Paid Internet Trolls

[Reaper]

I think boredom instigates trolling far more than monetary compensation. I know a guy who used to get on forums like this one and troll simply because it amused him- a toy he could play with. A desire for attention can lead to such behavior as well. Internet forums create the type of social atmosphere where both these qualities can be readily indulged with little personal consequence, and therefore they are fertile breeding grounds for infantile behavior. I can't imagine anyone paying money for something that's already so prevalent.

Beyond that, I think garden variety personality distortions and miscommunications are far more common than decided attempts at trolling, at least here. It's much harder to convey one's true intentions via computer screen than it is talking face-to-face. It's super easy for someone who genuinely means well to come off as a dick, or for a comment to take on hurtful undertones that weren't intended. It's harder to achieve the sense of natural empathy that tends to knit differences in personality together in person.

The best way to deal with trolls, in my opinion, is to simply cut off their fuel source and let them burn themselves out, though I've been guilty of feeding those flames in the past. It is a humbling experience to step back and realize you were valiantly defending your opinion to someone whose only intention was to mock you. In their own way trolls provide a service because they teach us to not take ourselves too seriously.