion is a troll. Not everyone who is disagreeable is a troll. All of us have probably exhibited forum behavior that could fit into one of these categories of trolling, and most of us will probably do so again in the future.
In most of the behaviors discussed above, the trolls are the extreme.
Often, what defines the troll is intent and repetition, and intent is something we can only guess at. A forum troll aims to disrupt either the forum's operations or the comfort level of other participants.
Unintentional trolling becomes a problem when someone doesn't recognize that they're trolling. Some people think it's cool to post snappy put-downs, or they might casually question another forum member's intelligence or sincerity. They might simply be tired or in a bad mood. Often, these people would be surprised to be called out as a troll, yet the effects are the same.
Some people aren't doing it for fun, but they lack social sensitivity or are not socially mature. Maybe they can't handle disagreement.
While some trolls aim to wind a target up until they've had a meltdown, or even to shut down a forum, others may not even realize their behavior is disruptive. Some people are simply rude and aggressive.
You are not a troll if you occasionally engage in trolling behavior. We all do that.
However, if you learn some of the strategies trolls use to start trouble, you can minimize your own trolling behavior.
While you can't control whether you become a troll's target, you can decide whether you become a victim. Aware that the troll's goal is to embarrass, humiliate, ridicule, demean, and shame you, your reaction is key.
You can be devastated, angry, or whatever emotion the troll is trying to elicit, or you can see it for what it is: a mean person being mean. It's only personal if you take it personally. The troll has the problem.
If the trolling behavior is directed at you in a private message, report it, and then forget it. To be sure, we're all human and might be seething inside, but don't let the troll know he got to you. Don't reply to the message; report it to the forum administrator or a moderator.
If the attack is directed at you in a public forum thread, recognize that the troll has an audience who can see the troll's behavior if they are paying attention, but remember some of them might simply be happy you're the target, not them.
Some people recommend ignoring the troll and not responding at all. In some cases, this can get you out of the line of fire, but it also gives the troll more power, since they can silence you.
Instead, ignore the troll but address the problem with the audience in a matter-of-fact way. Don't respond in a way that stoops to the troll's level, and don't name the troll. This would not only feed the troll, but it could also make the audience see you as another irritant rather than the aggrieved party.
Acknowledge the trolling behavior and report it to the forum administration or a moderator. Then, go right back into the discussion where you had left off, ignoring the troll's comments.
In the event that other forum members pile on with comments in favor of the troll or against you, consider that these might simply be other trolls, and possibly even alternate accounts associated with the original troll, so don't get too excited.
When reporting trolling behavior in a forum post, use the REPORT feature, as this lets the forum administrators and moderators know where the offending post is.
Don't feed the trolls. Trolls seek out emotional responses and find provocation amusing. These people may spend hours each day trying to make others angry. If you don't respond directly to a troll, they will likely get frustrated and go somewhere else.
Try not to take what they say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember that they spend many unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They're not worth your time or your tears.
Forum trolls are people who participate in forum discussions to post inflammatory, insincere, digressive, or off-topic messages, intending to disrupt the discussion, manipulate other forum members, or elicit an emotional response.
Trolls may believe they are advancing an agenda, but they often simply amuse themselves at others' expense.
Trolls may also be forum users who target others through cyber-harassment, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, defamation, deception, disinformation, extortion, or duplicity.
A troll's target may be a specific forum member, whom he may stalk from one forum to another, or the target might be the forum as a whole.
In some cases, the troll may consider himself to be a proponent of an agenda or cause, but, failing to effectively advance this cause through reasonable discussion, the troll might seek to disrupt the conversation through intimidation, demands for citations that will be summarily dismissed, or through off-topic posts, memes, videos, or photos.
Although trolling behavior is sometimes unintentional, a forum troll is a forum user who purposefully and actively acts to provoke, defame, anger, inflame, or incite other forum users. Usually, the troll does not even know the target of his vitriolic statements and behaviors.
