From Wikipedia:
As noted in an
OS News article titled "Why People Troll and How to Stop Them" (25 January 2012), "The traditional definition of trolling includes intent. That is, trolls purposely disrupt forums. This definition is too narrow. Whether someone intends to disrupt a thread or not, the results are the same if they do."
[7][8] Others have addressed the same issue, e.g., Claire Hardaker, in her Ph.D. thesis
[8] "Trolling in asynchronous computer-mediated communication: From user discussions to academic definitions",
[9] and
Dr. Phil.[
citation needed] Popular recognition of the existence (and prevalence) of non-deliberate, "accidental trolls", has been documented widely, in sources as diverse as Nicole Sullivan's
keynote speech at the 2012 Fluent Conference, titled "Don't Feed the Trolls"
[10] Gizmodo,
[11] online opinions on the subject written by Silicon Valley executives
[12] and comics.
[13]
Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore it,[
citation needed] because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts – hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".