There's no place to run - no place to hide - no safe haven to seek asylum from their wrath. They're nearly everywhere you go. Whether dance-bopping on your avatar while you "BRB" or bumping up posts from years past, trolls lurk all around Whyville waiting for the perfect moment to pester, annoy, or entertain you. Hopeluvs and I have tracked down several infamous trolls from the BBS, and are determined to discover why they have chosen to live the life a troll, and what it takes to become one of their kind.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: So we hear you're a troll in the BBS. Are you proud of this?
ILuvFlaws: I think it's funny, so I'm proud.
Banjomann: Yes, I'm very proud. Proud to serve my country! Proud to serve my fellow citizens!
Enchirito: I do not consider myself a troll, per say. The way I act and look and carry myself may make it seem like so, but in all honestly, I am just being myself. Being enchirito. So YES, I am incredibly proud of being a "troll" if that's what we have labeled me as.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: What caused you to want to troll the BBS?
ILuvFlaws: I don't know, chat rooms are sometimes empty.
Banjomann: Because brother, I troll every thing I get on, not just BBS.
Enchirito: BBSers are a very strange bunch of people. They can't take a joke at all. They respond to my "trolling" by saying hurtful things, flipping out on me, laughing, playing along, or even crying. The different reactions get me going. I like the variety of emotions and reactions to the things I say. It's a weird, but lovely feeling.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: What is your favorite way to troll?
ILuvFlaws: Friend Finding!
Banjomann: CAPS LOCK and acting like I'm better than people the whole nine yard.
Enchirito: I can read people well. I like to toy with people's insecurities as bad as that sounds. Especially the ones that truly deserve it by being mean or criticizing others for no logical reason. (For instance: calling Poor Newbie Jennifer "pathetic" for wearing remakes). But I also love to make people laugh and make them worship me more than they already do.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: Do you troll to annoy people, amuse people, anger people, or make people smile?
ILuvFlaws: Annoy/amuse/anger.
Banjomann: I troll to amuse myself, son.
Enchirito: In reference to the previous question; basically, I "troll" to do all of the above.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: How do you choose your "victim" of the trolling?
ILuvFlaws: The mean ones.
Banjomann: If I feel like they need a good ol' attitude adjustment then I'll lay the smack down on 'em.
Enchirito: I choose my victims MAINLY one way. And that is if they're well-known in any way. Majority of the time, I target people based upon how they treat others. Believe or not, Enchirito does have a heart!
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: What inspires your "troll look" for your account?
ILuvFlaws: I like the SB look with my mouth on my neck and I find qt instok parts.
Banjomann: I always dress like this.
Enchirito: Nothing really inspires me. I'm just too lazy to change it drastically. I don't care much for my appearance on here.
Hopeluvs and Kittieme: Do you think people show you the respect you deserve?
ILuvFlaws: I don't know, people tell me that I am annoying and some tell me to troll more.
Banjomann: YEP. And that's the bottom line.
Enchirito: I think I have a decent fan base. They are what keep me going! I call them my minions, and they make me stuff in Akbar's and shower me with y-mails telling me they love me. I believe once I am elected senator, I will gain a larger fan base with my way of words and my suave. I'm perfection.
Overall, as you see the trolls lurking Whyville, think about the hard work they do ranging to bring us entertainment and joy. Trolls have such agility and humor, and that is what runs Whyville!
Authors' Note: We would like to thank Enchirito, Banjomann, and ILuvFlaws, for their interesting answers! Hopefully they have shed light on what it is like to be a troll, and why they are the way they are.
