The Compleat Troller

"John C. Dvorak is one of the most interesting, informative and entertaining journalists in the history of the computer business. He is also something of a troll." So said Doc Searls yesterday in a post at the IT Garage. Dvorak, thought by many to be merely outré and clueless and by others to be pop computing’s gadfly, had taken off on creative commons, a topic that many treat with religious respect.

Dvorak tilts only with the largest windmills and I am not in his league. I won’t argue with what he says about the religion of the commons or it’s high priest, the estimable Lessig of Stanford. When Dvorak came out against Apple’s mouse I didn’t utter a peep, and I only mumbled protestations when he debunked blogging as a passing fad of interest only to the terminally introspective. Dvorak is sometimes a fun read because of his contrarian posture of indifference to what’s trendy, his resilience in the face of criticism, and his willingness to make an ass of himself day-in and day-out for a writer’s wages and an insider’s reputation. I would never argue with John Dvorak.

The word "troll" is both a noun and a verb. Used as a noun, one pictures a fearsome creature beneath a bridge with perhaps some billy goats above seeking passage across. When used as a verb, "troll" evokes images of slow moving boats on placid waters, waiting for a big fish to strike at the bait. To say or even imply that Dvorak is a troll goes too far I think. No, I think it’s fair to say that Dvorak the journalist trolls like a professional fisherman trolls, and when Doc rises up to comment… well he’s the catch of the day!