Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolling 

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In general, popular wisdom advises users to avoid feeding trolls, and to 
ignore temptations to respond. Responding to a troll inevitably drives 
discussion off-topic, to the dismay of bystanders, and supplies the troll 
with the craved attention. When trollhunters pounce on the trolls, 
ignorers reply with: "YHBT. YHL. HAND.", or "You have been trolled. You 
have lost. Have a nice day." However, since trollhunters (like trolls) are 
often conflict-seekers themselves, the loss usually is not on the part of 
the trollhunter; rather, the losers are the other forum-users who would 
have preferred that the conflict does not emerge at all.

Literature on conflict resolution suggests that labeling participants in 
Internet discussions as "trolls" can perpetuate the unwanted behaviors. A 
person rejected by a social group, both online and offline, may assume an 
antagonistic role toward it, and seek to further annoy or anger members of 
the group. The "troll" label, often a sign of social rejection, may 
therefore perpetuate trolling.

Better results normally ensue when users take the moderator role and 
describe more constructive behaviors in a non-judgmental, 
non-confrontational way. Trolls are excited by trollhunters, and 
frustrated by "ignorers", and neither of these emotions produce positive 
results for the forum. Engaging trolls results in "flame wars". Trolls 
frustrated by the "ignore strategy" may leave the forum (and either troll 
elsewhere, or become constructive users) or may become progressively more 
inflammatory until they get a response.

Novice trolls may experience serious "troll's remorse", a feeling of great 
regret after losing their account (whether it be from an Internet service 
provider or from a website) as a consequence of their reckless trolling.

There are those who argue that a lack of response to trolling can also 
inspire trolling, a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" result. 
Particularly fanatical or irrational commentators will respond to a forum 
that irks them largely independent of responses. Trolls also often 
continue to post, taking umbrage with peripheral arguments or arguments 
that were less well-founded, until their positions become untenable, then 
turning either to insults or moving to another topic. By this logic, 
relentless confrontation through argument of trolls (when such argument is 
to be found) can be vital.
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The rest of the article is pretty informative as well. That is, of course, 
if you can take the time to read it.

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