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Comment by droopyEyelids | Hacker News Reader

The article's actual title is "Are Twitter trolls mentally ill?"

It makes me want to talk about how the concept of the troll has evolved from something specific to something very general. I glanced through the article and none of the behaviors it listed are what I'd consider troll behaviors. They're just the patterns of mild mental illness.

Trolls, in my old-man's definition, are almost a type of hunter, looking to bait and confuse their victims.

Trolls wouldn't be the hoards suffering from "sanctimony, emotional aridity and ideological orthodoxy", and exhibiting BPD/DID behaviors. Trolls would be the people trying to provoke the above.

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I'd agree with that. I view a troll as having no ideals they cling to. They have a goal to provoke and incite with the least amount of effort and that usually involves taking a controversial stance for that given audience. It's what makes arguing with trolls, or feeding trolls, so pointless.

Exactly.

The troll is someone who notices someone who is vulnerable and triggers them.

I do wonder though if there isn't more than a little reinforcement between the groups. Someone with BPD leaning behavior doesn't need someone giving a push to keep their emotional roller coaster going but someone provoking them can't help.

And, of course, trolls are in it for the reaction and the least well adjusted people give a rather strong reaction.

A troll is it doing it for fun and as an art form, I'd say that the horrid people on twitter are another thing.

As mentioned in an earlier thread, I see a close relationship between the Twitter People and That Guy who goes to all the city council meetings to yell. They don't make up a majority of the population, but they sure can burn up some bandwidth.

I've seen news articles about "internet trolls" who followed a neighbor around and sat outside of her window but also looked at her Facebook page. The term has already lost its meaning.

Would you call Sacha Baron Cohen a troll?

Absolutely

Speaking for myself and not @droopyEyelids, absolutely.

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