[Hippikos]

1) What is a troll?

A troll is someone who posts primarily for the purpose of drawing attention to himself (or herself), usually negative attention. Trolls are also known to post solely to disrupt a newsgroup, distracting readers from the original point, thus defeating the group's purpose. They frequently post from anonymous or forged accounts.

2) Why should I avoid trolls?

The best reason to ignore trolls is that if you give them the attention they desire by responding to them, they can, in time, rip a newsgroup apart. In reality, most seem to be sad little people with no lives; why encourage them to waste yours on their spew? When in doubt, ignore. If you simply cannot help yourself, one good defense is to write a response, but delete it without posting it -- or perhaps even e-mail it to a friend. These actions let you vent your spleen without giving the trolls the verbal spanking they crave.