In
Internet slang, a
troll is someone who posts inflammatory,
extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an
online discussion forum,
chat room, or
blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired
emotional response
[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
[2] In addition to the offending poster, the noun
troll can also refer to the provocative message itself, as in "that was an excellent troll you posted". While the term
troll and its associated action
trolling are primarily associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels highly
subjective, with
trolling being used to describe
intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context. For example, recent media accounts have used the term
troll to describe "a person who defaces internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."
[3][4]