Reading through old projects from my masters degree. Came across this, and thought Id share: . Pronounced “/trəʊl/,” the word troll takes several forms. As an intransitive verb, “troll” means “to move or walk about or to and fro; to ramble, saunter, stroll, ‘roll’” (“troll”). As a transitive verb, “troll” means “to move (a ball, bowl, round body) by or as by rolling; to roll, bowl, trundle; to turn over and over, or round and round; to roll (the eyes); to throw (dice)” (“troll”). As a noun, “troll” means a variety of different things. Following the meaning of the verb form, “troll” as a noun could indicate “the act of trolling; a going or moving round; routine or repetition” (“troll”). Strangely, the noun form also indicates “a song the parts of which are sung in succession; a round, a catch” (“troll”). Two final meanings emerge from etymological research into “troll”: as a noun, the word means “in Scandinavian mythology, one of a race of supernatural beings formerly conceived as giants, now, in Denmark and Sweden, as dwarfs or imps, supposed to inhabit caves or subterranean dwellings” or “in extended use: an unpleasant or ugly person” (“troll”). All of these meanings coalesce to form our current understanding of the Internet troll, a 21st century mythos rich in history, collaboration, and malice. An Internet Troll is characterized by inciting, malicious behavior. Oftentimes, a Troll comments randomly at their whim on videos, blogs, discussion threads, and other Internet forms of discourse, and their statements range from belligerent dislike to evisceration of their targets through hateful, destructive attacks. Because the Internet by its nature is anonymous, users can feel free to comment without much or any penalty for their actions. Therefore, cyberbullying is a widespread, persistent issue in our 21st century, digital age. The etymological thread of meaning trickles down from the past, collectively representing our Internet Trolls; these cyberbullies (the term is interchangeable) “stroll” or “saunter” through the internet, “going or moving round,” and generally act as “an unpleasant or ugly person” in anonymity, hiding in their insular online communities much like a mythological troll hides in “caves or subterranean dwellings” (“troll”). Collectively, cyberbullies as a group work like one of the definitions of “troll”: “a song the parts of which are sung in succession; a round, a catch” (“troll”), because while each instance of cyberbullying is singular and unconnected, together they flood the internet like a chorus in-the-round, building in volume and emphasis over time. Through their actions, these cyberbullies turn the Internet community “over and over, or round and round” (“troll”) in a tailspin, heading toward not only mere hurt feelings, but a discontinuity in digital discourse. Interesting ;-)
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 01:02:09 +0000
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