Avoid Social “Trolls”

One of the reasons I get frustrated with social networking is the sheer number of people who seem to lose all tact when they log online. I guess it is the ability to be anonymous that makes people think it is OK to be rude, annoying jackasses. There’s at least one on every social networking site…the dreaded trolls.

Image: sxc.hu

First of all, let me clear something up. Trolls are not people who debate, disagree, or otherwise dissent from popular opinion, even if they aren’t exactly nice about it. Trolls are people who go out of their way to disrupt conversation just for the sake of it. Many times, the troll doesn’t even agree what they are saying. In other words, a troll isn’t someone who disagrees with your comment; they’re someone who clogs the conversation with hundreds of gibberish comments, replies to everything with a derogatory comment, and never adds any value with what they say.

Trolls are found everywhere – on social networking sites, on blogs, and especially on forums. They tend to pop up on topics that are emotional and controversial.

What can you do about social trolls? Actually, not much. Here are my recommendations:

• If it doesn’t look like the problem is being crushed, report the troll to the site’s owner or an admin.
• Ignore the troll’s comments, instead replying to people who are actually saying something legitimate.
• Make sure you aren’t trollin’ yourself – always say something when you leave a comment and avoid derogatory phrases and name-calling, even if you don’t agree with other people.

I try to just not get too frustrated. Trolls can be infuriating, but their whole goal is to bait you, drawing you away from the topic at hand and disrupting the flow of conversation. Just walk away, or they win.