Flaming

Flaming is the act of posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting, usually on Internet discussion boards such as Usenet, mailing lists, or Internet forums. The term flaming is also sometimes used for long, intensive, and heated discussions, even when insults do not occur.

Occasionally, flamers set out to upset and offend other members of the forum, in which case they are referred to as “trolls.” Most often, however, flames are angry or insulting messages sent by people who have strong feelings about a subject.

Flaming can sometimes escalate into a flame war, a series of flaming messages in a discussion board. The fact that Internet discussions do not take place face-to-face is considered a contributing factor to flame wars. Participants are more likely to be confrontational since they feel protected by the anonymity of the Internet. There is also no way to read body language or inflections in tone, so the intent of messages can sometimes be misinterpreted.