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On some internet forums that I frequent, the manner in which one responds to a provocative, insulting statement reveals his or her relative familiarity with that particular community and the internet in general. Expressing genuine emotion towards what others perceive as an obvious attempt at baiting is gleefully pointed out, and quite often, ridiculed. Trolling separates the experienced from the inexperienced, divides the newbies from the veterans, and provides a certain amount of amusing conflict between forum participants that sustains the community as a whole. This hostility and deception can obviously be unsettling, and it functions as an effective filter that ensures survival for only the jaded or endlessly masochistic. The emotional weaklings leave in tears, while the 'strong' remain.
I find myself engaging mildly in this type of misanthropic behavior, but only when I sense that my adversary is cooperating in jest, or that the target of my trolling is capable of enduring the incident without the risk of permanent emotional damage. This could take the form of arguing for an antithetical position to that which the community favors, dropping brief statements intended to shock or alienate those who view it to the point of responding angrily, or fooling someone into believing that I am on their ideological side of the fence, only to brutally demolish their confidence in an attempt at causing frustration. Generally, I confine myself to deadpan remarks with subtle humor that only some within the forum community would understand, or participating in a string of posts that support a ridiculous fact or belief, to the incredulity of others. We'll link to a video depicting gruesome violence or similarly distasteful content, only to describe the linked site in an alternate fashion, mentioning puppy dogs, fluffy clouds, rainbows, and anything that would lead to false conclusions prior to viewing the actual content, which could be NSFW or worse.
I refrain from this behavior on Tilted Forum Project and other sites where the community doesn't approve of and actively encourage it. Basically, trolling for me results in slight schadenfreude through taking advantage of and manipulating the ignorance of others, and by witnessing their reactions from an anonymous position. I savor the vulgar profanity, mashed keys, and cries of pent up rage. I relish the dropped jaws, displays of insecurity, and petty vengefulness. I derive immense satisfaction from realizing that my actions have evoked an immediate, intense reaction from another human being thousands of miles away, through the use of nothing but my fingertips and mind.
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