Definition:
A troll is a user who deliberately posts derogatory or inflammatory comments to a forum, community, chat room, newsgroup, and/or blog in order to attract other users and respond to him, almost always with an offensive tone.
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How to identify a troll
Trolls often employ tactics designed to incite other users to respond. Some common characteristics that can help identify a troll include:
- Provocative comments: Trolls often make obvious or inflammatory statements that seek to attract attention, especially from users less experienced in online discussion.
- Inappropriate language: They use offensive language, which may include sexist, racist or derogatory comments.
- Generic usernames: Often, trolls use usernames that are vague or anonymous, making it difficult to identify them as individuals.
People with experience in online forums have learned to ignore trolls,and a good moderator will be proactive in blocking these users and deleting their comments. Troll surveillance is a fine line between preventing the bulk of users from making unnecessarily abusive comments and unfairly censoring an unpopular opinion.
Troll moderation strategies
Effective moderation is crucial to managing the presence of trolls in online communities. A competent moderator must be proactive in identifying and blocking these users, as well as removing their comments. However, it is important to maintain a balance, avoiding censoring unpopular opinions while preventing abusive comments.
If a troll tries to provoke, they simply have to be ignored. They don’t do things personally, they just try to see who gets into the discussion. Often, a troll will make obvious and inflammatory statements that are meant to attract new users (beginners) to react. This is sometimes called trolling.
Despite multiple attempts to limit trolling on the internet, it remains widespread on social media, in comment sections, and anywhere else users can post with relative anonymity.
Frequently asked questions about Troll
What is Troll?
Definition: A troll is a user who deliberately posts derogatory or inflammatory comments to a forum , community, chat room, newsgroup, and/or blog in order to attract other users and respond to him, almost always with an offensive tone. How to identify a troll Trolls often employ tactics designed to incite other users to respond. In the Arimetrics glossary it is placed in a digital marketing context to clarify its role, uses and practical implications.
What is Troll used for in digital marketing?
It is used to better analyse an action, tool, channel or behaviour related to acquisition, measurement, communication, sales or user experience. Its value depends on applying it to a concrete decision.
How is Troll related to a digital strategy?
It is related to digital strategy when it affects objectives, data, content, technology, campaigns or conversion processes. That is why it should be reviewed together with the business context, not as an isolated term.
What should be considered when working with Troll?
It is advisable to review its definition, context, associated metrics, limitations and possible risks. It is also useful to validate whether the concept has a real impact on performance, user experience or decision-making.