[Schwarzd354]

I have to agree with Clickme on this issue. Debate is one thing, and is publicly recognized as requiring skill. However, from what I've seen of trolls, they don't debate. They attack someone's position, then claim they themselves are beyond reproach. I have yet to see a troll take responsibility for the impact of their behavior. Trolling is not an art form. If you have proof to the contrary, please show me. But from what I have seen, trolling is childish, petty grandstanding. And that's a polite definition.

If I were to view a thread wherein two posters tossed their opinions back and forth, along with evidence and supporting arguments, I would call that debating. But I'm not seeing a lot of that. Instead I'm viewing posts that have random and uncalled for posts that blatantly confront, dismiss or outright insult someone else's point of view. Then, when that post is argued against, the poster responds by stating that they were within their right to say such things. And that their behavior is justified. Yet they give no reason for this other than that "You people need to not get upset over nothing." I go back to my starting post here, even if that first confrontational comment was meant to be facetious, that is difficult if not impossible to convey through text.

Two side notes. First, Taruby pointed out to me what lurkers are, so strike the usage of lurker from my starting post. Second, TrumanGrace, I was being polite with my description of fanfiction.net. It hasn't changed much from what you wrote.