Trolls
I was just looking for some harmless place to post, and I was amazed at how long it's been for some of these threads. Hello?
A "troll," if you have the good fortune to live in Upper Michigan, is anyone from Lower Michigan. (Get it? They live "under the bridge" !) And of course, Lower Michiganders refer to those from the Upper Peninsula as "yupers." (As in "U.P.-ers")
The important thing I've learned about trolling, in the usage we're considering here, is to avoid the appearance of evil! Sometimes we don't know what American turns of phrase can sound like to a South African or a New Zealander, so be prepared to be misunderstood. (Like that never happens IRL. :roll: )
Also, I once took a friend into my confidence concerning the trouble I was having trying to help a new convert on a public thread. It turned out well, but under different circumstances with different people, it could have been perceived as the beginning of trolling.
Some trolls work in this way. They use the private message feature to create behind the scenes alliances and stir up more trouble than they could do on just the public threads.
So, I've learned to be cautious when discussing other people. It's best not to private message concerning others if you have a choice.
Remember: there's concern, there's gossip, and there's trolling!