People who post empty and meaningless messages, purely to provoke.
Such people are mentally ill and have severe personality issues and insecurity as well as the average mind/priorities of a twelve year old.

Some people just can't grow out of the period in their life when scribbling on the walls and dropping spiders on the girls they liked was acceptable. At 20-30yrs of age, it's just pathetic.

Trolls don't care about proving a point or championing a cause. They just want to annoy, for the sake of annoyance and personal enjoyment, like a baby is entertained by a rattle or colorful lights.
They may tack on a "point" to draw out specific types of people but, it really doesn't matter. They're all the same. They all say the same shit. They all have the same excuses. They all fall back on the same responses and, they all share the same obliviousness to how stupid and pointless their lives are.

The troll is easily amused by things only the most retarded, unfunny child would appreciate.

They celebrate getting a reaction, that's it. Generally, they are so desperate for human interaction and, they are usually so vile, that negative attention is the best they can get. The saddest thing is, anyone can get a reaction by acting like an idiot. Anyone. They honestly take pride in the "art" like they've actually accomplished something.

It's astonishing to watch them brag about something 90% of the world would be embarrassed to even consider.

Don't let the occasional "smart" troll fool you. There is no "art" to it. It's a self loathing tool with anonymity to shield him, doing stupid things and when someone tells them they're making an ass of themselves, they dance around like some great mastermind who manipulated the psyches of those around them through careful planning and psychology, when in reality, they're a retard who shit in the public fountain and laughed when everyone looked.

Trolls have existed since ancient times, when they were referred to as the "village idiot" or "town drunk" a quixotic hero in their own mind, that the rest of the world pities in disgust.

Said disgust, isn't a victory, trolls. You've lost. Pray you never realize it. Ignorance truly is bliss and, you're the happiest motherfuckers around. Go see a shrink and tell them that you find enjoyment in pissing people off and try to look surprised when they tell you, you've got serious mental problems.

One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument

One who purposely and deliberately (that purpose usually being self-amusement) starts an argument in a manner which attacks others on a forum without in any way listening to the arguments proposed by his or her peers. He will spark of such an argument via the use of ad hominem attacks (i.e. 'you're nothing but a fanboy' is a popular phrase) with no substance or relevence to back them up as well as straw man arguments, which he uses to simply avoid addressing the essence of the issue.

1a. Noun
One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.

1b. Noun
A person who, on a message forum of some type, attacks and flames other members of the forum for any of a number of reasons such as rank, previous disagreements, sex, status, ect.
A troll usually flames threads without staying on topic, unlike a "Flamer" who flames a thread because he/she disagrees with the content of the thread.

1c. Noun
A member of an internet forum who continually harangues and harasses others. Someone with nothing worthwhile to add to a certain conversation, but rather continually threadjacks or changes the subject, as well as thinks every member of the forum is talking about them and only them. Trolls often go by multiple names to circumvent getting banned.


2a. Noun
Sometimes compared to the Japanese ‘Oni’, a troll is a supernatural creature of Scandinavian folklore, whose race was thought to have carried massive stones into the countryside (although actually the result of glaciers). Lives in hills, mountains, caves, or under bridges. They are stupid, large, brutish, hairy, long-nosed, and bug-eyed, and may also have multiple heads or horns. Trolls love to eat ...

1. A large, brutish creature of European myth, often lacking in intelligence. Sometimes compared to the Japanese oni.
2. A dumbass who makes idiotic posts in message boards newsgroups for the sole purpose of pissing people off, often lacking in intelligence. Sometimes compared to people who pass you by on the sidewalk then grab you in inappropriate places.

One of many unsung internet heroes who are almost entirely misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, many trolls are actually quite intelligent. Their habitual attacks on forums is usually a result of their awareness of the pretentiousness and excessive self-importance of many forum enthusiasts. As much as people may hate trolls, they are highly effective - their actions bring much of the stupidity of other forum users out into the great wide open.

Someone who is purposefully posting on a forum/messageboard/site sith the sole aim to irritate the regular members.

Contrary to popular belief there is much more to internet trolling than posting "OMG UR ALL SO GHEYYYY!!!1" "OMFG TRIVIUM SUX ASS U FAGS LOL" and the like. People who post such things will usually be one-post wonders and get banned, however the more experienced troll will attempt to cause some sort of havoc under the admins radar.

Common examples of trolling:
The long-term troll:
These guys don't mind waiting around for the fun to begin. They may pretend to be an average n00b, and give themselves the stereotyical interest(s) of the average member of said forum, then once having a few posts they will gradually try to spread dissent. This type may even pretend to be pally to the admin and get their msn (and try to crack their account password of course) whilst causing general disruption. May act under other proxies and slate these fake trolls on msn to the aforementioned gullible admin. These people, to be frank, usually have no life and love bringing message boards to their knees by putting considerable time into their carnage. If they crack the admins password the board is doomed.

The sophisticated troll:
This type will usually have some sort of distaste for whatever the said message board is discussing and try to cause annoyance as opposed to destructiveness. They will parody the members and see how much they can get over their heads. Subtle piss...

A person who posts to a forum or other form of online communication to disrupt or cause widespread argument.