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macintologist · 09:57 AM

I was reading the Wikipedia article on Internet Trolling and it had a little history section. It said that, according to the Usenet archives on Google Groups, the very first time the word troll was used was on Feb 8, 1990. And so I went into Google Groups and found that particular Usenet entry and added it to the Wikipedia article along with the quote:

Google Groups link

You are so far beyond being able to understand anything anyone here says that this is just converging on uselessness. The really sad part is that you really believe that you're winning. You are a shocking waste of natural resources - kindly re-integrate yourself into the food-chain. Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll.

Sometimes you wonder about this: who was the first person to use the word troll as relating to an Internet poster who is just posting flamebait, who was the first person to write n00b, and type in l33t, and say "lol" and do all these different jargon-things. The Internet is old enough that we can start going back and looking at these things from an etymological and historical perspective.

Sandbaggins · Jan 4, 2005, 09:50 AM

+1 �

mitchell_pgh · Jan 4, 2005, 11:00 AM

Funny how one post changed the vocabulary of posting.

It also spawned alternatives. Trolling.

macintologist · Jan 4, 2005, 11:14 AM

But I wonder if this was the post that started it, or was it just a coincidence, and there was some other post a bit later that actually started the trend.

For example, remember the ..just RIPE..10-15.. thing? Like here."Steve Jobs is just RIPE to introduce 10-15 new products". That started in a Radiohead message board and slowly moved into MacNN and other Mac forums. The trend of the use of the word troll might have started later than 1990 in some other forum.

macintologist · Jan 4, 2005, 11:18 AM

The word "newbie", according to Google Groups, was first used in May 31, 1988. here by Barbara Dyker.

What would also take some load off the net would be a REGULAR posting in
comp.binaries.* of a list of submittal guidlines AND the procedures AND
software required to unpack/hex the posting!!!

The net is all too often cluttered with requests for BinHex, StuffIt, PackIt...
and hasty articles about not being able to unbinhex 4.0 with 5.0, and "what's
a .pit file?"

I did my stuggling as a newbie - let's get some info out for those that
are new to the net so that it works for all of us.

Or shall we ignore newbies like someone suggested we ignore non-programmers??

Scientist · Jan 4, 2005, 11:34 AM

Originally posted by macintologist:
But I wonder if this was the post that started it, or was it just a coincidence, and there was some other post a bit later that actually started the trend.

I also suspect that this is just a coincidence. I suspect that the original word was used in a way similar to "troll for arguments" like one might "troll for fish" from the back of a boat.

Randman · Jan 4, 2005, 11:47 AM

Hmm, and here I thought it was about someone here on the board.

willed · Jan 4, 2005, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by macintologist:
The word "newbie", according to Google Groups, was first used in May 31, 1988. here by Barbara Dyker.

I didn't know they had women on the internet in 1988?

SimeyTheLimey · Jan 4, 2005, 01:45 PM

Newbie definitely predates 1988. It was used in the military well before then to designate any new soldier. It may be much older. Websters suggests a British public school origin.

macintologist · Jan 4, 2005, 02:13 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
Newbie definitely predates 1988. It was used in the military well before then to designate any new soldier. It may be much older. Websters suggests a British public school origin.

And I wonder who was the very first person to say 'newbie'. Language and origins of language is interesting.

Apple Pro Underwear · Jan 4, 2005, 02:15 PM

was snappy coined here? i think MOS invented "NEW HOTNESS" right?

itai195 · Jan 4, 2005, 02:17 PM

Cool. It's surprising how quickly new terms or uses for old words can pop up. Been playing too much World of Warcraft, as 'sheep' is now a verb amongst my friends and I.

turtle777 · Jan 4, 2005, 03:01 PM

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
was snappy coined here? i think MOS invented "NEW HOTNESS" right?

So what ? He is still the only one using it.
Or does he have fanboys as well ?
If so, did he get a license from Zimpi to entertain his own fanboys ?

-t

macintologist · Jan 4, 2005, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by itai195:
Cool. It's surprising how quickly new terms or uses for old words can pop up. Been playing too much World of Warcraft, as 'sheep' is now a verb amongst my friends and I.

How do you use it? (sheep v.)

cjrivera · Jan 4, 2005, 03:49 PM

Has anyone looked into when the term, "Lockinated" was used?

storer · Jan 4, 2005, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by turtle777:
So what ? He is still the only one using it.
Or does he have fanboys as well ?
-t

True, he is. It's sort of mind numbingly repetitive...
I think you need to go findsome fanboys, turtle777.

turtle777 · Jan 4, 2005, 04:05 PM

Originally posted by storer:
I think you need to go findsome fanboys, turtle777.

Hey, I just found the first one

-t

storer · Jan 4, 2005, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by turtle777:
Hey, I just found the first one
-t

You wish.

tavilach · Jan 4, 2005, 07:05 PM

I have one! I have one!

A term for laughing at something on your computer screen, when no one is around!

Example: Harry, will you stop your pixelolling and come downstairs? Why must you pixelol so much?

Online Example: That was hilarious! PIXELOL!

Wee!

scaught · Jan 4, 2005, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by cjrivera:
Has anyone looked into when the term, "Lockinated" was used?

lockinated is just an adaption of a popular strongbad email about a dragon named trogdor. in it, the phrase "burninating the countryside" is used and became quite popular, especially with Demonhood, who adapted it into his style for thread locking.

this is the email in question: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html