Forum trolls are not a new phenomenon. They existed long before the Internet became available to the public, as they were active in computer Bulletin Board System (BBS) forums and Usenet groups, which preexisted the Internet.
Trolling behaviors are sometimes obvious, even bizarre, but they can also be more subtle.
Most forum trolls seek attention, recognition, pseudo-notoriety, or retribution for a perceived injustice, and are probably fueled or encouraged by the Internet's anonymity. Anonymity likely leads some people to behave in asocial ways, showing little guilt or remorse for the harm they may cause.
Forum trolls often portray themselves as doctors, lawyers, intellectuals, or professionals, although in reality the troll could be a forty-year-old man living in his mom's basement.
Forum trolls are usually men who spend long periods of time online and are likely addicted to the Internet or at risk of becoming Internet-dependent. They are likely to have few offline friends, and their online friends are often those who engage in similar trolling behaviors. Fueled by an offline reality of being insignificant, angry, and alone, they may have a pathological need to experience power and control online. Online, they often show a lack of empathy, a low capacity for shame or guilt, and callous behavior. Usually, they are aware of the harm they are doing, but take pleasure in it.
Trolls agitate to start fights between other forum members and to stir up discontent with the forum administrators. Sometimes, the goal is to make other forum members uncomfortable or miserable, but it might also be to shut down a particular discussion, or even to destroy a forum.
They may torment people who are struggling with illnesses or with the loss of a loved one. They often troll for weaknesses they can exploit for their own amusement. They disrupt forums with off-topic comments, brag about themselves, set forum members against one another, and ridicule other forum members.
They use lies and deception to cause damage, and they enjoy every moment of it.
There are several types of forum trolls, though they are better viewed as types of trolling than as identifiers for an individual troll, since many use several of these methods. In other words, one type of troll may appear as another, depending on the situation. Nevertheless, several types of trolls and trolling behavior have been identified, including the following.
Agenda Trolls -- Agenda trolls join a forum or thread solely to pursue an agenda. This may be a cause they feel strongly about but often don't understand well. Believing they are advancing their cause, they might try to argue their position but, when they are not immediately recognized as the authority on the subject, they redirect their efforts toward disrupting the discussion through personal attacks on participants they view as being on the other side of the agenda. To discourage further participation, they may also use other tactics, such as off-topic comments, memes, or photos, to further disrupt the conversation.
Angry Trolls -- These people are angry. They are so angry that they probably enjoy being angry. They are angered by happy people. They are angered by sad people. They are angered by other angry people. They get angry about whatever anyone wants to talk about.
Arguing Trolls -- Demonstrating an uncanny ability to twist nearly everything into an argument, an Arguing Troll might leave the target wondering what the hell just happened.
AI Trolls -- A new type of troll, an AI troll (also known as ChatGPT Troll) won't bother to use his own brain in a discussion, but will turn to ChatGPT, CoPilot, or another AI program to frame his posts for him, rather than participating in an actual discussion between people. AI Trolls aren't necessarily trying to disrupt a forum, as they may have simply accepted that artificial intelligence is superior to human intelligence, or perhaps they hold their own intelligence as being inferior. Whatever the motivation, most people don't want to join in on a discussion with someone who is copying and pasting AI responses in lieu of actual content.
Artistic Trolls -- These creatures are intelligent individuals who are adept at the fine art of trolling. Their goal is to make others look foolish. Often using the techniques of the Deceptive Troll, they string forum participants along until, at some point, they reveal the ploy, admit their deception, and laugh at everyone for being dumb enough to fall for it.
Back-Stalker Trolls -- After selecting a target, this type of troll will pore through older threads and posts, looking for something the target may have written that can be made to seem to contradict something they wrote more recently, and then call them on it.
Been There, Done That Trolls -- These trolls know everything and have experienced everything. They will drown you in facts and anecdotes until you give up. Of course, not everyone who has been there and done that, in a particular discussion, is a troll.
