In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s, but the earliest known example is from 1991. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling. The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon.

Most languages have adopted the English word "troll" to refer to Internet trolls.[citation needed] In Japanese, arashi (あらし, 荒らし) means "laying waste" and can also be used to refer to simple spamming. In Chinese, the word báimù (白目), meaning "white eye", is used for individuals who are "mean or hard to get along with".

You Mark, are a troll, in every definition of the word. I did cut and paste, because I don't feel like paraphrasing Wiki, but if you ever used the internet before you will see, it's not a child's word. It is an internet word, used world wide for people like you, Jason, no thanks, squigles, trevor, zachary, and sometimes even myself.

Therefore, before you start spewing your hatred at me for not having a smoke, spew it in the mirror first. When you point one finger at someone, you have 4 pointed back at you. Don't ever forget that you hacker and you owe me $140.00 for not fixing my laptop.