Trolls 101 refresher

[Shy Tall Guy]

Dear Lit. Members,

It apparently is time that everybody take a refresher course on trolls - so here goes:

For the most part trolls just want your attention and for the most part they don't care how they get it. The really cowardly ones refuse to register, or to use their registered nickname, then insult some member of the board. Responding to their posts and threads gives them the attention they crave.

The best and only proven way of successfully dealing with trolls is to ignore them as if they did not exist.

So please people - do not feed the trolls!

Ignore them and they will go away.



The above post does not apply to those who post as Unregistered to ask valid questions they would otherwise feel uncomfortable posting under their registered name.

Valid anonymous questions/posts do not include flaming or insulting, but rather posts such as the young lady who had questions about her attraction to other women. Personally I think she could have posted using a nickname, but that was her choice and she obviously wasn't a troll.

 

[Jacqline]

I agree.......some people live for conflict and making others upset..........I guess they figure that kind of attention is better than no attention at all.......

Maybe there should be boards that are just for anonamous people's posts and they can bash each other all they want.........I don't feel that they should be allowed to flame without being registered.

People can agree to disagree without being petty and childish......grow up!

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Maybe there should be boards that are just for anonamous people's posts and they can bash each other all they want.........

They wouldn't go there; they don't want each other's attention - they want the attention of non-trolls. They get a kick out of bothering non-trolls. This is why the best remedy is to ignore them regardless of what they say or how they go about it.

I don't feel that they should be allowed to flame without being registered.

There are only two ways that could happen on a BB:

1) Moderate each and every post/thread such that it needed to be approved by a moderator before it was posted. That is nto going to happen as it would just take too much time and effort. Moreover, the owners of Lit. avoid censorship as much as possible and they are to be lauded for that.

2) Require people to register to post. This works elsewhere, but here people need anonymity and some very valid threads and posts would not get posted without that feeling of anonymity.

Given that neither way is what we want here, the best rememdy is for us to police ourselves by refraining from replying to trolls. I know it is hard, and I sometimes break that rule myself, but we have to apply a little self-discipline - hence this thread.

People can agree to disagree without being petty and childish......grow up!

With a troll it is usually not about disagreement; it is usually about getting attention. It is unfortunate, but a good number of these trolls are otherwise respected and registered Lit. members. I don't know why they feel they need to play the troll, but they do.

 

[Caria Knight]

Maybe there should be boards that are just for anonamous people's posts and they can bash each other all they want.........I don't feel that they should be allowed to flame without being registered.

That would be pretty funny! I can see it now...


"Hey Unregistered I hate the way you
blah blah blah and it's not nice to call Unregistered a &@#$."

"No, I wasn't talking to you Unregistered I was talking to that &@#$ UNREGISTERED"

"Screw you Unregistered, I was trying to stand up for you you little &@#$"

"&@#$ you all, your just a bunch of &@#$ &@#$ &@#$ &@#$. Especially you Unregistered"

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

*bump* to get rid of "Unregistered's" threads

 

[Caria Knight]

Since I'm new here, I don't know if this happens a lot where a troll goes hog wild. I've seen one or two here and there but not like this before and I must say it's very discouraging for a newbie. I mean if your not hooked on a site yet and you log on to see a bunch of immature idiotic threads, what's one to think?

 

[Harbinger]

STG, thanks for posting this. I have wondered myself about why people do this, and you might think I'm one of the people that feed them. I don't think that simply getting attention is always the motive. I'm referring to that breed that we see from time to time that seems to be motivated by pure malice. The desire to strike out at a person they are clearly familiar with and wound them in the most viscous way they can seems to be their only purpose. I may poke fun at them and mock them in order to make light of what they say. I am utterly serious when I say that they are repellent, debased human beings that reveal crippled, ugly spirits. I can only imagine what kind of lives they must lead.

There have always been trolls here. That probably won't change. I just don't know how I can see any person attacked so hurtfully, and say nothing in support.

Sorry if we disagree.

 

[Weird Harold]

There have always been trolls here. That probably won't change. I just don't know how I can see any person attacked so hurtfully, and say nothing in support.

Sorry if we disagree.

This is probably the most difficult part of shunning trolls -- not defending someone who has been attacked.

Still, it is usually possible to support the person attacked without acknowledging the trolls comments. In the case of a thread that is started to attack someone, especially one that has a slanderous title, which is preferable:

Express your outrage and rise to the person's defense, thereby repeatedly forcing the thread back to the top of page one so the person can't let the attack fade away?

or

Throw marshmallows at your monitor until the rage passes away so you can let the thread fall unacknowledged into the depths of the pit of lost threads?

 

[Rubyfruit]

Speaking from experience, it is nice to get supportive PMs from friends when I have been viciously trolled. That way, the troll doesn't get public validation, and the person trolled gets reminded that they are a valuable part of the community.

 

[Harbinger]

or

after throwing all your marshmallows (don't use roasted ones, they stick) start a new thread of support?

Still, I would think that if a person got horribly trolled from time to time, and no one ever stepped up for them, would they wonder if that was the consensus of the board, or that no one cared? For example:


newbie123: I agree with you on that, I have felt the same way.

unregistered: why don't you ever shut up? do you think anybody here cares about you or your stupid comments? we're all laughing behind youre back, wondering when youl finally wise up and leave, you stupid fuck!!

(deafening silence)

newbie123: fine then, I'm leaving.



