The phrase “Don't feed the trolls” originates from early internet culture, particularly from online forums, newsgroups, and chatrooms. It became a common piece of advice to handle disruptive or provocative users known as “trolls.”
The term “troll” itself comes from fishing, where “trolling” refers to dragging bait through water to attract fish.
Nowadays, trolling is broadly defined as “a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.”1
The phrase “Don't feed the trolls” likely appeared in the late 1990s or early 2000s, during the rise of internet forums and social media. It was popularized on platforms like Usenet, early IRC (Internet Relay Chat), and eventually spread across modern platforms like Reddit and Twitter.
The main idea behind this kind of response to trolling is that if you don't respond to provocative, offensive, or intentionally disruptive comments, the troll will disappear.
Here's the thing: The real disruption in any discussion isn't caused by responses to trolls, but by the troll themselves who is attempting to derail the conversation from the very beginning.
The second you treat them as an inescapable part of your community, you’ve given them permission.
What really would solve your problems is easy: a one-strike policy. Complete zero tolerance.
This will help keep you peace of mind and your community focused on the topics of interest.