nightjar wrote in message
. ..

"Annabel" wrote in message
...
Please tell, what's a "troll".

Despite the mythological references that computer people tend to prefer,
the
name seems to have arisen from a fishing technique, trolling, in which you
throw out a baited line behind a boat and wait to see what bites. A Usenet
troll does much the same thing - posts a deliberately controversial
message,
intended to generate responses from the people who take the bait. This is
Usenet trolling, hence someone who does it is a troll.


Funny how language develops.

Originally the 'troll' was the post, the bait. But confusion with
mythological Nordic club wielding beasts appearing from caves and wreaking
havoc, gave rise to the poster being called a troll.

Now both post and poster are trolls!

pk