whats a troll?
Every so often the newsgroup goes a bit quiet. A troll is one of those, almost useful, individuals, who posts arrogant rubbish to the group, in the hope, and no more, of stirring up a hornet’s nest. It is usual to complain loudly about such people, but what would Usenet be without them? The stone is dropped in the pond, the ripples flow about, and before long everyone is happily slagging each other off again – but rarely on the topic chosen by the troll. An interesting philosophical question … What relationship does a troll have to the Usenet disease of wanting to have the last word? See ‘Having the last word’. A troll seems to be the precise reverse. Someone who ‘drops a clanger,’ then stands back, and watches a hundred people exhausting themselves trying to have the last word. Does a troll also seek to have the last word? Top • Please reply by e-mail … I personally always feel unwilling to assist when a post ends in this way. I feel the newsgroup is a place for discussion. The su
