Trolls: How do we deal with them?
By cortjo73
@cortjo73 (6498)
United States
May 13, 2008 1:11pm CST
So, what way do you think would be best for us to deal with the trolls?
So far, we have tried to tell them that they don't bother us. We have tried to have them banned and stopped somehow by having the myLot Powers That Be intervene on our behalves.
What we have done a lot of is talk about them. We call attention to the fact that they are around. That they bother us. That they have been successful at pulling our strings and pushing our buttons.
So, what if we ignored them completely? What is no one talked about them at all? What is we banned the word "Troll" from our communications here on myLot? Might they get bored and go find somewhere and someone else, to direct their mischief?
And, believe me...this is not an attack on anyone who has spoken of them. I have started discussions about them myself...including this one. I am just making another suggestion. Perhaps if we never acknowledge them at all, they will have no reason to bother us anymore because they will stop seeing people talking about them. They are likely getting a kick by seeing so much buzz about them. We have made them into celebrities here and they like it. They like reading about themselves. It makes them feel like stars. If we forgot about them like we will about Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, someday, they will go look for someone else to get talking about them. Maybe! Maybe not!
But, it might be worth the shot. What do all of you think? Do you think we should try not talking about them for a while and see if it fixes the problem?
5 people like this
12 responses
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
14 May 08
I really think the best way to stop them is to stop bringing atttention to them, including posts like these. Of course, peple are just going to keep bringing them up, but not paying them a lot of public attention on the boards and just by reporting them to Mylot I think is quite a better idea than to keep asking people what should be done about them. They're just going to continue causing trouble because they see it annoys us.
3 people like this
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
14 May 08
LOL I hope I didn't sound smart or anything. I just think and have seen it work, the more places you go online and the more people try to come along and screw with people, the more they're ignored the quicker they get bored and go away.
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
14 May 08
The best suggestion that I can give you is to go on about your MyLot business and not let them get to you. While it may bother some when their star is affected the truth is...it's just a star. I personally have more than enough to do here without bothering with trolls.
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
3 people like this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
14 May 08
I agree! And, I think that they have forgotten me. I think I was on their radar for a few weeks as my rep was dropping but, then again...it wasn't dropping very quickly so, I may have just had one person who didn't like me or what I had to say!
So, I will do exactly that and go about my business as if I am not at all bothered!
2 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
17 May 08
like your attitude..... They aren't being banned- so let's just leave them alone as well... Who cares what they say to us ~ it's not like it affects us personally. Don't fight back- don't mention them- they are like kids that need attention. The more you give the more they act out. it's crazy! So we could just leave them be!
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
18 May 08
I agree! LOL! And, I believe that sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me so, why should what a troll says hurt me? How could it hurt me?
But, I do have a hard time letting them hurt my friends! That is my weakness! Sheesh!
But, I still think that if we ignore them...if every one of us ignores them, they will get bored and leave. Or, at least one can hope.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
14 May 08
cortjo its certainly worth a try as nothing else
has worked. i think they love to think they have
us all hot and bothered. so if we just do not
talk about it they may get discouraged and go
someplace else and bother someone else.
I think that would be very nice,dont you?
2 people like this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
14 May 08
I most definitely think it would be really nice. So, I think I will try to ignore them for a while and see if it helps. But, they will likely still find someone that they can upset and prey on.
But, you and I can try and, maybe a few others will join us!
1 person likes this
@graceandowen (1637)
•
13 May 08
I agree totally, if you just ignore them then there is no fuel for their fire so to speak, i have always found that ignoring people like that works best.
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
13 May 08
Graceandowen, I can see how us ignoring them removes the fuel for their fire. And, I think it might work in some instances.
And, oneandonemakesix, that really stinks that someone has targeted you specifically. I think it is probably easier to make a troll with broader grasp of myLot get bored and go away than someone who seems to have it out for one person. They have a goal. The other trolls don't have a goal so much as a toy that they might get bored with if we don't supply the batteries to keep it going. What you have is someone who looks at you as their person job or project. I am sorry! That is really unfair.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
16 May 08
Grace in a way I agree with you..not giving them fuel would work for some of the trolls but at the same time I really agree with Mooch..some of these little effers are targeting specific ppl and in some cases are doing so in a horrible cruel way...
I think the best bet is for ALL OF US to join together and continuously report, complain and ask for mylots assistance until they bloody well do something...
for those who know SPECIFICALLY who is hounding them, share the link to the threads etc with the friends you trust so we can report too and so on...
Sooner or later Mylot is goin to have to take notice or at least I hope cuase if they keep ignoring us and dont do something about the trolls, this place will continue to go downhill at a rapid pace, the decent mylotters will continue to leave and negative word of mouth goes around 10xs faster than positive ya know..before you know this place will be no more..
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
14 May 08
I ignore "trolls" for the most part. I do read the posts regarding them but i try not to respond and i also try not to get worked up when my rating drops. I've never been too sure what good the star is anyways other than getting people worked up over the number on it.
2 people like this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
14 May 08
I am not as bothered by the trolls for myself. I get bothered when I see how hurt my friends are by them. I can handle it. I don't really care! But, when they hurt my friends, that is when I have a harder time ignoring them.
