No one is going to believe this story, but I swear to God it's true.
Back in the early days of the internet, I was the first person I know of to use the word "trolling" to describe what I did to have fun online. This was in the 90's AOL era. I chose the word "trolling" because it's a fishing term, and phishing was already a thing that people did. In fishing, the process of trolling is when you use a small outboard motor to move the boat around without firing up your main engine and scaring the fish. This small outboard is called a trolling motor. Since internet trolling is all about using clever ruses to get the best of people without them knowing your intent, I thought it worked. But none of the people I used the word on IRL ever responded to it. How bizarre that years later, trolling became a sort of pseudo-religion, and my original terminology for it somehow became the default. I chalk it up to the collective consciousness.
It's interesting to note that the bridge troll from the story "Three Billy Goats Gruff," which originates that concept, did not engage in what we would consider "trolling." Rather, he got trolled by the billy goats. The smallest goat begs him not to gobble him up, but rather to wait for the bigger brother, who in turn tells him to wait for his even bigger brother, who arrives and fucks the troll up. Knocks him off the bridge, and they never see him again.
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SmokeyMeadow ago
No one is going to believe this story, but I swear to God it's true.
Back in the early days of the internet, I was the first person I know of to use the word "trolling" to describe what I did to have fun online. This was in the 90's AOL era. I chose the word "trolling" because it's a fishing term, and phishing was already a thing that people did. In fishing, the process of trolling is when you use a small outboard motor to move the boat around without firing up your main engine and scaring the fish. This small outboard is called a trolling motor. Since internet trolling is all about using clever ruses to get the best of people without them knowing your intent, I thought it worked. But none of the people I used the word on IRL ever responded to it. How bizarre that years later, trolling became a sort of pseudo-religion, and my original terminology for it somehow became the default. I chalk it up to the collective consciousness.
unlimitedrulebook ago
I like your origin for it better. The troll that lives under the bridge doesn't really make any sense.
SmokeyMeadow ago
It's interesting to note that the bridge troll from the story "Three Billy Goats Gruff," which originates that concept, did not engage in what we would consider "trolling." Rather, he got trolled by the billy goats. The smallest goat begs him not to gobble him up, but rather to wait for the bigger brother, who in turn tells him to wait for his even bigger brother, who arrives and fucks the troll up. Knocks him off the bridge, and they never see him again.