Bitter Trolls -- These are a cross-species. In the beginning stages, they were probably another breed, but became Bitter Trolls after earlier trolling activities were seen for what they were. Frustrated, resentful, and angry about being outed, A Bitter Troll wages a campaign of indignant complaints intended to focus attention on whoever was responsible for identifying him, or against the forum as a whole.
Cancel Trolls -- This type of troll is on a mission to trip forum members up, hoping to elicit a response that can be used to label them as racists, sexists, or some other pejorative. They then use that label to negate anything they say afterward.
Cannibal Trolls -- Often viewed by other forum members as helpful, Cannibal Trolls consider it their mission to root out other trolls and expose them. Those who do this privately with forum administrators or moderators are benign and may not be trolls at all, but those who repeatedly expose suspected trolls in open forums disrupt discussions.
Citation Trolls -- Citation Trolls are not truly interested in what another forum member has to say unless they agree with it. When faced with a contrary view, the Citation Troll demands a citation, with the unspoken message that the other forum member’s word is suspect. The difference between a Citation Troll and someone who truly wants additional information is that the Citation Troll's goal is to discredit the other forum member without having to argue the point and, at the same time, disrupt the discussion. Someone truly interested in the topic will show interest and ask politely, or research the topic himself. Citation Trolls are often Agenda Trolls.
Classic Trolls -- Often more sophisticated than most other types of trolls, Classic Trolls will gratify their own egos by pretending to be someone or something they are not. Classics will make up stories about themselves, sometimes mixing in elements of truth. Although there may be ulterior motives, a Classic Troll is often just amusing himself or living a proxy life online.
Colluding Trolls -- These are people who work together to create chaos. One member might use Classic trolling techniques, while others pose as normal members of the community. At some point, these other members will publicly defend the obvious troll or attack those who disagree.
Comedian Trolls -- Often more mischievous than malicious, Comedian Trolls are sometimes genuinely funny and likely to be appreciated by many forum members. However, the Comedian feels the need to make a joke of everything, and constant interruptions with humor may not be appreciated by those trying to discuss a topic they are interested in. Keep in mind, however, that humor does not necessarily suggest trolling behavior. Is it frequent? Is it disruptive?
Complaint Trolls -- These trolls complain about everything anyone posts, or any decision the forum administrators or moderators make. They complain that a thread participant gives too much or too little information, that the thread is boring, or that the whole forum is boring. They will complain if someone is banned. They will argue that the forum used to be much better, or that other forums do a much better job, and so on. Complaint Trolls are so unhappy that you've got to wonder why they bother to log in.
Concern Trolls -- Concern Trolls disrupt forum discussions or undermine participants' morale by pointing out that forum members, or the site itself, may be getting themselves in trouble for some reason. Posting with an air of authority or power, they point out problems that don't exist, derailing, stifling, and controlling the conversation and causing legitimate forum members to question their safety. Those who air concerns privately with moderators or forum administrators are usually not trolls.
Conformist Trolls -- A common breed of troll, Conformist Trolls frequent political and religious forums or threads, and are characterized by a disdain for individual thinking. They insist that anything not verified by official government sources, the mainstream media, or credentialed experts (who themselves have not been discredited by the government or the mainstream media) is not worthy of consideration in the discussion. No consideration is given to anything another forum member might say unless it conforms to their idea of the mainstream. Conformist Trolls often use the tactics of Citation Trolls, then dismiss any and all citations based on the source rather than the information. Conformists don't truly take part in a discussion, nor do they want to let anyone else. Rather than using their own brainpower, they have experts decide everything, with the mainstream media and government deciding who qualifies as an expert. In this way, they stifle forum discussion because the mainstream media and the government are not forum participants.
Contrarian Trolls -- This particular breed frequents forums or threads whose main opinions are contrary to their own. For example, a Contrarian might join a religious forum or thread for the sole purpose of repeatedly voicing his disdain for religion with the intent of disrupting or demoralizing forum participants.
