From: robert.mcclenon@verizon.net 
  
 On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 15:46:42 GMT, "Arthur L. Rubin" 
  wrote: 
  
 >Robert McClenon wrote: 
 > 
 >> We need a hobbit hero at this point, either Pippin Took to slay the 
 >> troll with the sword or Bilbo Baggins to trick trolls into arguing 
 >> until the sun rises and they turn to stone.  Whether the latter will 
 >> work depends on which of the two races of trolls they belong to. 
 > 
 >In the interest of accuracy, it was Gandalf who tricked the 
 >trolls into arguing until the sun rose, although Bilbo took 
 >the credit. 
 > 
 >I would have voted for Billy Goat Gruff (sp?).  Perhaps our 
 >Satanist "friends" (the enemy of my enemy, etc.) might draw 
 >enough trolls out from under the bridge so that ... 
 > 
 >These analogies are being strained to the breaking point. 
 >Sorry about that. 
  
 I think that your point is correct that we are dealing with a 
 bridge-troll rather than a hill-troll.  A bridge-troll is an ugly, 
 stupid creature who lurks in a dark place, such as under a bridge, and 
 harasses travelers on the highway.  An Internet troll similarly lurks 
 in dark places and harasses travelers on the information highway.  The 
 issue is one of a fantasy of ownership of the bridge.  The troll has 
 claimed the bridge as his own place to harass travelers.  The troll is 
 now resorting to behavior worse than ordinary trolling, such as 
 threats to turn vultures loose on the travelers, because there is a 
 proposal to build additional bridges.  The troll does not like that 
 idea.  In the long run, the best way to reduce the influence of the 
 troll is to build additional bridges.  Vote YES.  In the short run, we 
 need to figure out how to keep the troll from intidimating people, or 
 to find a hero, whether hobbit, human, or goat, to slay the troll. 
  
      - -     Bob McClenon 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)