How to eat an Internet troll - Mark Morford

[madokie]

Another one where Morford is spot on.

Here’s something you surely already suspected but which is nevertheless sort of nice to have validated by science:

Internet trolls? Those nasty, scabrous, hate-spitting folk who spend their sunlight-deprived days taunting, baiting and venomizing all over the Interweb’s anonymous comments sections in response to, well, just about about any article, column, video, photo gallery, product review or heartfelt tale of love and woe from the here to Gawker to Amazon, Car & Driver to Knitter’s World to the NYT, including but certainly not limited to the very Slate article which discusses the general cruelty and stupidity of trolls itself?

Turns out they really are awful people. Sociopathic, sadistic, narcissistic, cruel by nature, highly unpleasant to be around. They love to cause pain. They delight in ruining the beautiful. The more pure and integrity-filled something is, the more they enjoy corrupting it. So says a new psychology study. Also, they’re antisocial. Poor dressers. Ungainly. Hairy in all the wrong places. Smell like soggy asparagus and old toenails. I’m just guessing.

Did you already suspect as much? Of course you did. It takes exactly 28 seconds of reading the comments beneath, say, any Gawker article ever posted to feel deeply soiled and sad for the state of modern humanity, and for the under-30 Millennial set in particular. And trolling’s even more vicious alter-ego, Internet bullying, has resulted in far uglier consequences, like depression and suicide. Trolling and vicious, look-at-me commenting in general has, to many, reached epidemic proportions, and some major news sites are shutting off comments entirely to try and tamp down the bile.

The rest: http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/02/18/how-to-eat-an-internet-troll/

[TheBlackAdder]

1. Just reply with a "Don't Feed the Trolls" comment, nothing more.

Keep doing that and very few people will reply.

After a couple of posts, the troll will go elsewhere.

[madokie]

2. Good advice

[Warpy]

7. Well, a well moderated site (ahem) will evict them

once a post is alerted.

It's my policy not to answer such posts. I just hit alert, explain, and move on.

In comment sections, I do nothing but move on.

Trolls don't bother me, too many have been outed as really pathetic henpecked daddyrabbits (yes, most are male) or petty, vicious women bucking for sainthood.

Neither is worth my time. You feed a troll, you get covered in troll shit.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

3. Is there some kind of scientific study that explains why

so many of the vicious and vile attacks have a right-wing bent to them?

[Holly_Hobby]

4. Not scientific, but I'm guessing ignorance n/t

[proudretiredvet]

6. There are others

I post on a couple of moderate boards. There are left wing trolls there too. I swear that some of them are the same who post RW crap here. I think they just love making trouble for everyone.
The RW trolls just get all religious, tell you how Superior they are and tell you that the power of their god will get you in the end.
The left wing trolls just call people names and tell others how stupid they are. They are the ALF and ELF types and always have an implied threat as well.
We all need different points of view to learn from and to invigorate us in our own beliefs but I want them to be honest in their beliefs. I want a good intelligent interaction. Trolls are worthless and useless small people who like to cause trouble.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. ALF and ELF

Alien Life Form

Eat Left Handed

[proudretiredvet]

21. ALF and ELF

animal liberation front earth liberation front

Both on the list of domestic terrorists. People from these organizations have been caught and convicted of arson B&E, destruction of private and public property and other crimes.

[Demeter]

12. It's well known and documented that Reality has a Liberal Bias

[SidDithers]

5. DU rec...

Lots of 'em at DU too.

Sid

[Fumesucker]

11. +1

[L0oniX]

8. Blackened Troll with lemon and cilantro on a bed of rice ...yum

[madokie]

9. I don't know why it did

but that made me laugh, Out Loud even.

[L0oniX]

13. It was just my penchant for dry humor kicking in.

[edbermac]

23. I prefer my trolls with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

[madokie]

17. Hey visions

Welcome to DU.
We like good people around here

[ChisolmTrailDem]

19. Fucking hell!!! What did it say???

I really hate the message hiding features here!

[sufrommich]

15. The craziest most sociopathic comments

I 've ever seen are on Politico anytime Drudge links to a Politico article. Drudge seems to have an audience made up of Stormfront/Alex Jones/Fred Phelps types. To a person,they are insane.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

16. what's the advice for the part-time troll?

You know, the people who are generally well liked but enjoy picking and choosing whom they will troll. A "moderated" DU wouldn't have many members.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

20. CNN just had a segment on this on the @ This Hour program... nt

[idendoit]

22. I hope Morford writes for years to come.

Always insightful, witty, occasionally hilarious, but usually not far from the mark.

[7wo7rees]

24. Keep Calm and Don't Feed