What do you when you encounter a troll on another site?

[Spotty01]

Title says it all, pretty much. What do you do when you're on another website (or, as rare as it is, this site even), minding your own business and all, and then some troll decides to show up and ruin your day?

Normally, I try to avoid DeviantART at all costs because of the sheer amount of insufferable ***holes that regularly patrol that site and the fact that the admins there do little to nothing about it. Yes, there's a "blocking" and "hide comments" feature, but both are notoriously bashed by the users there, often calling it "immature" whether you had a justifiable reason to do it or not. Anyway, I've lately being doing some crossover fanart here and there for a couple of my favourite cartoons and finally decided to upload it there. Unless you purposely submit to groups and the like or if you have a lot of watchers/followers, it's likely to be ignored anyway. The thing is, there are at least five groups that I almost always submit my arts to.

While comments are few and far between on the pictures I upload, one of them got a good number of favourites and more are still rolling in. The only real comment on that picture in particular was some chick calling me out for drawing a picture of something she didn't like. A look at her profile page seems to imply that she's one of those "holier-than-thou" types.

We've only exchanged like two comments until I finally said this: "You know, if you don't like it, then why are you even wasting your time here?" Long story short, I have yet to get a response back from her; I sent my reply about half an hour ago. Looks like I win this round. ^^

But, in all seriousness, what do you guys do when you have a run-in with ***holes like that? A long time ago, when I was much younger, I often tried to out***hole them, which rarely worked. Nowadays, I often just use logic on them or @kill them with kindness"; if they persist regardless, I usually either hide their comments and block them (if I've decided their little more than a run-of-the-mill troll), or do the former and forget it ever happened, including ignoring any following responses. I find that that seems to work the best for me. But what about you guys? Any other things you've tried and have found to work?

 

[Jet Weiss]

Trolls are allergic to logic and cannot be reasoned with.
Don't pursue an argument with them as it could go on forever and all they will do is insult you and refuse to listen to common sense.
Block them. If other people want to make disparaging remarks about you blocking the trolls, they are probably not worth your time either.

 

[Momo]

If I come in contact with I troll, I can't help but toy with them. It's in my evil nature

 

[Bella Pines]

I just accept them for what they are. I'll assume they have issues or were beaten up as a kid and accept that they want to be malicious, or nasty or want attention. I have a 4 year old who is delightful and innocent and I can't help but thing that these people were innocent 4 year olds too, so sometimes it fascinates me, I wonder what their story could be to have made them like that. And if they haven't experienced trauma, do we have past lives that traumatize us?

And as to the criticism, well sometimes it hits me but not for long. Whether it is the protective wall I built up during my childhood, or it is my short short term memory, or whether my confidence is like a shield of steel (for anyone who is old enough to remember batfink), or I simply don't care enough about their opinion, it rarely bothers me.

 

[Spotty01]

Trolls are allergic to logic and cannot be reasoned with.

You'd be surprised how far logic-bombing them tends to go actually. And if that doesn't work, then just resort to correcting their grammer (<-- joke) instead. ^^

Don't pursue an argument with them as it could go on forever and all they will do is insult you and refuse to listen to common sense.
Block them. If other people want to make disparaging remarks about you blocking the trolls, they are probably not worth your time either.

That may work on most sites, but not on dA. In the OP, I mentioned how the "blocking/comment-hiding" features are heavily bashed by everyone, even when you're using it for the exact reason it's there.

Unfortunately, I know by experience, several years back. The first, every time I blocked her, she'd spread the word to her friends about how she was "just trying to help" and make herself sound as innocent as possible, sending her friends to pester me and insult me until I unblocked her (blocking the others only made matters worse). The second occurence was one (I forget whether they were male or female) who kept making new accounts everytime I blocked them on their other ones; they even said, at one point: "You can keep blocking me, it's not going to do any good" or something to that effect.