Crazy Trolls -- As the name suggests, Crazy Trolls don't make any sense at all, and may use up a lot of words saying nothing that anyone else can understand.
Crybaby Trolls -- Crybaby Trolls live to be offended. If anyone disagrees with a Crybaby Troll, you can expect a lengthy post about why they are never coming back to this forum again. A few days later, they'll be back looking for more abuse. Often, before the goodbye rant, they'll file numerous reports on other forum members for attacking them. If "too easily offended" were an encyclopedia article, the Crybaby Troll would be pictured in the margin.
Cussing Trolls -- They don't last long on forums that don't welcome that language, but they aren't uncommon. Cussing Trolls seem to enjoy utilizing bad language wherever and whenever they can. When their language stays long enough for many members to see it, they can drive people away from a forum, however.
Downer Trolls -- Downer Trolls are often truly unhappy people who want to make sure that no one else is allowed to have or to express a happy moment.
Elder Trolls -- These trolls may once have been productive members of the forum, but now stick around only to stir dissent or troll newbies, often getting away with things without question from other members because of their status as long-time members. Elder Trolls are sometimes also Recruitment Trolls.
Expert Trolls -- Expert Trolls know everything about everything, and they insist on being the resident expert on any subject that comes up. If the subject is education, the Expert Troll has been teaching for fifty years and knows everything there is to know about the subject, often despite the fact that he can't string a sentence together. Expert Trolls may portray themselves as doctors, lawyers, historians, scientists, or whatever they need to be. In reality, they might be unemployed and logging into the forum from the public library.
Facsimile Trolls -- An oft-used method of garnering support in a forum argument is to register multiple accounts on the same forum, creating false members who can be called upon to support the troll's argument and make it appear that the target is outnumbered. In forums where polls are used to make decisions, Facsimile Trolls may be used to manipulate the vote.
Faux Novice Trolls -- This breed of troll is a subset of the Agenda Troll. He has an agenda to advance but, rather than doing so directly, pretends not to understand arguments against it to frustrate other forum members and push his agenda further. By pretending to be a novice, he can get away with being combative without appearing obviously aggressive or hostile. Poor arguments can be excused as ignorance or genuine inquiry. The Faux Novice can advance the agenda without doing much real work.
Flamer Trolls -- All too common, this type of troll has little or no interest in the topics under discussion but just wants to cause trouble for his own amusement. On a senior forum, a Flamer Troll might be a 20-year-old trying to incite the older members. Characterized by insults, Flamer Trolls don't last long on a well-managed forum, but they can stir things up before they are banned.
Flirting Trolls -- Flirting Trolls aren't interested in any of the subjects under discussion. They are looking for a date, online sexual experiences, or something else.
Flooder Trolls -- Often Contrarian, Flooder Trolls will try to break a forum by posting the same thing over and over.
Gibberish Trolls -- This breed of troll will spout gibberish in the hopes of boring or confusing those with whom they disagree.
Grammar Trolls -- There are two types of Grammar Trolls. The Pure Grammar Troll can’t help but point out every spelling or grammatical error they come across, and they believe strongly that a misspelled word negates everything the writer has said. Secondary Grammar Trolls might be another type of troll who point out spelling or grammatical mistakes to discredit someone they disagree with or to disrupt a discussion that isn't going their way. Secondary Grammar Trolls often ignore the argument and pick on the one word used incorrectly.
Grand Exit Trolls -- They don't begin as trolls but, at some point, usually when they don't get their way, they threaten to leave the forum forever. Rather than simply leaving, however, they create an exit thread, either hoping someone will beg them to stay or at least enlist other forum members in their defense. Usually, they return in a few days, and the drama repeats later. Not everyone who posts an exit message is a troll, but the effect is the same.
Hate-Monger Trolls -- Although they don't last long in any one forum, Hate-Monger Trolls enjoy posting hate speech wherever they go online.
