well, i think the next question to ask would be which age group is more likely to talk in trade... or better yet, which age group is more likely to troll in trade. my view is that even though the average age is around 30, these players are generally more respectful in trade chat. i could be very wrong, but this is my hope, and it would allow you to maintain the target of your blame.

@phephe
The people who are tools in trade chat and cry on the forums are a vocal minority. The average age of a wow player may be 30, but the demographics of that vocal minority subset of the wow playing population will probably be quite different.

Age is irrelevant.

The people who troll trade chat and are generally vulgar are likely evenly dispersed among all age groups; it's a maturity thing, and maturity is not linked to age inherently. Every age group will have its immature members, and of those immature members, some are going to be vocal.

People just like using "12 year olds" because it's catchier and more stereotypical than "immature people of any age group".

It's an effect called 'vocal minority'...

Five bad 11 year olds out of the 5000 people on your server is extremely noticeable due to the bullhorn that is the trade channel. Trade chat unfairly allows a couple people to monopolize intellectual bandwidth, mostly because the signal to noise in the channel on most servers is so low to begin with. This of course makes the remaining 4995 'normal folks' on the server essentially invisible because they either don't say anything in trade, or have it turned off.

If you can get even 20 people in a channel to discuss something intellectual, the 'bads' will go elsewhere due to the decreased volume they have.

This is how it works on Wyrmrest Accord most of the time, at least on the red team - our trade chat is typically something like a discussion of the socio-political pressures Garrosh is under or the implications of the battle for Gilneas as seen by the general Forsaken population. Occasionally we'll get an influx of new players who want to do the rectal linking thing, but they tend to get drowned out pretty quick and life resumes as normal.

@Rihahn You make me want to join your server.

Iiridan: Age is most definitely NOT irrelevant. It's true that trolls can be of any age, but the distribution is definitely skewed to the younger players. Alot of people my age don't even "get" trolling. It doesn't bother me in the slightest as I have much more important things in my life to worry about, and if you want to look like a tool go ahead and have fun...I just don't understand the appeal at all.

If you want an analogy, trolling is like driving. I experience bad drivers every day coming from all ages and backgrounds, but there is a definite reason why 16 year old males pay a hell of alot more for insurance than I do.

If I were to guess, I'd say most of the trade trolls on my server were late teens to late twenties. They're immature attention seekers sure, but that doesn't actually imply any particular age.

Heh, this is the first time commenting on a wow post. I'm fairly close in age to the average wow player based on this survey. But here's my thing about Trade chat and people telling jokes/acting like kids. I work in the steel industry and it's fairly demanding physical work. When i get home, i like to unwind by hopping on wow and having fun (sometimes being flat-out goofy). In the guild that i'm currently in, i guess i would be seen as a jokester, but that's the cool thing about wow, you can be anyone, a jackhat in trade chat, or just someone that likes to joke around and unwind after work.
As to the trolling, it's lost on me as to the entertainment value, but oh well, different strokes for different folks i guess....