I don't think that's the only reason they do it myself. After years of being around and/or experiencing trolls myself. In many situations it's to be funny, seek attention, and/or keep getting fed like it's some big internet buffet of stupidity (most likely in the realm of being funny or joking). Most of them are more or so harmless to me unless stupidity kills. It can cause headaches though. This is the first thing I think of (image below) or one of them at least (top 3) of when running a website myself if there's going to be any user discussion and/or discussion (I avoid this 100% now myself for the most part) with other people on my site as well as other websites that I don't own that I use. https://catholicdialogue.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dftt.jpg Don't feed the trolls - they will lure you in (throw the bait out or keep throwing the bait out) and/or absorb you into their stupidity if that's their game. If they are seeking attention and you keep talking to them or feeding them at that point you just keep giving them a reason to keep on going or coming back. "Hard cuts" (cut them off completely basically) is something I developed myself. No contact even if they try to follow me or try to talk to me. Even one time could give them a reason (this usually never happens or to me at least. That would be someone who has a serious stalking issue to me personally). It's almost like enabling a drug addict in some strange way by giving them their drug of choice or money to buy their drug of choice. If you feed them, talk to them, and/or give them something they will come back as you are enabling the troll. Most people aren't like this though and it's rare to me personally. ----- I don't see how it undermines credibility and such (most people can see if it's a real issue or a fake one most of the time). Websites with many users if not millions of users have a wide variety of people and this happens no matter what to me personally.