Hater Trolls -- This type of troll moves from victim to victim and from forum to forum, saying unkind things to people. Intelligent Hater Trolls can often persuade their victims that they deserve the hate, and they may persuade other forum members to believe it. Like many other types of trolls, Hater Trolls are often timid people in their offline life.
Hijacker Trolls -- As the name suggests, the Hijacker isn't interested in going where the opening post wants to go. Hijackers wait for the chance to interject their own topic or story, even though it is off-topic in that thread. Often, the Hijacker's post is well stated and might have value if it were the opening post in a separate thread, but the Hijacker is more interested in disrupting this discussion than starting another. The Hijacker is often an Agenda Troll.
Holier Than Thou Trolls -- Often believing themselves to be Christian, these trolls will nevertheless display decidedly un-Christian online behavior, often making an ass of themselves and a mockery of the religion they claim to represent. While bringing their religion into every possible discussion, their behavior often includes a great deal of anger and hostility. This type of troll is likely to use Scripture to justify being mean to others.
Honor Trolls -- While espousing the virtues of honor and integrity, these trolls seem convinced everyone around them lacks honor, integrity, humility, and similar traits, but they fail to understand these traits themselves because they use them to smear others. Truly honorable people don't generally apply the term as a label to describe themselves.
Iconoclast Trolls -- Often intelligent and industrious in their endeavors, the Iconoclast is on a mission to help others discover the truth (as they see it), often by saying things that are completely factual but intended to discomposure the target. The Iconoclast may also post links to contradict their target's worldview. The Iconoclast is a difficult type of troll to deal with because he uses actual discussion, but with the goal of making his victims uncomfortable.
Idiot Trolls -- The Idiot Troll responds to anything you post with things that a blithering idiot would say. While the Idiot Troll might not be the smartest tool in the box, his intention is to disrupt, not participate.
Jerk Trolls -- These are forum members who have persuaded themselves that being a jerk qualifies as a legitimate sense of humor. While they may be jerks in their offline lives as well, they often wouldn't do this face-to-face; they do it in forums because they don't consider fellow forum members actual people. In some cases, these are people who would like to do this to others face-to-face but are too timid to do so in their offline lives. Online anonymity gives them the courage to be a jerk.
Knee-Jerk Trolls -- These trolls won't read what you have to say but still feel the need to offer their opinion. They will read only enough of a post in order to know what the topic is and will respond with their opinions, usually in disagreement with whatever they think your opinion might have been, had they actually read it. If you address anything that he posts, he will respond as if you hadn't.
Know-it-All Trolls -- Whatever you know, they know more. Whatever you've done, they've done something better. These are similar to Been There, Done That or Expert trolls, but they generally don't take the time to do the homework those other trolls might. They're just bored with whatever you say.
Liar Trolls -- This common troll likes to pretend or live a forum life separate from their offline life. Usually, Liar Trolls are harmless as long as they aren't trying to set up a real-life encounter.
Line-Crossing Trolls -- These are people who enjoy pushing the limits, not because they need to make a legitimate point, but to see how far they can go. The danger is that when a weak forum administrator lets them do it repeatedly, the forum's original mission can be lost.
Middle School Trolls -- They're not truly interested in anything you have to say but will interject comments that might have seemed clever when you were in Middle School.
Munchausen Trolls -- Munchausen Trolls will claim any number of things in order to gain the sympathy of other forum members but aren't truly experiencing these maladies. This type of troll may actually suffer from a mental disorder, but may also be doing so for amusement or, in some cases, to solicit unneeded assistance from well-meaning forum members. Forum members who express actual challenges that they are going through are not trolls.
Never-Surrender Trolls -- In their minds, these trolls are never wrong. They are always right, and they will battle to their online death to prove it or force their adversaries to surrender. When reality isn’t on their side, they'll make something up or pretend they weren't just proven wrong. These people may not truly fit the definition of a troll because disrupting the forum might not be their ultimate goal, although it is often the result.
Nigerian Trolls -- Although they may or may not be from Nigeria, these scammers hope to relieve you of your cash. To stay off the radar of forum administrators, they may prey on other forum members through private solicitations.