There are plenty of ways these sorts of people can find to get around the blocking mechanism, and to top it all off, the admins do nothing about it. They usually just add insult to injury by telling you to block them anyway, like that wasn't what started the problem in the first place. That's one of the main reasons I left dA for a long time except to look at fanart and occasionally add them to my favourites.

 

[Spotty01]

If I come in contact with I troll, I can't help but toy with them. It's in my evil nature

Depending on the troll, really. I've encountered some that really like to hit you where it hurts, and others that barely put any effort into it.

I had one who did nothing but correct my grammar because I used to comment in nothing but text speak (looking back on it now, I want to hit my younger self with a lead pipe). My solution? Exaggerate the text speak to nth degree until they got bored and started insulting my intelligence instead, then I just blocked them altogether.

 

[Jet Weiss]

You'd be surprised how far logic-bombing them tends to go actually. And if that doesn't work, then just resort to correcting their grammer (<-- joke) instead. ^^


That may work on most sites, but not on dA. In the OP, I mentioned how the "blocking/comment-hiding" features are heavily bashed by everyone, even when you're using it for the exact reason it's there.

Unfortunately, I know by experience, several years back. The first, every time I blocked her, she'd spread the word to her friends about how she was "just trying to help" and make herself sound as innocent as possible, sending her friends to pester me and insult me until I unblocked her (blocking the others only made matters worse). The second occurence was one (I forget whether they were male or female) who kept making new accounts everytime I blocked them on their other ones; they even said, at one point: "You can keep blocking me, it's not going to do any good" or something to that effect.

There are plenty of ways these sorts of people can find to get around the blocking mechanism, and to top it all off, the admins do nothing about it. They usually just add insult to injury by telling you to block them anyway, like that wasn't what started the problem in the first place. That's one of the main reasons I left dA for a long time except to look at fanart and occasionally add them to my favourites.

I guess my experience with trolls has been different to yours. I apologise if I offended you in any way.
I didn't really run into trolls on DeviantArt, it was more people who had differing opinions and weren't a good fit for me as friends.
In any case, I am sorry this has been your experience. Hopefully you will find a way to manage the trolls that will work for you.
DeviantArt is an epicenter of Internet drama imo.

 

[Spotty01]

I just accept them for what they are. I'll assume they have issues or were beaten up as a kid and accept that they want to be malicious, or nasty or want attention. I have a 4 year old who is delightful and innocent and I can't help but thing that these people were innocent 4 year olds too, so sometimes it fascinates me, I wonder what their story could be to have made them like that. And if they haven't experienced trauma, do we have past lives that traumatize us?

Maybe some of them had a bad childhood, were victims of bullying or something, and I want to make others feel the same way, but the vast majority just seem to be ***holes who look down on everyone who isn't them. And even if the former is the case, that doesn't give them the right to put everybody else down like that.

How did it make them feel when they went through the same thing?

And as to the criticism, well sometimes it hits me but not for long. Whether it is the protective wall I built up during my childhood, or it is my short short term memory, or whether my confidence is like a shield of steel (for anyone who is old enough to remember batfink), or I simply don't care enough about their opinion, it rarely bothers me.

Teach me your ways, O great one!

But in all seriousness, it doesn't matter if what they said could either be taken as an insult or something totally innocent, I always find myself with this intense anxiety and needlessly obsessing over it for days on end. I can tell myself that it's just some stranger on the other side of the screen that I'll never see in real-life or something else to that effect all day long, but it never changes the matter.

Considering the amount of bullying and all I went through in my childhood, I'm surprised I'm not more like you, but I'm just... not. And I wish I was because, even though I know the way I act is an extreme overreaction, I still can't keep myself from being bothered by it for days on end.

 

[Spotty01]

I guess my experience with trolls has been different to yours. I apologise if I offended you in any way.

You didn't offend me, I was just pointing out the experiences that I've had with them and why blocking on DA only makes matters worse most of the time.

