What is trolling and what can you do about it? (1)

Beware Internet Trolls! 

• What are trolls?
• What do they have to do with the Internet?

For anyone who grew up reading world-renowned fairy tales, the term troll will bring a certain image to mind. In the story Three Billy Goats Gruff, a troll is an ugly, menacing bully who lives under a bridge and threatens the goats who pass over. But what does this awful creature have to do with the World Wide Web?

On the internet, trolls are individuals who provoke people online by starting arguments using hostile posts. They're basically cyberbullies, always ready to post mean, hurtful comments, often hoping to pick a flight.

Instead of hiding out under bridges waiting for innocent passersby, they lurk by comment boards or wherever online users interact with one another. They're ready and waiting to attack unsuspecting internet users. This similarity is one reason why these internet intruders have come to be known as trolls.

While this hidden community taunts the rest of the internet, many people are asking why. Psychologists may have an answer. People who engage in trolling enjoy distressing others and making them feel bad. The internet is a playground for trolls.

Info Cloud

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Language Lab
beware v.
to be careful: to act in a way that shows you know that there may be danger or trouble — used only as beware or to beware
- Beware! A low-carb diet isn't suitable for all people.
beware of
- Beware of the slippery floor.
- Beware of putting your personal info on the internet.

menacing adj.
a dangerous or possibly harmful person or thing — usually singular
menace v.
/ˈmɛnəs/
- The strange man's menacing behavior scared the passersby.
- Menacing dark clouds moved fast toward us as we tried to leave the forest.

lurk v.
to be in a hidden place
- The thief was lurking in the crowd trying to find his next victim.
lurk v.
computers : to read messages written by other people on the Internet in a newsgroup, chat room, etc., without writing any messages yourself
- Ron loves to lurk around music forums and find new songs to listen to.
- Issac spends a great deal of time lurking about teen chat rooms.

taunt v.
/ˈtɑːnt/
to say insulting things to (someone) in order to make that person angry
- When he was young, Cliff used to taunt kids who were smaller than him in his class.
- Taylor's classmates love to taunt her because she's chubby.
- The kids in high school kept provoking Sean with taunts and nasty nicknames.

provoke v.
to cause (a person or animal) to become angry, violent, etc.
- He just says those things because he's trying to provoke you.