Message #249

[wizer]

I would like to make today's post about what can happen if an internet forum member lets a troll get to them in the worst possible way.

Well ok, not the "worst" way. There was an example in the news recently about a teenage girl who commited suicide as the result of a cruel prank played on her by a bunch of other teenagers via the internet. Luckily this is a very rare occurence.

The recent departure of "evesdrop" from womansavers.com, along with her rather detailed and explanatory goodbye post illustrates perfectly what can happen when you let a troll get to you.

In order to effectively engage in flame wars with trolls, or simply have a peaceful coexistence on boards where trolls sometimes are able prowl because of inefficient moderating or site philosophy that allows members to say and do pretty much whatever they want (such as trollvalhalla) you MUST know how to deal with trolls, or you could easily suffer the same fate as evesdrop. She has lost a valuable source of support and friends, and she has apparently been very traumatized by the entire experience. Her goodbye post is in the "museum of natural stupidity" where interesting posts are showcased for the enjoyment and learning experience of the valued members here at daoutskirtz.

So, how to deal with annoying trolls that are getting under your skin?

1) Contact a moderator and make them aware of the situation. On womansavers.com, most member requests were completely ignored, or were not tended to immediately, and trolls such as myself were able to run wild for weeks at a time until they did a "cleaning house" which the moderator proudly announced, usually accompanied by a pretty picture of a broom. This is totally ineffective and most of the damage has already been done because by that time all the posts have been read, and deleting them accomplishes nothing. Here in DAO, I take an active role as admin, and although I have been accused by some trolls that I am "arbitrary" and "hypocritical" the net result is a board relatively free of trolls. Should you find yourself harassed by a troll, please contact me or another admin or moderator and the matter will be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

2) The "Ignore button". Many forums have them, and simply by clicking this button under the profile of an unwanted member, their posts become invisible and it is like they never existed. Why evesdrop did not choose this option is anybody's guess, and this was suggested by several helpful members over at womansavers when she announced her untimely departure. Some may say "oh we shouldnt have to do that, trolls should be shot or otherwise destroyed", but truth is, moderation doesnt always shut them down and you cant depend on that. Most boards are run by volunteers, they are not being paid for their work, and they cannot be expect to take care of every problem that arises. Simply press the damn button and say goodbye to the hassles.

3) Engage the troll and beat them at their own game. This takes practice, and its easy to fall into the trap of letting your emotions over take you and you end up getting out trolled and miserable. Only choose this option if you can set your own limits and you know when to back off if you are not able to out troll the Troll. If you find yourself in a flame war and you are losing, you can contact me and I will see if I can save you but I make no promises.