Offended Trolls -- Similar to Crybaby Trolls, the Offended Troll is forever looking for opportunities to be offended on behalf of someone else. You probably won't see goodbye rants from them; instead, they stick around to make sure no one ever says anything that could possibly offend anyone else, particularly people who aren't even in the forum.
Off-Topic Trolls -- Some people just enjoy taking every forum discussion off-topic. Although not everyone who does this is a troll, those who do it habitually are either trolls, spammers, or scatterbrained. On some forums, continuous off-topic posts might be from spambots, although I don't believe that a spambot has ever gotten through to the SENIORSonly Club forum.
Old Warrior Trolls -- Sharing characteristics with some other types of trolls, the Old Warrior has been there and done that, and has little time to spare for those who haven't already been there and done that, but he does have time to make this clear. The Old Warrior is always right, and anyone who disagrees with him is wrong by definition and should just shut the hell up. Although his own credentials may be unverified, the Old Warrior usually places a high premium on credentials relevant to the topic under discussion. Old Warriors often elevate other forum members who agree with him against those who disagree.
One-Track Trolls -- This type of troll has an ulterior motive or agenda. Whether through one-off comments or engaging in back-and-forth, One-Track Trolls always want to bring the discussion back to their pet agenda. If this troll's pet agenda is gun control, he will turn every discussion back to the need for gun control. If the original post is about cancer, this troll will post statistics about the number of gun deaths, suggesting that guns are a bigger problem than cancer.
Paranoid Trolls -- This breed of troll is so concerned about online safety that it's hard to understand why they even have electricity in their homes. Paranoid Trolls will voice concerns over a forum's requirement for a working email address, the acceptance of cookies, or other things, and they do so in public posts, with the clear intent of scaring other forum members.
Peacemaker Trolls -- Peace is universally recognized as a good thing, but Peacemaker Trolls can be particularly aggravating to forum administrators and moderators. Peacemakers wait for a point of dissent between another forum member (or members) and the forum administration. The Peacemaker steps in as a self-appointed arbiter, usually in a public forum post. Seemingly eager to help, the Peacemaker Troll seeks a middle ground the general public has been conditioned to view as good. If the administration gives in, a line has been moved, and someone will soon push on that new line. If the administration holds firm, those forum members who viewed the Peacemaker Troll as genuine will become discontent. While Peacemaker Trolls may not have the conscious goal of disrupting the forum's operations, that is the result, and the Peacemaker is truly interested only in the power he has been able to assume.
Playtime Trolls -- These creatures play a short, simple game. They are easy to spot because their attacks or provocations are fairly blatant, and their persona is two-dimensional. Playtime Trolls generally don't have a defined target. They are simply amusing themselves before their character is banned.
Point-Misser Trolls -- Sometimes it's hard to tell if the Point-Misser is actually a troll or just someone who has trouble getting the point. They tend not to get the point of a joke, a story, or an argument, and often reply to something merely peripheral to the point.
Preacher Trolls -- Whatever the topic, the Preacher Troll will find a way to turn it into a theological debate.
Professional Trolls -- Believe it or not, some people are paid to troll on the Internet. Political foundations and issue organizations hire people to give you a hard time for having an opinion opposed to their employer's interests. These people are more likely to be found on Facebook, Twitter, or other major social media platforms than on a senior's forum, however. For the most part, we get the ones who will do it for nothing.
Profundity Trolls -- Profundity trolls post endless lines of pretentious drivel that is supposed to sound wise but generally makes little sense, if any. They enjoy asking themselves questions, sometimes answering them and, at other times, leaving them hanging. They seem to believe this looks intelligent and lends an aura of mystery to their incoherent ramblings.
Psycho Trolls -- Exhibiting a possibly unconscious psychological need to feel good by making others feel bad, the Psycho Troll may not even be aware that he is trolling.
