They did it for the lulz... an insight into the minds of trolls
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/ma...pagewanted=all

Old article, but a great read for anyone who spends a lot of time in a forum like TMO

Re: They did it for the lulz... an insight into the minds of trolls
 

Got cliffs notes' of it?
I'll be darned if I waste that much time reading about trolls.

=P

Re: They did it for the lulz... an insight into the minds of trolls
 

It is a great article if you get a few spare minutes. Basically they are emotionally crippled human beings and live in the gutters of society... but you knew that already :p

Re: They did it for the lulz... an insight into the minds of trolls
 

The author sums up with quotes from a modernized troll forum:

“What makes a bad person? Or a good person? How do you know if you’re a bad person?”

...

“I’d say empathy is probably a factor.”

My summary:

Even though trolls, and groups of trolls, come in all shapes and sizes, extreme trolls are generally extremely disturbed and have yet to receive a more socially acceptable cure for their trolling symptoms. Instead, they decide to self-medicate by using the internet as their own Texas clock tower.

So, you choose to spend endless hours reading trolls rather than reading about them. :) Dude, read it. I'm not promising that you'll learn something, but it was fun.

Oh, you were joking.

Re: They did it for the lulz... an insight into the minds of trolls
 

Somewhat tangential, but this report on factors leading to the formation of a "criminal mind" seems to shed some light on the Times article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=127888976