Internet Trolls
by Sam Bowne
I was recently asked to help a colleague who had been receiving threats by email.
The exchanges resulting from that, and many similar situations, led to this article.
What is a Troll?
In face-to-face discussions with friends, coworkers, customers, and sane strangers, people speak with a purpose - to deliver information, make a request, or to express an emotional connection. Civil adults learn to consider the needs of others, respecting their privacy, time constraints, and feelings. So most people are not prepared to understand trollery, and misunderstand it, because it does not occur in normal conversations.
One way to understand trolls is to think of a toddler, just learning to speak, who has discovered that repeating the question "Why?" over and over again causes an adult to keep talking forever. Another example is a filibuster, in which a legislator reads the entire Sears catalog just to give the appearance of engaging in debate. These are denial-of-service attacks - consuming the time and energy of the target pointlessly is the attacker's goal.
There is a level of good faith in normal conversation - the parties are expected to speak honestly and to have good intentions. Trolls do not have this good faith; they exploit it to harm others. A troll may ask for something, but if their wish is granted, they will not stop asking for things. They may ask a question, but they don't want an answer. Trolls are attackers, and the goal of their messages is to harm the recipient.
Defense
The only defense I know of is silence. Don't get hurt or angry and, as much as possible, give no response at all. Trolls are gratified by protests, angry denials, and counterattacks. They poke you, hoping to get a response. If they get no response, they will stop having fun, and go torment someone else.
If you must answer because the troll is a colleague or someone else you cannot completely ignore, delay the answers as long as possible. This is a "tar pit" defense and also reduces the troll's gratification from the exchange.
Notifying Police
I don't think law enforcement can do anything to stop most trolls, but there is one exception.
If the troll has found your physical location and begun stalking you in real life, painting messages on your house, stealing your car, visiting your workplace, etc., then you may be in real direct physical danger. Police, restraining orders, and private investigators may be helpful in that situation.
But the actual physical danger from trolls is small. I think most of them are shy, timid, lonely recluses in real life, and wholly unprepared for real physical combat. Consider Jennifer Emick - she exposed the identity of some people in Anonymous and endures an incredible flood of trolling, including numerous threats to kill and torture her, yet none of the trolls have physically attacked her.
Getting Even
Some victims of trolling want to convince the trolls that they are wrong, or punish them.
Please utterly eradicate these concepts from your mind. Trolls are failed personalities, like failed states. They have no decency, honesty, or goodness. Trolls have tormented people until they are dead, and the only remorse they show is that their toy is broken, and now they need to find a new one.
Conflict Management
A student introduced me to this excellent concept.
With trolls, conflict resolution is impossible - you can never win. There is no way to make them stop, or admit you are right, or grow up, or to arrest them (except in very rare cases). However, conflict management is an achievable goal - limiting the harm the trolls do to you. That is the best goal to strive for.
The fundamental reason resolution is impossible is a lack of respect. In order to influence someone, you must respect them, and they must respect you. Trolls regard targets as contemptible and disregard everything they say. You cannot possibly gain their respect, and any respect you grant a troll just makes you a more entertaining victim.
It is essential to understand that you are at war: a malicious enemy is attempting to destroy you. Do not imagine that you are having a dispute over an issue with a potential friend. Any attempt to meet demands, soothe the troll's "feelings," or elevate the tone of the discussion will only expose you to more attacks.
The Biggest Risk
The most dangerous thing you can do when trolled is to fight back.
I have been called in to help several victims of trolls, and some of the victims have hurt themselves far more than the trolls ever could. One victim resigned from employment and became a paranoid wanderer, hiding on the couches of friends while compiling large quantities of "evidence" from email headers and websites, abandoning all normal life to track down largely imaginary tormentors. Another sent death threats to the trolls, got a gun, and became the subject of police investigations rather than the victim.
Trolls love such overreactions - if they see your arrest or dead body on the news, they will laugh and say it proves they were correct all along, and seek fresh victims with renewed vigor.
The most important thing you can do is protect yourself and not overreact. Block all troll communications. Use Twitter blocks, email spam filters, etc. Maintain your own self-esteem. Ignore all troll accusations. Refuse to blame yourself.
Don't give anything the trolls say the slightest credence. They are subhuman biting pests like insects. Nothing you can say or do will gain praise from them or stop the abuse.
Just ignore them, laugh at them, and remember that they act this way because they are broken people.
Trolling is their problem, not yours.
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