Black Hat Trolling, White Hat Trolling, and Hacking the Attention Landscape

Jeanna Matthews, Matt Goerzen

Abstract: In this paper, we analogize the practice of trolling to the practice of hacking. Just as hacking often involves the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities in a computer security landscape, trolling frequently involves the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities in a media or attention landscape to amplify messages and direct attention. Also like with hacking, we consider the possibility for a range of trolling personas: from black hat trolls who push an agenda that is clearly counter to the interests of the target, to gray hat trolls who exploit vulnerabilities to draw critical attention to unaddressed issues, and white hat trolls who could help proactively disclose vulnerabilities so that attack surface can be reduced. We discuss a variety of trolling techniques from dogpiling to sockpuppetry and also a range of possible interventions.