I just found out recently that when the word troll is used in an online forum type setting its meaning is this:

In Internet slang, a troll (pron.: /ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is someone who posts inflammatory,^[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response^[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.^[3] The noun troll may also refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted."

While the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels subjective, with trolling describing intentionally provocative actions and harassment outside of an online context. For example, mass media has used troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."^[4][5]

I think it originated from an activity my Dad and I did when I was a kid: to fish while dragging a baited line from behind a slowly moving boat. Baiting....

Do you find trolling offensive or being called a troll a negative? I think the context makes all the difference.

What did you think of the rest of my post?

Bait (verb)

• Deliberately annoy or taunt (someone):
  

I'm sorry this is all you got from the post. In the context I gave in my example, the OP was looking for support and venting their frustration on a forum for those experiencing problems. The first response was to tell the OP they were ignorant, then further posts subjected the OP to additional verbal abuse suggesting they were a troll, with several posters joining in the group bullying session.

Can you imagine being that person, at the end of their rope, looking for support and being immediately subjected to a group "beat down". Unbelievable and unconscionable behavior on a support forum.

Hope that clarifies my intent with this post...

We know what you meant to say!

i get exactly what you say

i have been one of those who was so harrassed on OH after i was banded last year (and before my surgery) with pm's saying how stupid i was to get the band and why didnt i get the sleeve or bypass and in two years id have to revise and all these complications i was due to get... and every time i posted a question of what is this or that, id get a link to the failed banded fb page...that my dear is what i call trolls and people who bait just to be mean..

i cant tell you crappy i felt for a few months thinking what a mistake i must have made...i felt bad bc my ins didnt approve sleeves..self doubt..how nice of people to do that to a newbie.. but you know what, i am proving those women wrong.

so as for all i got out of your post..i read it and understood it. i agree with it.

i support any and everyone who gives a crap about following their dr's advice

i do not coddle those who divert off course..

and if you want support, in my opinion, it starts with ones own self.

i get exactly what you say

i have been one of those who was so harrassed on OH after i was banded last year (and before my surgery) with pm's saying how stupid i was to get the band and why didnt i get the sleeve or bypass and in two years id have to revise and all these complications i was due to get... and every time i posted a question of what is this or that, id get a link to the failed banded fb page...that my dear is what i call trolls and people who bait just to be mean..

i cant tell you crappy i felt for a few months thinking what a mistake i must have made...i felt bad bc my ins didnt approve sleeves..self doubt..how nice of people to do that to a newbie.. but you know what, i am proving those women wrong.

so as for all i got out of your post..i read it and understood it. i agree with it.

i support any and everyone who gives a crap about following their dr's advice

i do not coddle those who divert off course..

and if you want support, in my opinion, it starts with ones own self.

I'm sorry you were treated that way. There are some who are so mad at the damage from their bands (many were implanted by band mills) that they go a little overboard in discouraging people from getting one. I would never tell someone who doesn't ask for help making the decision what WLS they should or shouldn't get. It's a personal decision, and while I wouldn't recommend it for most people, there are individual circumstances that need to be respected.

Keep up the good work

I hate the word troll just like I hate someone saying a person is rude, mean, a class act. I dont think that those words should ever be used because number one none of us know each other. These words bother me that any one person would call another person any of these things without knowing the person personally. It is obvious we all have difference of opinions but to be called a troll or mean or rude that is uncalled for. People need to learn how to actually read a post and view it in many directions as we never know what the poster meant by what they wrote. Words are misconstrued daily on this forum and to me if two people read the same paragraph neither will interpret it the same way.

I totally understand where the OP is coming from, and I too have a belief what a forum like this is supposed to be like....

But CHEER UP!!! I understand that soon we can all hate each other...or give each other the "Thumbs Up OR the Thumbs Down" So when you make a post, everyone will judge you and what you say....

I totally understand where the OP is coming from' date=' and I too have a belief what a forum like this is supposed to be like....

But CHEER UP!!! I understand that soon we can all hate each other...or give each other the "Thumbs Up OR the Thumbs Down" So when you make a post, everyone will judge you and what you say....[/quote']

If I understood Alex correctly there won't be a dislike button. Just to keep facts clear.

If I understood Alex correctly there won't be a dislike button. Just to keep facts clear.

Quick...where's the "UNLIKE button.......(ONLY JOKING) but making a point......