Ranting Trolls -- Ranting Trolls are angry about something, which may or may not relate to anything anyone else said on the forum. Regardless, they have something to say, and they are going to say it, wherever and whenever they can. Ranting Trolls rarely read or respond to any replies to their rant. Sometimes they make sense, and sometimes they don't, but they have no interest in being a productive member of the forum, which they view simply as a platform for their rant.
Recruitment Trolls -- These are members who may have once been productive members of the forum but have since joined another forum with a similar demographic, usually after not getting their way about something. Now, they stick around to instigate dissent at every opportunity, and to encourage other members to join the other forum instead, often through private messaging. In some cases, a Recruitment Troll was never a productive member of the forum but joined for this purpose.
Reincarnated Trolls -- When a new forum member sounds an awful lot like another one who has been banned for trolling behavior, that member has probably simply set up a new account.
Rent-a-Mob Trolls -- A troll of any other type might bring an army of trolls into a forum to help fight their cause. Keep in mind, however, that the mob could simply be one person who has managed to secure several member accounts.
Revenge Trolls -- Revenge Trolls are obsessive Bitters who never forget, never forgive, and hold a grudge until the day they die, often copying and pasting old diatribes, or waging complaints about things that leave most forum members wondering what the issue is. Most Revenge Trolls are nearly incoherent, although the more lucid ones can morph into dangerous Stalking Trolls.
Sneaky Trolls -- Sneaky Trolls often pose as someone with a genuine interest in the topic before posting messages that undermine the discussion. This is common in political and religious forums.
Snob Trolls -- No one is quite good enough for the Snob Troll. They claim nothing anyone says in a discussion forum is worthy of serious attention. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't need to know you're boring them.
Sock Puppet Trolls -- These are alternate identities created by a sock puppeteer who seems to have a lot of time on his hands. The sock puppeteer creates multiple alternate identities, often using VPNs or even library connections to bypass rules against multiple accounts. Sock puppets flank the puppeteer, supporting his arguments or comments or attacking those who disagree.
Sophist Trolls -- These individuals view themselves as enlightened philosophers or learned experts of the highest order. Often, they are well-educated and can speak intelligently on a variety of topics. They can be worthwhile forum participants, except that they are an extremely hostile and overbearing species. At their best, they tend to talk at other forum participants rather than with them.
Spam Trolls -- These are people who would rather insert links into a forum post than words. Sometimes they are paid to insert links to various websites into forums, blogs, or elsewhere. At other times, they simply don't want to take the time to become familiar enough with a topic to discuss it, so they post links to third-party websites instead. Although the links might point to on-topic content, they take people away from the forum rather than encouraging them to participate in forum discussions. A link posted for clarification or additional information is not spam.
Stalking Trolls -- This is a particularly venomous sort of troll who maliciously sets out to disrupt the lives of forum members with whom they disagree, or with whom they may have had a falling out. Once they focus their hatred on an individual, they become obsessed with every detail of their target's life they can determine. Stalkers will follow their target from one forum to another, trying to prevent them from feeling comfortable anywhere. If they can determine a target's identity, the Stalking Troll may pose a real-life threat, although many of these people wouldn't have the courage to confront someone without the anonymity of the Internet. Stalking Trolls are probably the worst of the lot.
Strategic Trolls -- Less common, Strategic Trolls have a long-term mission and are often funded by government, corporate, or organizational sources. Usually working in concert with others, their goal is to integrate themselves within the forum structure, becoming moderators or administrators, for the purpose of invading a list of the membership or disrupting a forum with the intent of shutting it down. An example of Strategic Trolls might be a group of agency people who join a Ku Klux Klan forum to collect a list of members or, perhaps, take control of it for a long-term operation. Issue forums may likewise be infiltrated by opposing entities.
Tactical Trolls -- Similar to Strategic Trolls, but not usually associated with a government or organization, a Tactical Troll plays a long game, creating a credible persona to gain the confidence of other forum members to provoke strife in a subtle but effective manner.
Twister Trolls -- They take everything you say out of context and use it to try to make you sound like a douche.
