What does the term "troll" mean?

It originally is a fishing term....

"Trolling" means to pull a lure or bait through the water hoping that a fish will strike.

(not to be confused with 'trawl' which means to pull a net through the water)

So when someone "trolls" on an internet forum they are deliberately putting a provocative comment out there..hoping someone will strike at it.

Of course people will tell you it relates to "trolls"...the ugly mythical creatures who live under bridges...and now...most people honestly believe that is what it relates to on the internet...

But originally it related to the fishing term...if someone posted 'troll' it meant the comment was a troll (fishing type)...the comment...not the person making the comment.

But as it evolved..it later went on to mean that the person was a troll (under the bridge type)..

and that is what it means now.

OK?

A troll, is a person who is here just to annoy other users and to cause as much upset as they can. They like to lure/bait others into biting back.

They're someone who posts mean messages basically to harass or provoke the other person.