Okay, there's been some serious misuse of the word "Troll", and I think people need to be educated on what trolling really is.
TrollingDefinition:
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory,extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted". (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29 )
Obvious examples:
- Religion is stupid all it does is cause wars over some bearded guy in the sky.
- Homosexuality is stupid, why not just choose to not be gay?
^ The above two statements, if posted at random, or even during a discussion of the relevant subject would be considered trolling, because the poster either is saying them merely to provoke a reaction, or is genuiniely an idiot.
BanterDefinition:
Banter is non-serious conversation, usually between friends, which may rely on humour or in-jokes at the expense of those taking part. The purpose of banter may at first appear to be an offensive affront to the other person's face. However, people engaging in such a conversation are often signaling that they are comfortable enough in each others' company to be able to say such things without causing harm. (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation)
Obvious Examples:
<[JC]> Owen is a massive fgt, thats why
[01:05] * %[CU]RuneScript
\-< Woo! Congrats on your Defence level 96 Mojohaza1
/-<
[01:06] <+Colinwarrior> GRATS BRO
[01:06] <+Colinwarrior> Now maybe you can tank
^ The two above statements are both banter, because both participants are aware that what they are saying is not being taken seriously and they are comfortable enough with each other (the people they are directly talking to) to throw these 'insults' at each other without offending anyone.
Conclusion:Trolling, meant to be taken seriously, to provoke a reaction/emotive response.
Banter, not to be taken seriously, a joke.
Also, I felt I should add this:
"Banter is particularly difficult for those on the autism spectrum and those with semantic pragmatic disorder." (Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation ) So if you can't differentiate trolling from banter, this might be why
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