Five Ways to Deal with Internet Trolls
I had got the vid (which I will post later in the post) from a friend on Facebook. The vid lead to me getting these tips from this link. I hope some of this can help you if you're having problems with trolls or cyber bullying in general.
From here:
"What are the best ways of dealing with an Internet troll? Here are five ways we can think of; you may have more! If so, please leave a comment below. (Be aware that you may have to step over a few trolls in the process, as even talking about trolls draws them in like moths to a flame. Alas, they are resistant to fire, as you’ll remember.)
1. Ignore Them
Just as dear old Mom would say to you when you complained about bullies in school, “Just ignore them and they’ll go away.” Honestly, this is the most effective policy for dealing with pretty much any instance of trolling that goes on over the Internet, whether it’s through forums, blog comments, YouTube comments, IRC, Barrens chat… anywhere. But is it the most fun? After all, if the poor troll has gone through the trouble of setting the bait, isn’t it kind of a waste if you don’t at least bat the bait around a little? If you just don’t have time to play with the troll, though, you can just click the big “x” in the upper-right hand corner of your screen to leave the page or application that makes the bait visible at all. Then go do something more constructive. Simple!
2. Kill Them with Kindness
Rather than displaying anger, feigning agreement (while not inadvertently trolling others who have been unwittingly suckered into taking the troll’s bait) can be disarming to the troll. You’re giving them a response they’re not expecting. You’re taking control of the situation. Most important: You’re amusing yourself and possibly others in the process.
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: LOL, indeed! But dude, “hobo” is not the preferred nomenclature. Boxcar-American, please.
3. Present Non Sequiturs into the Discussion
This is almost like ignoring the troll’s bait, because you’re not directly responding to it or fueling any resulting comments that are kindling a flame war in the making. “Non sequitur” comes from the Latin phrase for “does not follow.”
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: I like butterscotch pudding.
See? It takes almost no effort and doesn’t require your brain to redirect too much power from doing more important things (a lot like the troll’s bait, when you look at it that way).
4. Comfort Them
Trolls often lash out because they, themselves, are insecure or easily provoked, and they’re just trying to demonstrate that they can exert a semblance of control over a situation - even one as relatively minor as a forum thread. Giving them exactly what they want - an upset community - just proves to them that their methods are sound. But sometimes you’ll find something in a troll’s bait that has a kernel of real conversation all bundled up inside of it. If you can find such a kernel and nurture it, sometimes it’s possible to turn the troll’s initially poor attitude into a genuine discussion. Note: It’s not something to count on. But you never know…
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: Actually, my mother traveled the rails with Woody Guthrie back in the ’30s. Did you know that he wrote a song about her?
Troll: I DID NOT KNOW THAT! THAT IS FASCINATING! TELL ME MORE!
5. Report Them.
Yeah, I know, I know. This is probably the weakest and least respected way of dealing with an Internet troll. But sometimes things have gone too far and a troll-instigated flame war has gotten out of hand in such a way that it’s harming a whole community. Reporting them is a last-ditch effort to preserve (or regain) the peace. It’s the nuclear solution. If it’s gotten this far, you might want to refresh the overall community’s memory that the first bit of advice from above (ignore them) is almost always the best, pre-emptive way of snuffing out a troll’s negative influence over that community.
Here's the vid
From here:
"What are the best ways of dealing with an Internet troll? Here are five ways we can think of; you may have more! If so, please leave a comment below. (Be aware that you may have to step over a few trolls in the process, as even talking about trolls draws them in like moths to a flame. Alas, they are resistant to fire, as you’ll remember.)
1. Ignore Them
Just as dear old Mom would say to you when you complained about bullies in school, “Just ignore them and they’ll go away.” Honestly, this is the most effective policy for dealing with pretty much any instance of trolling that goes on over the Internet, whether it’s through forums, blog comments, YouTube comments, IRC, Barrens chat… anywhere. But is it the most fun? After all, if the poor troll has gone through the trouble of setting the bait, isn’t it kind of a waste if you don’t at least bat the bait around a little? If you just don’t have time to play with the troll, though, you can just click the big “x” in the upper-right hand corner of your screen to leave the page or application that makes the bait visible at all. Then go do something more constructive. Simple!
2. Kill Them with Kindness
Rather than displaying anger, feigning agreement (while not inadvertently trolling others who have been unwittingly suckered into taking the troll’s bait) can be disarming to the troll. You’re giving them a response they’re not expecting. You’re taking control of the situation. Most important: You’re amusing yourself and possibly others in the process.
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: LOL, indeed! But dude, “hobo” is not the preferred nomenclature. Boxcar-American, please.
3. Present Non Sequiturs into the Discussion
This is almost like ignoring the troll’s bait, because you’re not directly responding to it or fueling any resulting comments that are kindling a flame war in the making. “Non sequitur” comes from the Latin phrase for “does not follow.”
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: I like butterscotch pudding.
See? It takes almost no effort and doesn’t require your brain to redirect too much power from doing more important things (a lot like the troll’s bait, when you look at it that way).
4. Comfort Them
Trolls often lash out because they, themselves, are insecure or easily provoked, and they’re just trying to demonstrate that they can exert a semblance of control over a situation - even one as relatively minor as a forum thread. Giving them exactly what they want - an upset community - just proves to them that their methods are sound. But sometimes you’ll find something in a troll’s bait that has a kernel of real conversation all bundled up inside of it. If you can find such a kernel and nurture it, sometimes it’s possible to turn the troll’s initially poor attitude into a genuine discussion. Note: It’s not something to count on. But you never know…
Here’s an example.
Troll: UR DUM AND UR MOM IS A HOBO LOL!!!!!!!
You: Actually, my mother traveled the rails with Woody Guthrie back in the ’30s. Did you know that he wrote a song about her?
Troll: I DID NOT KNOW THAT! THAT IS FASCINATING! TELL ME MORE!
5. Report Them.
Yeah, I know, I know. This is probably the weakest and least respected way of dealing with an Internet troll. But sometimes things have gone too far and a troll-instigated flame war has gotten out of hand in such a way that it’s harming a whole community. Reporting them is a last-ditch effort to preserve (or regain) the peace. It’s the nuclear solution. If it’s gotten this far, you might want to refresh the overall community’s memory that the first bit of advice from above (ignore them) is almost always the best, pre-emptive way of snuffing out a troll’s negative influence over that community.
Here's the vid