As for the star number...I both do and do not care about it. I like that I am thought of high enough by my friendly myLotians but, if a troll attacks it...I just look at it for what it is and get over it! I will always try to protect my rep here but, because of the way I am careful not to offend, when my star starts to fall apart, I know it isn't because I did something to hurt or upset someone here!
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
13 May 08
Thats been my plan of attack. I just pretend they dot exist. I figure if im having fun why should i let someone ruin that. I dont care at all im getting paid still and having fun so let em do what they want.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
13 May 08
I like your plan of attack! And, I agree! If you are having fun, why stir things up? I'd rather eat my ice cream than get into it with a troll! LOL! And, I'd rather ignore them than show them that they can make me put my ice cream down and talk about them! LOL!
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
15 May 08
I like your attitude..... They aren't being banned- so let's just leave them alone as well... Who cares what they say to us ~ it's not like it affects us personally. Don't fight back- don't mention them- they are like kids that need attention. The more you give the more they act out. it's crazy! So we could just leave them be!
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
15 May 08
Thank you! I like your attitude too! And, I don't care what they say to me. I would care if they said something to you and I would care more if they hurt you in some way. But, otherwise...I don't care! LOL! So, I think it is entirely possible that, if we don't provide anymore treats, they will look for other suckers elsewhere! LOL!
1 person likes this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
13 May 08
Hear Hear Cortjo! I have been thinking and maintaining this very thought for the last two months. Just like children if we shed no light onto bad behavior, the bad behavior loses its fun.
Besides we have so many other things to talk about and gossip about, why waste or typing fingers on theses folks that are so bored and unhappy with their selves. I would must rather talk about Wisteria lane, the fate of Hillary Clinton or if hell exists wouldn't you?
1 person likes this
@jessigirl116 (848)
• United States
13 May 08
I'm sorry, maybe I'm a bit behind, but what's a 'troll'(besides the obvious). I have read a few posts on these people who are abusing our community, but I'm not sure I get it. I would like to help in the fight against these vandals, but first I'd like to know what's going on.
I know that when I see a bad post I '-' it. People shouldn't get a '+' if they aren't being respectful or serious. I'm not sure what we can do that they couldn't do back to us. Like, we could '!' them, but they could just do it to ours, right? Am I catching up or going in the wrong direction all together??
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
13 May 08
Trolls do things differently than what you are doing. They give negatives for no reason. They tag stuff using obscene words. They specifically target one person or one person and all of their friends and they do that by giving those people negatives in each and every one of their discussions and their responses inside other people's discussions. They usually don't post any discussions themselves, nor do they respond to other people's discussions. So, they are by all accounts, inactive. But, there are the occasional, more brazen trolls, that do say mean things in other people's discussions and, they don't just disagree with someone in their discussion, as the rest of us sometimes do, the actively try to anger people into an argument which, in the end, sometimes does the object of their attention harm as that person will get more negatives by other people in myLot because of the argument. So, they are a menace. Some of them hide so we can't always figure out who they are. Others show themselves and we can sometimes get them banned when they do show themselves.
So, did this help? Giving a person a negative if they truly deserve it, is fine. It is acceptable. I tend not to give people negatives unless they really either did something to me inside of one of my discussions, or I found them being mean to one of my friends. At that point, there is no reason for it and I won't stand for it.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
13 May 08
I ignore them anyway and don't let their childish and stupid acts get the best of me. I dont' care for my star rating either and will keep on posting no matter what.
It's actually sad that mylot has come to this. When I first joined it was such a fun loving place with good quality discussions, along with the controversial ones - have seen a lot of friends leave over the year because of it too.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
13 May 08
That is really sad that you have had friends leave because of them. They win when that happens. That is another thing I forgot to bring up! When some of our soldiers here leave the battle, they win a little bit. A way to win the battle is to stop fighting it and grow stronger by ignoring them. Don't run! Stay but, stay as if they don't exist!
I am sorry that you have lost friends here because of them!
@jimbomuso (950)
•
14 May 08
hi cortjo73 ! maybe we should call for the 'billy goats gruff' to deal with trolls ogre's, morons, fools, people who enjoy dragging people down, one handed surfers(hope you know what i mean). unfortunatley in any democracy( bit of a strech i know) there are always malcontents. I personally don't do mylot for the money so the 'trolls' dont often annoy me, although my star went down and I was a little pi**** off but someone earlier that a star is just a star ! which is spot on. a lot of the trolls i guess will be in the 16-30 range with no social life to speak of and poor people skills. in a different post i toasted them!
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
14 May 08
LOL! Ummm...ok...I must admit defeat! I am a little lost but, I will try to figure it out as it can sometimes take me a little while because I can sometimes be a little slow on the uptake! LOL!
I think the fact that I don't myLot for the money either is a reason why trolls only bother me when I see them hurting my friends. If they had no effect at all on any of the myLotians that I care about, I would most definitely be able to ignore them all together. And, as far as I am concerned, if they want to target me through my star...so be it! I would even be willing to put up with the attacks that they want to dole out to my friends on their behalf. I could handle it and I would still be able to ignore them but, some of my friends can't turn a blind eye on them and, that bothers me.
I think I remember your toast to them! LOL!
1 person likes this
