An insulting email message sent to an individual as punishment for not adhering to the netiquette. A flame is usually a message that is extremely critical, and often irrational, of someone or something. Sometimes flames are intentionally trying to start a flame war--a series of many messages with people essentially yelling at each other. Such deliberately provocative messages are often called trolls (the same term is used for those who post them). Flame wars are extremely common, and if you've been active on Usenet for any time at all you've probably been involved in one.

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