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AIBU?

To think too many people still feed trolls?

73 replies

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:29

By "trolls" I don't mean those who make up convoluted fabricated stories to suck people in. I mean the classic troll, the goady-fucker-to-the-max type, the obvious-troll-is-obvious who just posts the most provocative comments to try to get a rise out of people. And people engage with them! They might try to argue with them, they might berate them, they might try to poke fun at them. However they do it and however well-intentioned their engagement, all they're doing is satisfying the GF's agenda and giving them the attention they crave.

I know it's tempting to post a smart knockdown or a faux-pity "sad little troll" comment but even that simply plays into their hands. No publicity (/attention) is bad publicity for a troll. I long to see a thread where Obvious Troll starts metaphorically jumping up and down shouting "look at me!" and everyone just ignores them. And then quietly reports them to MNHQ.

OP posts:

Report

CedarSpring · 04/08/2016 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tiggywinkler · 04/08/2016 08:31

Yup.

Although it is frustrating when you have reported about 19 of their posts since 7am, and they're still out there being twats.

Weedles · 04/08/2016 08:32

YANBU. Can't say I haven't ever done it though invite always best to ignore really

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:33

Depends on your definition of fun, I guess.

I don't find it much fun trying to read a thread that's been hijacked by a troll, where someone has posted asking for advice and at least half the replies are focused on the troll rather than the poor OP.

OP posts:

TellMeSomethingNew · 04/08/2016 08:34

Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Dutchcourage · 04/08/2016 08:34

Yep there is one being a top dick this morning. It's sad really that some one gets their kicks this way .

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:35

It is v frustrating Tiggy, but perhaps if more people took the "don't feed the troll" line and just ignored them from the off, they'd have got bored long before post 19?

OP posts:

UnikittyInHerBusinessSuit · 04/08/2016 08:35

Yes, report and ignore is the best option. No matter how witty or insightful or devastating you think your putdown is, when it comes to this kind of troll you're still playing his game and achieving what he wants.

NeedACleverNN · 04/08/2016 08:36

I'm cross about that poster who has been mentioned.

They have made some awful comments.

MNHQ have deleted for less. Why are they still standing?

acasualobserver · 04/08/2016 08:36

I completely agree with you, OP. I also think people should stop starting or posting on troll post-mortem threads. Inevitably these mainly consist of people reporting how upset they are to discover they've been trolled thus providing the kind of feedback that will delight a troll even though her/his thread has been deleted.

McPie · 04/08/2016 08:36

I reported this mornings one without commenting after opening two threads and finding the most goady comments I have seen on the site in a while. One thread they were ignored and never came back but on the other posters picked them up on it there were many comments from them so people please don't feed the troll just report.

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:38

Does anything on a message board really matter, TellMeSomethingNew?

OP posts:

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:40

Perhaps we could also avoid alluding to particular individuals? And stick to the general topic of how best to deal with trolls in the abstract? Otherwise this thread will end up giving them the same kind of satisfaction as people replying directly!

OP posts:

Sparklingbrook · 04/08/2016 08:41

I have seen today's prize troll. I have reported, but didn't acknowledge them on the threads.

I think the 'I can't believe it was a troll' threads should be deleted quickly too.

ImOnMyTumbleTap · 04/08/2016 08:41

"Don't feed the troll" just makes me think of people with a handful of bread and waving it at a small, troll-like thing. misses point of thread

UnikittyInHerBusinessSuit · 04/08/2016 08:42

Especially if their actual username is "I'm a troll here to wind you up, please get cross and argue with me because that's exactly what I want". I know it's sometimes difficult to resist the urge to engage but honestly...

NeedACleverNN · 04/08/2016 08:44

Bread?!

I want tea and cake

To think too many people still feed trolls?

PageStillNotFound404 · 04/08/2016 08:46

Any particular kind of cake, NeedACleverNN? A slice of Swiss troll, perhaps?

OP posts:

NeedACleverNN · 04/08/2016 08:48

Swiss Troll well done! That was fab

UnexpectedBaggage · 04/08/2016 08:48

Trolls don't bother .Troll-hunters, however, are Satan's children and very irritating.

UnexpectedBaggage · 04/08/2016 08:48

*don't bother me

Sparklingbrook · 04/08/2016 08:49

The 'no reply to reports' thing will make people less likely to report trolls. If you report with 'I think this is a troll'' you are not going to even get an acknowledgement or any indication anything is being looked into. So you have to keep an eye on the thread to see if the comments are deleted or not.

There was a big row in the office years ago because someone accused a colleague of messing with their troll's hair. The one that sat on top of their computer screen-looked a bit like the pic Need.

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DonaldTrumpTriggersSJWlol · 04/08/2016 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

NeedACleverNN · 04/08/2016 08:51

To be a fly on your wall that day Sparkling

ImOnMyTumbleTap · 04/08/2016 08:53

Need that is exactly the troll I was picturing in my head!

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