According to Whitney Phillips, a New York University lecturer, Usenet
users first used «the word «troll» to describe someone who deliberately
disrupted online
discussions in order to stir up controversy.»
In internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off - topic messages in an online community, such as an online
discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other
users into an emotional response or of otherwise
disrupting normal on - topic
discussion.