Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Feed the trolls?

27 replies

risefromyourgrave · 01/07/2020 10:40

Sorry if this has been covered before, I did a cursory search but couldn’t find anything.
When we have ploppers/trolls invade the boards what does everyone think is the best strategy? We’re always told on other boards to ‘not feed the trolls’ and that would be the tack I would instinctively back.
However..... does this then edge into #nodebate territory? Do we become as rigidly stubborn as the TRA’s?
I’m totally stumped for an answer and was wondering what everyone else thinks.

OP posts:
WanderinWomb · 01/07/2020 10:43

Best not to feed trolls but sometimes brilliant discussions follow a ploppers plop.
There are a lot more people reading here than writing. A LOT more.

Remember the lurkers.

BadgertheBodger · 01/07/2020 10:43

Sometimes we feed them recipes Grin

Mostly there’s at least one regular poster who will calmly engage to refute any really outrageous points. Not much you can do really except be mindful and if you see anyone particularly intent on screenshots/being a GF just report.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 01/07/2020 10:44

This reply has been deleted

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

DrDavidBanner · 01/07/2020 10:47

Ignore, ignore, ignore.

SunsetBeetch · 01/07/2020 10:47

...

TorkTorkBam · 01/07/2020 10:53

I don't mind debating with them. It hones the argument.

Sometimes they turn out to not be ploppers or trolls and they engage in the debate and that is golden.

I would not want to make assumptions and behave like a Mean Girl at the start. I cringe when I see the first replies assuming malicious intent.

People coming here to post having heard we are transphobes may phrase things in inflammatory ways but that doesn't mean they are closed to understanding our true positions.

If they are a nodebater then that eventually comes out as they either bugger off or go off on a rant that sounds a lot like the ranting of an abusive boyfriend when you don't obey him.

Either way engaging with their arguments and letting it play out is good for the lurkers.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 01/07/2020 11:01

engaging with their arguments and letting it play out is good for the lurkers.

Yes, but it is very time consuming.

I wonder if having a few all-purpose threads that we could politely direct people to might help? So many of these discussions have playd out so many times on here.

There is the great 'break it down for me' thread and the 'it wil never happen', I wonder if more specific ones might be useful? Information, links, references, etc.

lady69 · 01/07/2020 11:08

They are so obvious it’s painful. I ignore them as it’s what they deserve and what they are used to in real life.

nauticant · 01/07/2020 11:09

I ignore most of the time but I'm impressed by those who engage reasonably. This is done purely for the audience who are not on the thread who can see a load of bizarre claims from a trans activist and a sensible presentation of facts and reasoning from a gender critical woman.

It's more a case of what not to do. That's to be drawn in by someone being a goady fucker and to post angrily. Ignore or calm reasoned fact-based debate are the ways to go.

Original poster
risefromyourgrave · 01/07/2020 11:17

Thanks everyone. I think I will continue to ignore and let the wonderful posters who do engage do the hard work of calm debate. Unfortunately I get so frustrated!
And thank you @SunsetBeetch, I looked at that thread a while back but totally forgot about it!

OP posts:
PuppyLove2000 · 01/07/2020 11:26

This reply has been deleted

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

WanderinWomb · 01/07/2020 11:26

The Bunbury thread has saved my bacon many a time.

(Now thinking of bacon recipes ....... )

SunsetBeetch · 01/07/2020 11:28

One word of warning: I did get told in an email from MN after I reported a trolling thread, NOT to derail the thread (I think we were making rabbit jokes in it), just report it.

PuppyLove2000 · 01/07/2020 11:28

@TorkTorkBam

I don't mind debating with them. It hones the argument.

Sometimes they turn out to not be ploppers or trolls and they engage in the debate and that is golden.

I would not want to make assumptions and behave like a Mean Girl at the start. I cringe when I see the first replies assuming malicious intent.

People coming here to post having heard we are transphobes may phrase things in inflammatory ways but that doesn't mean they are closed to understanding our true positions.

If they are a nodebater then that eventually comes out as they either bugger off or go off on a rant that sounds a lot like the ranting of an abusive boyfriend when you don't obey him.

Either way engaging with their arguments and letting it play out is good for the lurkers.

Totally second this and being reasonable if they aren't being out and out idiots obviously. If they are being obvious Trollololols follow my previous suggestion.
PuppyLove2000 · 01/07/2020 11:29

@SunsetBeetch

One word of warning: I did get told in an email from MN after I reported a trolling thread, NOT to derail the thread (I think we were making rabbit jokes in it), just report it.
Oh really? That's a shame I was getting all geared up with my gory descriptions :( I'll refrain.
PuppyLove2000 · 01/07/2020 11:30

Does anyone have a link to the Bunbury post?

PuppyLove2000 · 01/07/2020 11:39

Thank you SunsetBeech, it's a brilliant read.

BoreOfWhabylon · 01/07/2020 14:41

Report and ignore

DonkeySkin · 01/07/2020 14:48

Report and ignore

This.

Don't, whatever you do, feel moved to respond to their goady posts.

They are looking for screenshots and opportunities to report you, or are simply hoping to waste your valuable time. Either way, it's a win for them and a lose for you.

bishopgiggles · 01/07/2020 17:35

1.Advance-search usernames who seem to be derailing. Chances are they do it on every thread. If so, ignore them.

  1. obvious trolls saying something outrageous for a reaction - don't give them it. Scroll down, ignore.
  1. Battle attempts to derail with going back to the last relevant post, and replying to that to continue the actual topic at hand.
  1. Sometimes best to address an easy question indirectly e.g. without relying to the derailer but by saying "some people argue that x, to which my response is normally y".
  1. My absolute favourite is when a particularly goady op is left dangling in the wind with no responses. Rarely happens.
bishopgiggles · 01/07/2020 17:40

Nb I'm referring to trolls as in the original definition ie picking pointless arguments to stop the actual discussion. Actual abusive or suspected made-up posts should be quietly reported.

DeRigueurMortis · 01/07/2020 17:52

I think the key take away for me is not to engage if you can't do so calmly.

So many of these plopper threads are specifically designed to try and goad posters into making remarks that can be screenshot and used to support anti MN rhetoric.

However responding to them calmly and rationally gives more sunlight to issue and can actually be helpful in de-bunking the assertions made by the OP.

In that regard there is something deeply pleasing about a thread started by a TRA that ends up undermining the trans ideology (and that's the key - it's fighting an ideology not individuals or even a community. It's a set of unscientific beliefs that not all trans people support and where some of the ardent proponents are not trans).

VickyEadieofThigh · 01/07/2020 18:11

Bunbury if you suspect a troll, post a red flag and keep an eye for Bunbury being invoked by someone else if you suspect a troll.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 01/07/2020 18:45

not to engage if you can't do so calmly.

Thank you, all computers should probably have this engraved across the screen.