Troll Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. What does the advice “don't feed the trolls” generally mean?
Never respond to criticism online, regardless of context
Give provocative users factual information until they apologize
Remove every humorous or sarcastic comment from a discussion
Avoid rewarding deliberate provocation with the attention it seeks
2. A private group directs hundreds of members to flood a particular user's post with hostile replies at the same time. What is this coordinated behavior called?
Brigading
Organic reach
Thread hijacking
Cross-posting
3. During a discussion, someone repeatedly demands increasingly minor evidence, ignores answers already provided, and insists they are “just asking polite questions.” What tactic may this represent?
Doxxing
Sealioning
Subtweeting
Content moderation
4. An account posts a deliberately outrageous claim with a sensational headline, then celebrates thousands of angry quote-posts. Which tactic best fits?
Fact-checking
Rage bait
Content curation
Social listening
5. A user calmly challenges a popular claim, cites evidence, and responds to counterarguments in good faith. What is the best assessment?
It is trolling because the opinion is unpopular
It is more likely sincere disagreement than trolling
It is brigading because several people reply
It is rage bait because the discussion attracts attention
6. You see one sarcastic comment from an unfamiliar account. What is the most accurate conclusion?
The account cannot be trolling unless it uses a false name
Sarcasm proves that the account is a troll
Any comment that causes offense is necessarily trolling
One comment is usually insufficient to establish trolling intent; context and patterns matter
7. An online user sends a specific, credible threat of immediate violence. What should take priority over debating whether the sender is “just trolling”?
Creating a public poll about whether the threat seems sincere
Replying with humor to reduce the sender's engagement
Waiting for the account to post the same threat three times
Preserving the evidence and seeking urgent help from the platform and appropriate local emergency authorities
8. Why can angry replies unintentionally increase the visibility of a provocative post on some platforms?
Engagement signals may cause recommendation systems to distribute the post more widely
Platforms automatically verify every account that receives criticism
Replying transfers ownership of the original post to the commenter
Negative reactions permanently remove content warnings
9. During an argument, someone publishes another participant's home address without permission to intimidate them. What term most specifically describes this act?
Flaming
Doxxing
Sealioning
Thread bumping
10. A stranger repeatedly posts personal insults under your photos despite being asked to stop. Which response most directly uses standard platform tools without extending the argument?
Document the behavior, then mute or block and report it as appropriate
Insult the person back, then ask followers to join in
Publish the person's private details so others can identify them
Keep replying until the person admits they were trolling
11. Which description most accurately defines internet trolling?
Posting primarily to provoke, disrupt, or draw people into unproductive reactions
Expressing an unpopular opinion in a direct but sincere way
Using automated software to publish scheduled posts
Correcting inaccurate information during an online discussion
12. A commenter claims to support a community but repeatedly offers exaggerated “concerns” designed to discourage its goals. Which label best describes this tactic?
Satirical posting
Accidental misinformation
Impersonation for fraud
Concern trolling
13. One person creates a second account and uses it to praise their own arguments and pretend that others agree. What is the second account commonly called?
A lurker account
A verified account
A sockpuppet account
A moderation account
14. Which pattern provides the strongest evidence that an account may be trolling rather than simply communicating badly?
It makes occasional spelling errors and posts at irregular times
It disagrees with popular opinions and uses a pseudonym
It repeatedly provokes users, shifts claims when challenged, ignores sincere answers, and targets new discussions for similar reactions
It shares jokes, serious comments, and links on several different subjects
15. A moderator is deciding whether a sharp critical comment is trolling. Which evidence is most useful?
Whether the moderator personally agrees with the comment
Whether the comment received more likes than the original post
The comment's context, pattern of behavior, rule violations, and response to good-faith engagement
Whether the commenter has a profile picture and biography
16. Which statement best distinguishes a troll from a social-media bot?
Trolls always use real names, while bots always use invented names
Bots post only advertisements, while trolls post only political content
Trolling describes disruptive behavior or intent, while a bot is defined by automation
There is no meaningful distinction between the two terms