| | Trolls and Spades
I am very much in favor of always calling a spade a spade, most
especially when it comes to important philosophical and life living
issues. The Internet community is an interesting one in this regard, a
great place to study group dynamics where one has the time to actively
analyze conversations, intents, trends, and personality. Because we can
read messages at our leisure, we can take the time to mull things over
and think about them before actually having to reply. This can be quite
useful.
A scourge of the Internet is what is termed 'trolls' or 'trolling' and
it generally refers to a person who for whatever reason, disrupts an
ongoing conversation with totally out of context arguments, insults, or
incredibly self serving whine fests. Often, they simply like to provoke
people for the sake of provoking them and nothing else.
In the years that I've been on the Internet I've seen many attempted
remedies for this ongoing problem of trolls. Many groups hope that if
everyone completely ignores the troll, the troll will go away. Some
groups moderate discussions and will expel a troll. Others rightly
challenge the troll, though often not as effectively or rationally as
should be done.
I've experienced all forms of 'troll control' as both list member and
list owner. I've tried ignoring them, but did not feel comfortable with
that choice. As list owner, I've simply banned trolls, and that was
satisfying because I was in control, but did little to actually deal
with the situation -- it was more like just putting off the problem for
another day.
On lists where I had no control, I've seen varying degrees of success
with active moderation though often my own perceptions brought questions
of why one member was banned as a troll while other similar posters were
not. Worse, at times, a person suspected of trolling was admonished
while an even bigger and more annoying troll was not. All in all, quite
unsatisfactory all around.
I've recently come to the conclusion that the best troll deterrent is
the rational attack on their ideas. Keeping the context of what they
have replied to, how they have replied, and contrasting it to the actual
discussion.
Why is important to face a troll in such a way?
Ignoring them only gives them a sense of having more power. Much as the
argument 'people just hate to be ignored and so they will go away' seems
sound, it isn't.
It is allowing the troller to live in their own fantasy world and to
bother others with that erroneous vision. If that is not attacked for
what it is, the troller will never learn just why he is hated and
denounced. He should know that! If enough people rationally attack him
for what he is, he will either go away or eventually learn the lesson
that others will not accept his abuse.
Trolling is very much a way that people abuse others. Often they are
themselves victims of abuse who have now made it their personal crusade
to heap as much misery and more suffering on the world as they perceive
themselves to have experienced. Their abuse of other posters is their
way of dealing with unresolved issues and should not be allowed.
Call a spade a spade, always. We do not have to accept the abusiveness
of trolls and they should suffer the consequences of their actions
rather than being ignored as the pitiful creatures they are. Ignoring
them will teach them nothing, and will only make themselves believe they
are not only correct, but _allowed_ to continue their abuse. They will
mistake our lack of interest as permission and acceptance of their right
to annoy and irritate us.
If this seems too much for those of us inclined to benevolence, think of it as 'tough love'. :)
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