I am a Masters student in England doing a documentary on trolling. I was wondering if there was anyway of privately communicating either via email or skype to talk to you or Whitney about your thoughts on trolling.

Would appreciate a reply as soon as possible and look forward to hearing from you,

Jennifer

As one who grew up trolling for bluefish and mackerel on the Atlantic just off the North Carolina coast, I have to amend your correction. “Trolling” does indeed denote fishing with one or more lines (with single or multiple hooks) trailing the boat. “Trawling” is a similar act, but with a net. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolling_%28fishing%29.

However, in online “trolling” there is a delicious conflation of the concept of a troll awaiting victims, and a baited line designed to hook the unwitting.

Robert Long for UODS

The people who are always trying to hurt or offend others are Snerts, and the ones always trying to destroy the status quo are Iconoclasts. Trolls are actually people using online community for humour, and while some over-step the mark, their intentions are not usually to harm, as Ms Phillips thinks.

She also said troll comes from fishing – No that is trawling, looking for information and opportunity. Trolling comes from the story of the three goats, where a troll was under the bridge.