Definition

A user who intentionally provokes hostility or confusion online. A troll may make valid points, but generally does so with the intention to irritate.

Related Terms

Agitator, Baiting, Flaming, Disruptive Behaviour, Sealioning.

Background

A Troll is an account that deliberately and repeatedly posts inflammatory, off-topic, insulting, or otherwise disruptive messages to bait others into reacting, sow discord, or simply for their own amusement by causing annoyance and anger. While a troll’s individual posts might sometimes contain a kernel of a valid point or appear superficially reasonable, their overarching pattern of interaction is disingenuous and aimed at provoking negative emotional responses or derailing productive conversation.

Trolling can be subtle or overt. Volunteer moderators often identify trolls by observing a consistent pattern of provocative behaviour, a history of negative interactions, and an apparent lack of good-faith engagement, even when confronted or when attempts are made to steer them towards constructive dialogue. The troll’s satisfaction often seems to come from the ensuing chaos or frustration of others.

Why We Care

Trolls can significantly degrade the quality of community discussions, create a hostile atmosphere, and drive away genuine participants who tire of the constant negativity or disruption. Trolling consumes valuable moderator time and emotional energy, and can make a community feel unwelcoming and unproductive.

Addressing trolling helps protect the community’s discourse, ensures that good-faith participants feel comfortable engaging, and maintains a focus on constructive interaction.

Spotting Trolls: What to Look For

Identification of a troll usually relies on observing a persistent pattern of provocative and disingenuous behaviour, rather than isolated incidents of disagreement or poor communication.

Account Traits: While some trolls use throwaway or anonymous accounts, others operate from established accounts, slowly revealing their disruptive intentions over time. They might have a history of similar disruptive behaviour in other communities if this is known.

Content Characteristics: Look for posts that are deliberately inflammatory, off-topic, insulting, condescending, or designed to belittle others or their viewpoints. They might make personal attacks, employ logical fallacies excessively, feign ignorance to frustrate, or make sarcastic or mocking comments that add no value but aim to irritate. Posts might be riddled with whataboutism or derail legitimate points with irrelevant tangents.

Posting Patterns: A troll might repeatedly target specific individuals or topics, often returning to threads to re-ignite arguments. They might post just enough to keep a conflict going, then withdraw to observe the fallout. Their frequency of posting might increase when they successfully provoke a reaction.

Behaviour: The key indicator is a consistent lack of good-faith engagement. Trolls often ignore reasonable counter-arguments, refuse to acknowledge valid points made by others, misrepresent what others have said, and show no interest in resolving disagreements amicably or learning from the discussion. They derive satisfaction from the reactions they provoke. They may also play the victim when called out on their behaviour.

Key Questions for Assessment:

• “Is this account consistently making posts that seem designed to provoke anger, frustration, or confusion rather than contribute constructively?”
• “Does the account engage in good faith when challenged or when others attempt to clarify points, or do they escalate, deflect, or mock?”
• “Is there a pattern of derailing discussions, making personal attacks, or using inflammatory language across multiple interactions?”
• “Does the account seem to enjoy or thrive on the negative reactions they elicit?”

Before You Act: Common Pitfalls & Nuances

It’s important to distinguish trolling from genuine, albeit perhaps clumsy, disagreement or strong opinions.

Passionate but Clumsy Users: Some users express strong opinions in an abrasive or poorly worded way without intending to troll. They might be open to feedback on their communication style.

Genuine Devil’s Advocate: Some users genuinely like to explore alternative viewpoints, even if unpopular. The difference from a troll is their willingness to engage respectfully and acknowledge counter-arguments, rather than just provoke.

Cultural Misunderstandings: Sarcasm or directness that is normal in one culture might be perceived as provocative in another.

Common Gotchas:

• “Feeding the troll”: Giving excessive attention or emotional responses to a troll can encourage them. Don’t feed the troll.
• Misidentifying someone with unpopular opinions or a direct communication style as a troll if they are otherwise engaging in good faith.
• Becoming visibly frustrated by the troll, which can be what they are seeking.

Key Point: Trolling is about intentional, repeated provocation and disruption for the troll’s own gratification, with a clear lack of good-faith intent to contribute positively to the discussion. Their aim is to get a reaction.

Managing Suspected Trolls: Key Steps

When trolling is suspected:

• Observe and Document (Initially): If the behaviour is borderline, observe a few interactions to establish a clear pattern. Document specific posts or comments that demonstrate trolling behaviour.
• Do Not Feed the Troll: Encourage community members (and model this yourself) not to engage with obvious bait or inflammatory posts from a suspected troll. Often, ignoring them is the most effective community response.
• Assess Intent and Impact: Is the behaviour clearly intentional and disruptive? What is its impact on the thread and the wider community?
• Discuss with Team (if applicable): Share your observations and evidence with fellow moderators or your Service Administrator to get a consensus, especially if the trolling is subtle.
• Issue Clear Warnings (Optional, Policy-Dependent): Depending on your community’s policies and the severity, a single, clear, private warning citing the specific behaviour and expected changes might be used. Trolls often ignore or mock warnings.
• Apply Community Guidance / Sanctions: If the troll is relatively low-impact but persistent, moderators might choose to mute their posts from general view (if platform tools allow) or simply systematically ignore them. Remove inflammatory, off-topic, or rule-breaking posts.
• Focus on Restoring Constructive Discussion: Your actions should aim to end the disruption and allow good-faith conversation to resume.

Example Community Guidance

• Strike System: “Posting deliberately inflammatory or disruptive content (trolling) will result in a strike and removal of the offending content for a first instance. Repeated trolling will lead to account suspension.”
• General Prohibition: “Users are expected to engage in good-faith discussions. Intentionally provoking hostility, derailing conversations, making persistent bad-faith arguments, or otherwise engaging in trolling behaviour is not permitted.”
• Strict Enforcement: “Persistent or egregious trolling that disrupts the community, harasses members, or shows a clear unwillingness to participate constructively will result in a permanent ban. We encourage users not to engage with trolls, and to report their behaviour.”

Further Reading

• What Is Trolling on Social Media? (Social Media Victims Law Center)
• The psychology of internet trolling and why they are everywhere