Source: madcowstudios.com
Based on the way a certain twitter pal gracefully handled a heckler yesterday, I started thinking about combating internet trolls. What really is the best tact to take? Now, being the supreme geek that I am, I believe I am qualified to answer such a question. My qualification? I was a Super Mod, overseeing over 10,000 18-54 year old males on an internet forum. Yeah, you have to have done it to understand completely but that’s like being an internet combat medic (big up to all my Corpsmen out there!), foreign diplomat AND janitor all rolled into one. So, which tact do we take? My answer… fight them like we do in Aikido or HapKiDo: Use their own weight against them. Aaaaaand since, in most cases, they really carry little or no weight… DO NOTHING! Don’t acknowledge them. Don’t post back, tweet back, update back, email back, Formspring back! Period. When you address them back, in anger, by name, THEY WIN. And when trolls win, hobbits die. You don’t want hobbits dying do you? Nestled all cozy, there in the Shire drinking flagons of mead. Dammit! Save a hobbit. Dont. Feed. The. TROLLS (or the Uru-kai). Return their hatred with indifference… or a joke if you must. But, only if it’s a good one.
Side note: Much like kittens, feeding trolls causes them to return to your doorstep. Yet another awe-tastic reason not to feed the trolls.
Your turn. How do you deal with internet trolls?
Great post, one of my fave topics at tampabay.com. So true what you say about their winning when you respond. Their mission is to rile you — and others — up enough to respond to them. I do prefer to just skip right over them and focus on real people:)
“And when trolls win, hobbits die.” — that’s too damn funny!
I have insufficient juice to even warrant a troll’s time, should my stock price warrant a hostile takeover however, I’ll play nice or decide to hunt them down and turn them into roadkill. Only time will tell.
Thank you Senor Chopper for your comment! Thank you even more so for ensuring the health and well being of the next generation of hobbits by making sure that no troll will win. 🙂
I do so love random thoughts, but that is because for years it has served as a moniker. Anyhoo, that is not the point.
The point is that trolls need to be treated like they did in Three Billy Goats Gruff- kick their butts off of the bridge. Sometimes that means ignoring them, but every now and then you need to take a stand and make a statement.
Sometimes that means highlighting one of them in a special post. Done that a few times and it has been relatively effective. I don’t recommend it for most, but every now and then…