about trolls
 

http://tinyurl.com/2sqzat

"Troll" doesn't really have anything to do with the crusty creatures under bridges; it's from trolling, the fishing technique. That's what they're doing, trolling for bites. "Don't take the bait" is more apt advice than "Don't feed the trolls".

huh? this is about internet trolls !

Wow and I thought they just visited Fodors!!!

There has been a lot here very recently and who has the time to be a troll except for a very SIMPLE person!

Good advice, but often people don't recognize trolls, or find it irresistible to respond to them. Witness the incredible spate of totally idiotic posts by travelguru1, which got tons more attention than they deserved

That would be "trawl"

There is a fishing technique called "trolling" that involves dragging a bait in the hope that a fish will bite.

Sheila:
Both troll and trawl are correct, both as noun and verb.

Just retired 2 days ago from my position as Director General in Canada's department of Fisheries and Oceans - after 23 years there.

"Troll" is the preferred spelling in the Pacific fishery, "trawl" in the Atlantic fishery.

(There are, too, significant differences between those 2 coasts' fisheries - but that is incidental to the spelling.)

tedgale-that was quite a huge position. No doubt you received emails from me about the despicable harp seal hunts. I hope you did your best to put an end to this tragedy. Congratulations on your retirement!

Oh, wow!

I had no idea. That can't be right (can it?).

I've always thought this use was one of those things Americans just got wrong; like aluminium (I know; I know)

and the not rare accusation of being a 'troll' when the poster is being sincere

travelgurl's posts could well be ignored but in fact to me they provoked some interesting discussions

Cigalechanta, that's what I was referring to. The internet usage of the word "troll" is derived from trolling with bait. The comparison to trolls, the creatures who live under bridges, is a back formation.

True.. it's sometime hard to seperate the truly troll posts from the sincerely weird posts.

cigalechanta,
Thanks! That is great :-) Love the picture!

Sandy

"trolls" seems to refer to the fury creatures and not "trolling" at least i always thought it did in Fodors context.

I can see trolls as more than one fishing expedition but don't think the word would be actually used like that.

though that is obviously what it means

Boy oh boy you can stay that again, Cowboy!

IMO there are a LOT of posts here that qualify as getting "more attention than they deserve" and they aren't limited to trolls.

isn't it wonderful that we are "allowed" to respond to whatever threads we want to without the Matron slapping our wrists?

Tedgale: congrats on your retirement (and having lived in NL for some years have NOTHING to say about sealing.)

I was intrigued by your defintion of 'trolling' as a Pacific thing and though I bow to your expertise, I have another perspective.

I am a Canadian who learned to fish from dad and the guys, all Ontario types, on lakes in Muskoka. We trolled for fish by setting the Evinrude Outboard on the lowest speed and, using bait, ran our lines in the water, very slowly unitl we had a strike. I have always thought that this was an inland water method.

I also thought that was what these Fodor Forum nuisances were doing when they trolled for innocent fish that rise the the bait of their silly questions.

http://tinyurl.com/36zylx
another photo :)

LJ wrote: "We trolled for fish by setting the Evinrude Outboard on the lowest speed and, using bait, ran our lines in the water, very slowly unitl we had a strike. I have always thought that this was an inland water method."

Exactly what I understood (although I am not brand-specific about motors). I googled on Pacific fisheries and trolling, and found that it seems to refer to line-fishing rather than netting, so it might be in the same realm.

I don't think trolling is necessarily evil. When it is well-done it can entertain both the troller and the trollee (in that respect it differs from fishing).

But I don't troll here. There is no sport in trying to use art to make a catch when the fish jump voluntarily into the boat.

Padraig...very nice turn of phrase there at the end.

So true, Padraig :)

Interesting comment on "troll" being the Pacific version of "trawl," and given the expertise of the poster I don't question it. However, here in the east trolling and trawling are two very different types of fishing - the former referring to motoring along slowly while dragging a natural and/or artificial bait on a line (usually a sportfishing technique) and the latter referring to dragging a large net (virtually always a commercial fishing technique).

That said, although I've seen this discussion about trolls and Fodors many times over the years, I've always sided with those who believe the origin to be troll in the sense of trolling for bites, rather than trolls as furry creatures.

I agree with PalenQ. Some troll posts provide good conversation among the non-trolls!

Don't know about seals & fish (don't have many bodies of water in central Indiana!), but maybe we should start a "Save the Trolls" campaign!!! :-)

Julie

SAVE MUFFY!!!