White Knight Trolls -- These noble souls skim through forum posts looking for something someone said that might hurt someone's feelings. Once they find it, they don their shiny armor and joust for honor and goodness. They often do this even when the person they deem wronged is a politician or celebrity who is never, ever going to read that post or care about it.
Yapping Dog Trolls -- Usually acting as a pack, Yapping Dog Trolls are characterized by vehement, repetitive, and often ignorant criticism of anything they don't like. Yapping Dogs often focus on one or a few forum members they disagree with and attack their target over and over again. When their target is a forum, they often bring members of their pack to join that forum to foment discontent. When their target is an individual, they may become Stalking Trolls, following their target from one forum to another.
You're an Idiot Troll -- This type of troll wants everyone to believe he is better than everyone else. These trolls tend to be condescending and smug, constantly looking for things to criticize in what others say or how they say it. This type of troll tries to convey that he is too good, too talented, too smart, or too well-educated to listen to people like you.
Please keep in mind that not everyone who disagrees with you in a forum discussion is a troll. Not everyone who is disagreeable is a troll. All of us have probably exhibited forum behavior that could fit into one of these categories of trolling, and most of us will probably do so again in the future.
In most of the behaviors discussed above, the trolls are the extreme.
Often, what defines the troll is intent and repetition, and intent is something we can only guess at. A forum troll aims to disrupt either the forum's operations or the comfort level of other participants.
Unintentional trolling becomes a problem when someone doesn't recognize that they're trolling. Some people think it's cool to post snappy put-downs, or they might casually question another forum member's intelligence or sincerity. They might simply be tired or in a bad mood. Often, these people would be surprised to be called out as a troll, yet the effects are the same.
Some people aren't doing it for fun, but they lack social sensitivity or are not socially mature. Maybe they can't handle disagreement.
While some trolls aim to wind a target up until they've had a meltdown, or even to shut down a forum, others may not even realize their behavior is disruptive. Some people are simply rude and aggressive.
You are not a troll if you occasionally engage in trolling behavior. We all do that.
However, if you learn some of the strategies trolls use to start trouble, you can minimize your own trolling behavior.
While you can't control whether you become a troll's target, you can decide whether you become a victim. Aware that the troll's goal is to embarrass, humiliate, ridicule, demean, and shame you, your reaction is key.
You can be devastated, angry, or whatever emotion the troll is trying to elicit, or you can see it for what it is: a mean person being mean. It's only personal if you take it personally. The troll has the problem.
If the trolling behavior is directed at you in a private message, report it, and then forget it. To be sure, we're all human and might be seething inside, but don't let the troll know he got to you. Don't reply to the message; report it to the forum administrator or a moderator.
If the attack is directed at you in a public forum thread, recognize that the troll has an audience who can see the troll's behavior if they are paying attention, but remember some of them might simply be happy you're the target, not them.
Some people recommend ignoring the troll and not responding at all. In some cases, this can get you out of the line of fire, but it also gives the troll more power, since they can silence you.
Instead, ignore the troll but address the problem with the audience in a matter-of-fact way. Don't respond in a way that stoops to the troll's level, and don't name the troll. This would not only feed the troll, but it could also make the audience see you as another irritant rather than the aggrieved party.
Acknowledge the trolling behavior and report it to the forum administration or a moderator. Then, go right back into the discussion where you had left off, ignoring the troll's comments.
In the event that other forum members pile on with comments in favor of the troll or against you, consider that these might simply be other trolls, and possibly even alternate accounts associated with the original troll, so don't get too excited.
When reporting trolling behavior in a forum post, use the REPORT feature, as this lets the forum administrators and moderators know where the offending post is.
Don't feed the trolls. Trolls seek out emotional responses and find provocation amusing. These people may spend hours each day trying to make others angry. If you don't respond directly to a troll, they will likely get frustrated and go somewhere else.
Try not to take what they say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember that they spend many unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They're not worth your time or your tears.