To ask how to spot a troll thread

[Teacakeandalatte]

I'm sick of wasting my time on threads that get zapped, how do I spot them? I know about the poo troll and the toilets in schools one, but give me some tips on advanced troll spotting.

I was intrigued by the trolls who appeared when the internet first became available to everyone - Kaycee Nicole, Emma Bowyer, Emily Dirr, Dave on Wheels, to name but four. But this was when search engines weren't as sophisticated, and I guess people were less suspicious about the amount of illness and tragedy one person could endure within a short time frame.

I often wonder if the people behind those characters are still around, posting their fabricated tales of doom, for online attention? Or whether the fact that they were all eventually exposed as hoaxers scared them off?