I don't know, Harold, I still think I like my way better. But at least we can agree on not liking trolls. And I'll avoid bumping their threads, OK?

 

[Weird Harold]

or

after throwing all your marshmallows (don't use roasted ones, they stick) start a new thread of support?

Better than acknowledging the troll's existance for sure.

newbie123: I agree with you on that, I have felt the same way.

unregistered: why don't you ever shut up? do you think anybody here cares about you or your stupid comments? we're all laughing behind youre back, wondering when youl finally wise up and leave, you stupid fuck!!

(deafening silence)

newbie123: fine then, I'm leaving.

In place of (deafening silence), a post quoting newbie123 saying, "I think most of us have felt that way at one time or another. Isn't it good to find out you're not alone?" would neatly sidestep the trollish comment while validating newbie123's opinion as being worthwhile.

Shunning is a simple concept but very difficult to implement. It requires the participation of the entire community, it requires some thought to master the art of putting someone down without acknowledging them, and it requires control of emotions that many just are incapable of managing.

Still, in nearly 15 years of participation in online communities, it's the only effective means of dealing with trolls, troublemakers, and twits that I've ever seen. (Even rigorous moderation and censorship of forums doesn't stop them completely and like the security vs freedom poll, it results in stale and conformist forums with little free exchange of ideas.)

Trolls are a managable problem IF the whole community wants them controlled. The "Twit Filter" (AKA ignore list) can help to some extent if people will use it. However, only the whole community working together can control unregistered posters. If we can make Lit a place that isn't a bountiful feeding ground for trolls, then the few we do get will move on to greener pastures fairly quickly.

 

[morninggirl5]

I haven't been the target of a vicious troll, but I believe that pm's would help the victim or starting a NEW thread in support is far better than feeding the troll and keeping his/her viciousness on the front page.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Sorry if we disagree.

Don't be sorry, despite some people who seem to like trolls and keep bumping their threads (and are maybe the trolls themselves - who knows?), I don't take it personally when people disagree with me. I just hate to see someone taking it out on the rest of the board in a childish attempt to call attention to themselves as much as the troll does (hint, hint - maybe they are the troll?).

But back to the subject; I have to agree with WH and Ruby. The best way is to ignore the troll, and that includes not making posts about bumping campaigns (as I did) and maybe not even bumping (sometimes it works, but the troll can bump back, and did this time).

I broke my own rule and got a little frustrated with someone I thought was trying to be a good board member, and asked them nicely to desist. That was my mistake - I didn't realize that they were doing this to spite me - probably because they didn't like what I had said in another thread. That is what I get for assuming people are inherently good and for not being backing down from what I said.

As for ignoring insults/trolls; it works best if everybody ignores the insults. Believe me, nothing is more disheartening to a troll to see his/her thread roll off that first page with zero replies - even better, with zero views. That is why some trolls bump their own threads - to get them back to the first page.

I try to never open any thread that is an obvious troll for that reason. This used to be pretty much how everybody acted here, hence this thread.

 

[Bindii]

Da, da, da, *bump*

Gotta keep this one at the top!

 

[patient1]

That would be pretty funny! I can see it now...


"Hey Unregistered I hate the way you
blah blah blah and it's not nice to call Unregistered a &@#$."

"No, I wasn't talking to you Unregistered I was talking to that &@#$ UNREGISTERED"

"Screw you Unregistered, I was trying to stand up for you you little &@#$"

"&@#$ you all, your just a bunch of &@#$ &@#$ &@#$ &@#$. Especially you Unregistered"

Laughing
My
Ass
Off

 

[kiwiwolf]

*bump* to get rid of unregistered

Good thread by the way STG.

 

[patient1]

BUMP

^^

)i(

 

[patient1]

BUMP


( o )

 

[patient1]

BUMP


( l )

 

[Silverlily]

Here we go again...

bump

 

[Guest]

nessus is a cruel dyke bitch

 

[Lost Cause]

I agree! Unless someone is registered officially with the Lit, they should be restricted on posting threads/replies. Trolls are as much fun as telemarketers calling in the middle of a bowel movement.

 

[Harbinger]

Shy Tall Guy, Weird Harold

Okay, I think you have me convinced. This is going to be hard for me, but I will admit that squashing trolls is a nasty, filthy habit, and one I should give up. Plus, it makes my feet smell bad.

The guidelines as I understand them are:

Never bump a troll's thread.

Never directly acknowledge a troll's existence.

If you want to show support for a trolled member do it either with a positive supportive statement in the thread, without reference to the troll, or through PMs.

Politely request others to do the same.


In order for this to be effective there needs to be a general agreement, as you said, as well as a way to let new people know about it. Can we reach for a general agreement? Somebody else will have to do it, I don't have nearly enough posts to qualify for the position.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Shy Tall Guy, Weird Harold

In order for this to be effective there needs to be a general agreement, as you said, as well as a way to let new people know about it. Can we reach for a general agreement? Somebody else will have to do it, I don't have nearly enough posts to qualify for the position.

I don't think that a voice of reason needs any particular number of posts to be heard. You've been "respectable" since you started posting and were never a "newbie."


In this case, I think I'll just bump your words to the top and let a new voice of reason speak what old heads like me haven't managed to get through to everyone yet.

 

[J.B.]

So please people - do not feed the trolls!

Ignore them and they will go away.

Good sugestion.... we should make a sign...