(The backdrop is why this thread was written. In Missosology when someone dissent or have a strong disagreement, especially
with what people in authority would think or what MAJORITY thinks, people always come to the conclusion that there is a troll
in our midst. Not necessarily though.
Disagreement and disrespect are two different things. If you disagree with the idea, it does not usually mean that you are
disrespectful or that you are a troll. You can disagree with someone without showing disrespect. You can disagree with the
idea politely. The role of the thumb is DONT ASSUME SOMEBODY IS A TROLL JUST BECAUSE HE disagrees WITH YOU.
To see if you are being trolled there are several ways of identifying them)
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They're here. The trolls have landed and they have abandoned isolated rocks and caves to finally settle down on the internet 24-7.
Unlike the Norwegian trolls in Norse mythology, online trolls exist, they are real ... and to some doubting Thomases who care less
about their presence ... be wary! Dealing with them is not a piece of cake.
Who are online trolls? Internet trolls are an online bully who deliberately tries to offend, cause trouble, or directly attack people
by posting derogatory comments on Facebook posts, blogs, Youtube videos, forums, and other social media such as Twitter and
Instagram. Their posts are inflammatory, incendiary, and demagogic, with the intent of arousing readers to display intense
emotional responses and manipulate others' perceptions.
He is an online jerk and the more people they fire up and peeve, the better he feels. It is never a fun experience dealing with
them because they feel immense amusement especially when victims are on the verge of tears. They bloom and flourish with
mockery and derision and they thrive with taunting and ridicule.
What are the red flags signs that your forum or thread is troll infested and how do you see a troll when you see one?
1. Troll posts are superfluous, provocative, derogatory, and gratuitous that are hell-bent to stir trouble and get reactions from
other people.
2. They take pleasure when they annoyed someone. The more ... the merrier. They view their posts as "harmless fun" but they
upset people.
3. They use anonymous or throw-away accounts to provide anonymity and the freedom to communicate with impunity.
4. They make outrageous or questionable claims. They often leave traces of hateful comments. Even their comments that are
meant to be funny can really hurt.
5. They are relentless and annoyingly redundant and they won't let the topic go. They are the internet's Energizer Bunny. They
keep on going .... and going ... and going.
6. Trolls don't actually believe in what they say and what they are posting. They just want to cause a little or big mayhem as the
case may be. And you can't beat them with logic and facts. Appeal to reason is futile and pointless.
7. They are blind and deaf to evidence and are notorious for ignoring truth and factual events. They are spin doctors non-pareil
and they can twist a crooked narrative straight and make it believable.
8. They have default avatars and always hide their identity. They will never give information about themselves. They go with aliases
and monickers and when asked which country they came from and the response was Earth.
9. They are bored and hate being ignored, that's why they are always on the prowl looking for potential victims. And when they see
you frustrated, they asked you, "Are you, mad bro?" that makes you mad even more.
10. Trolls wreak havoc and are in it for chaos. They love to call people names with a tone that is condescending. Unfortunately, name
-calling often ends up to stereotyping and giving others a bad label.
11. Trolls don't have a middle ground. They don't use the word "sometimes". Being a sucker to exaggerate it is either "Always" and Never"
to them.
12. Trolls want to be different. In a thread of 98% naysayers, he comes in barging singing a different refrain to negate the opinions of
everybody.
13. Trolls lure people into silly meaningless discussions and debates. They blossom the brightest on others' anger, frustration, and their
annoyance.
13. Dark triad personality traits like narcissism, psychopathy Machiavellianism (cunning, scheming, and deceptive), and schadenfreude
(a person who derives pleasure from another's misfortune) were more likely to demonstrate trolling.
So what happens to you when somebody comes from nowhere and shades the opinion you shared and imparts their razor-edged mental
sharpness on you? And it is not just their keen intelligence and inventiveness that has thrown you aback ... they have opinions that popped
your balloon ... in a here-we-go, kick-in-your-balls fashion.
Your initial response was utter disbelief. Then denial set in. In your mind, you ask yourself how can these thread crashers be so offensive
and impolite? They come uninvited and they give you unsolicited advice for free. And as your anger comes raging you thought of giving them
a piece of your mind: "Did I even ask your opinion?"
Too bad what seemed like the Russia-Ukraine war in your mind was just a musing. The smart-alecky response you thought that will freeze
the tongue of these online intruders never materializes because your Mom raised you to be polite, prim, and proper. Nothing came out of
your lips and that punch to the stomach retort that you prepared was playing only in your mind and you wonder how your mouth was zipped.
This doesn't have to be like this all the time. I don't want you to lose your sleep over this, but there are ways to stop letting these trolls guide
you and manipulate you. And you can do this by trying these tips.
1. Stop feeding the trolls. Let them starve. And don't give them water either. Simply put, trolls want to see your emotional outbursts online.
Responding to them is like allowing them to put more salt in your wound. If you don't reply ... they will tire themselves waiting and they will
eventually move on ... and look for their next target.
2. Go with what is right. Don't get sucked into a troll's sharp-witted but reckless opinion no matter how good it sounds on paper. They are convinc-
ing all right, but your life is not to follow some stranger's standards. Know more about yourself and make your own set of standards.
3. Humor them. Trolls usually are not adept and savvy in responding to humor. Remember they are hanging on the internet to irritate you not
elicit your loudest guffaws. Laughter is the troll's Achilles heel.
4. Ignore them pronto. This can be done in several ways. Block them. Report them. Move out of that thread and browse another site ... or just
simply sign out ... or shut down.
5. Take a screenshot of your debates. When the going gets tough ... emotions are high. Having a print of the conversation will cover you just in
case the troll decided to delete or edit once he senses trouble is brewing.
6. Admit when you are wrong. And then move on. Don't engage too much and over-explain yourself because they will never stop rubbing that
mistake in your face. Honesty is the best policy.
7. Call out the behavior. Other well-intentioned people will suggest ignoring them because that is the easiest thing to do. Others will suggest
"Don't reply." But sometimes ignoring and not responding has its own drawback. It can give the trolls the weight and more muscle to silence you.
8. Say what you have to say and then move on. Other members watching on the sideline may even come to your rescue. Saying your piece some-
times set the standard and clearly show the demarcation line between what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Sometimes it brings out the
truth when the troll has been spewing lies.
9. Protect yourself and become a strong moderator. If you own the blog you are the boss and you have the right to impose guidelines about your
blog's embracing a NO TROLLING POLICY. If the troll gets furious because his posts were expunged or were not published you can refer them back
to the guidelines (which are hanging freely in your blog for everybody to see) and cite breach and infraction of the ground rule.
10. And the last one ... Simply log off. I know ... just what the song says breaking up is hard to do. But it is the answer to your prayer especially
if the pest has drained out all your patience. It is the handiest option to avoid more frustrations and you can limit the amount of time rubbing
elbows with them.