Ask HN: What’s the origin of the phrase “Don’t feed the trolls?”
3 comments
I know this from Usenet days. It's difficult to search early archives these days, though this 2005 verion of the net.abuse FAQ contains a reference. If you can trace that document back earlier you'll likely get closer to the source.
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq/troll-faq/
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq/troll-faq/
That's where I always thought it came from.
That was my thought too - on the origin of troll imagery, but not "don't feed" (or at least it's not explicit in the story which is more 'my brother is bigger' as I recall)
Howso?
I always assumed it was inspired by the warning signs posted at national parks, "Don't feed the bears."
From what I can tell, it seems to come from an Oscar Wilde quote. But I’m curious about where and how it was first applied to online discourse?