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Image: Public Domain, Clker
They’re everywhere, and if you’ve been using the internet for long, you’ve probably encountered at least one troll, and probably many. A troll is someone who goes around making comments which seem to be specifically for the purpose of starting trouble.
Sometimes trolls will make senseless comments just to derail everyone’s train of thought. Sometimes they will be insulting and rude to rile people up. Sometimes they will be self-proclaimed site police attempting to enforce their interpretation of the rules. Sometimes they will use spam to ruin a topic. Uber Trolls will employ more than one of these tactic at a time.
Trolls annoy us and make us angry. But we have to remember, that’s exactly what they want. They want to get us riled up and hopefully get us to do or say something that makes us look bad. That is what brings them joy. Then they get to sit back and smile because they brought us down to their level. There is one rule which can help you deal with these people: Don’t Feed The Trolls.
Feeding the trolls means giving them what they want. No matter how angry you may be, or how annoyed, *never* stoop to their level. Never reply with anger, rudeness or insults. Do not call them names of any kind. Be extremely polite to them. Stand your ground, but do it respectfully. This will throw them off. Some will persist for a while, but most will move on when they realize you can’t be broken. Refusing to feed the trolls is a serious exercise in patience and respect, especially since you may feel that they don’t deserve your respect, but it is the best possible course of action.
If a troll breaks the rules of a site, feel free to report them as appropriate, but never tell them that you did, and never make threats. You must maintain respect and restraint when dealing with a troll. You will be glad you did. Feeding a troll only makes you look bad and in some instances, you may say things that you will forever regret, and they will tarnish your image.
If you encounter a troll, take a breath, think, then respond in as polite and gentle manner as you can. It takes work, but you will be better for doing it. Never allow your emotions to overtake you and cause you to fall for their trap.
