If you are on the Internet a lot, you have certainly had an encounter with a troll. What at first sounds like a fairy tale figure can be quite uncomfortable in an emergency. This is why you should know how to recognize and deal with a troll.
What is an internet troll?
Trolls are generally troublemakers on the Internet. Trolling is often portrayed as fun, but it can also have serious consequences. In general, internet trolls want to provoke with their behavior and evoke the largest possible reaction in the community. The fact that this reaction is usually negative is even deliberate. In addition, trolls often take advantage of the naivety of other users.
The platform doesn't matter, the main thing is that they can communicate somehow: There are trolls on Twitter who simply publish offensive or offensive content. Then there are trolls on YouTube who upload misinformation or clickbait videos, for example. There are of course trolls in topic forums, as well as in chats. Spam messages are often sent there - either with dubious links or simply the same message in ten or hundreds of copies. These trolls all have one thing in common: They want to disrupt and provoke. And that to the greatest possible extent, with the greatest possible damage, without thinking about the consequences.
There are also so-called "troll factories" or "troll farms". These are organizations that specifically distribute political or social content on the Internet. Most of the time, such troll factories are even companies that make their money with them. For example, a Polish troll factory was blown up which had spread political propaganda for right and left on the Internet. Putin is also said to have a "troll army". Allegedly, part of the government should share patriotic and Putin-positive content. Putin himself denies these rumors. The US elections showed that there are troll factories in Russia. The Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) wanted to specifically influence the election through political statements and shared online content..
A more harmless "prank" by a troll: a new player asks for help. Instead of the actual key, the combination [Alt] + [F4] is used, which automatically closes the current program. To fight back against a troll, consider weighing the words and statements of a community member. In serious cases, many forums or online games offer the option of reporting another user. Often times, you can even state why you reported this person, or specifically, that this person trolled. Don't go for a troll, as that will likely tempt him to keep going.
By the way: The word "trolling" is derived from a certain fishing technique, "trolling with bait". A trolling line is slowly pulled through the water by a boat so that many fish are baited.