I recall you two are troll hunters and found a great definition of internet trolls in Psychology Today.
In this month's issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published(link is external) that confirms what we all suspected: Internet trolls are horrible people.
Let's start by getting our definitions straight: An Internet troll is someone who comes into a discussion and posts comments designed to upset or disrupt the conversation. Often, in fact, it seems like there is no real purpose behind their comments except to upset everyone else involved. Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response.
What kind of person would do this? Some Canadian researchers decided to find out.
They conducted two online studies with over 1,200 people, giving personality tests to each subject along with a survey about their Internet commenting behavior. They were looking for evidence that linked trolling with the "Dark Tetrad" of personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism.
"... the associations between sadism and GAIT (Global Assessment of Internet Trolling) scores were so strong that it might be said that online trolls are prototypical everyday sadists." [emphasis added]
Trolls truly enjoy making you feel bad. To quote the authors once more (because this is a truly quotable article): "Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun ... and the Internet is their playground!"
The next time you encounter a troll online, remember:
1.These trolls are some truly difficult people.
2.It is your suffering that brings them pleasure, so the best thing you can do is ignore them.
So the motto is don't feed the trolls but perfectly acceptable to abuse them because they like it.
INDEED. THANKS.
great post!!! :)