I actually like this unit about trolls because it's so interesting. Of course this unit is not just about trolls but about being online and anonymous.Throughout my life on the Internet I have encountered many trolls. I usually see them on YouTube comments and on Xbox Live. When we first started this unit, right away the trolls were horrible people that had bad intentions. At first I was confused because the Trolls I encountered weren't people with bad intentions.
As the week continued I kept thinking about my thought. I finally found my answer why Trolls are looked upon as bad, once we read the Lindy West article. I was surprised how cruel people actually were trying to be. I couldn't belive that it was still considered Trolling. In my perspective it seemed more like cyber bulling or harassment. This is a difficult topic because we all have different perspectives about the border between Trolling and Harassment. In my opinion coming from a gamer's perspective, Trolls aren't the people in Lindy West article. In the gaming community we see trolls as people that prank other people over the Internet just to get them mad and see their reaction live. There is no harassment or harm done while trolling. Like I said everybody has a different perspective about "Trolling".
This online and anonymous definitely showed me a new perspective of trolling. Before entering the unit, I had a similar definition of trolls: online pranksters. However after reading the articles, especially on Lindy West, trolls seem to get more personal than our experiences, and I believe that is when it crosses the line. Trolls we experience are not aiming for any single person, such as the troll in the Lindy West article did, and that is, like you said, when it becomes cyber bullying or harassment.
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