When you blog, Facebook or tweet you open yourself up to a vast network of potential contacts, new friends or maybe even romance. But be careful not to have too much success, too much happiness and too much uncommon sense and you might as well put a sign on your backside that says, “Kick me.” And boy, they do. They spew the most horrid and vile word vomit, cloaked behind the glass shield of the computer screen. These are the Trolls, from the land of Trollpania, and they walk amongst us, cowards that they are, because what the write online they would be too yellow-spined to say to your face.

Khadija Nassif, founder of the ground-breaking Black Women’s Empowerment blog, Sojourner’s Passport, called these folks internet Ike Turners, if they’re men and “Ikettes” if they’re women. These trollpanians/Ikes/Ikettes feed off of throwing salt, extinguishing any hopes and dreams you have, poo-pooing on your success and want you to be as miserable as they are.

Here’s a few reasons why trollpanians like to sling e-turds online.

Control and Fear

It seems silly to try to control someone you don’t know with no skin in the game, yet they try. And try. And try. Perhaps you stand for a cause that threatens them and upsets their entire worldview. Could you imagine if the internet was around when Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Earth was round, and then blogged about it? Just picture all those Flat Earth people hurling f-bombs and threatening to burn ole’ Ferdi at the stake. Some people would rather seek to destroy what they fear rather than expend the brain cells necessary to think critically. Flat Earth folks would rather Google and cut and paste something–ANYTHING–that supports their point of view, no matter how wrong it is.

Envy and Jealousy

I see a lot of this on You Tube, when some happy couple publicly announces an engagement, eager and giddy to share their happiness with the world. They’ll be absolutely no reason to “dislike” a couple with plans to pledge their lives to one another, so why do I keep seeing “thumb’s down” on videos as tame as Bambi in a field full of flowers?

“It’s jealousy. These people think they are entitled to have what you have,” says psychologist, relationships expert and author, Dr. Gilda Carle. “They are mad at themselves because they have not succeeded as much as they would like,” and hate to see you doing what they aren’t doing.

Perhaps if the trollpanians spent a bit more time on their personal development and less time tearing others down, they might be able to celebrate the good fortune of others. Could we all be so lucky?

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A black woman in Flint, MI, is not taking her home robbery lightly. The woman, who appears to be personally offended by the home invasion, spray painted the words, “This house is a reflection of ignorant n***as,” on a piece of plywood on her porch in an attempt to send a message to the community.

The woman, who has two children in college, told ABC News she intended to use the house to help the homeless. Instead, thieves took it upon themselves to vandalize her home by ripping out the windows so they could get scrap metal.

“They’re hustling out here,” said. “It’s a domino effect and yet we sit back and do nothing in the community.”

Some neighbors empathize with the woman. “I can understand just how frustrated the lady is. Somebody stole my pipes out of this house before I got here,” said neighbor Ladale Woods.

Others felt her frustration was misguided. “It’s ignorant of anyone to write that,” Martin Beard, a resident on the block, told Mlive.com.

The local NAACP Chapter President Frances Gilcreast agreed, saying the sign was a greater display of ignorance than the robbery.

“That’s a word that has long been offensive. I’m just appalled that in 2011 these things continue to happen.”

While the woman eventually spray painted over the n-word because people were offended by it, she takes the media attention as proof that her actions were successful.

“Evidently I got my message across because you guys are here,” she told ABC. “Well done. I did what I was supposed to do.”

And for people who believe her actions were ignorant, she said she disagrees. “I know who I am. I know where I’m going so the word does not define me. Not at all.”

You can view a video of the live report here. What do you think about this woman’s actions? Do you agree that she proved a point with her sign? Or did her actions send the wrong message?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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