I didn't really run into trolls on DeviantArt, it was more people who had differing opinions and weren't a good fit for me as friends.
DeviantArt is an epicenter of Internet drama imo.

It seems like almost everyone on DA that has differing opinions will either ignore you altogether (the preferred thing to do) or call you out about how their opinion is right and yours is wrong. Actually, I think that's the Internet as a whole, pretty much.

In any case, I am sorry this has been your experience. Hopefully you will find a way to manage the trolls that will work for you.

It doesn't really bother me all that much anymore and, at this point, I know that trolls are just a necessity of the Internet. The only lasting effect it's had on me is not going on there anywhere near as much as I used to.

 

[JDartistic]

I stay far away from trolls. I've had a really bad experience with a troll on the wooden-boat-forum. Once I responded to this troll (in a reasonable manner, I might add), I was then hit by about 100 more trolls who said I didn't even deserve to own a boat!

It was so silly and yet hurtful, b/c I liked the forum a lot, but the trolls pushed me out. It got to the point where they would hijack any post I wrote - literally just hitting it with awful comments, accusing me of - dig this, "being a troll!"

I left the forum when the troll actually published my full name on a post. I complained but the organizer never removed it. To this day, when you search my full name, you'll see this awful post that talks about me being a "troll" and that I "ruined an antique boat with bad renovations."

I'm still upset about it... It was really unfair, but then again, it's a cautionary tale for you to contemplate. A troll can really make your life miserable if you are not careful.

 

[Questella]

Cry.

I completely stopped trying to post videos of myself on Youtube because people would just tell me I was ugly and fat.

Never had a problem on DA though. Youtube really is just the worst. I don't know how those Youtube artists or whatever they call themselves can do it for real.

 

[Jet Weiss]

Cry.

I completely stopped trying to post videos of myself on Youtube because people would just tell me I was ugly and fat.

Never had a problem on DA though. Youtube really is just the worst. I don't know how those Youtube artists or whatever they call themselves can do it for real.

YouTube is the seventh circle of hell.
Someone would have to be completely not bothered by or indifferent to bullying and death threats in order to make a living as a YouTuber.
Sometimes the comments alone make me cry and make me furious. Like how can someone live with themselves or sleep at night after telling someone to commit suicide or making death threats to children?

 

[Questella]

YouTube is the seventh circle of hell.

I don't really know what that means but it still sounds entirely accurate.

I'm so thankful though for the people thick enough to post and post and post. You can learn how to do anything on Youtube xD Some people either don't seem to get the crude comments, don't care, or just delete them as they come in, hard to say. It was just too much for me.

I can't let myself read the comments on anything I watch on there anymore (like I used too but exactly like you said, they are just way too upsetting.)

 

[Spotty01]

There are a few on this site.

Huh, I had no idea there were any trolls on AC. I thought there was some sort of anti-troll barrier surrounding this site that keeps them out.

I disregard them and use "IGNORE" if they become too pesky. People like that feed off the misery of others and will do what they can to get a rise, so I starve them to death.

That's the best thing to do, IMO. If you know that they're a troll from the very beginning, then block/ignore them before they have a chance to attack you as well.

 

[Jet Weiss]

Huh, I had no idea there were any trolls on AC. I thought there was some sort of anti-troll barrier surrounding this site that keeps them out.

I think it depends on your definition of "troll..." I can see how some members, including myself, could be mistaken as trolls.

 

[Kisa the tea]

I usually just ignore them and they go to another part of the internet. I tend to tune them out and focus on the awesome people instead.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

In general, it is hard to give one clear cut answer for what I would do to any such person, as it would depend on what was said, and who said it, and why I perceived it was said. As well, that has very rarely happened to me and I have been on the internet daily for fifteen to twenty years. Granted, I never used Facebook, nor do I hang out in sites that are not monitored and run well, and that have great security measures in place. I focus on quality places, not quantity.

Maybe too it is because trolls do not see me as emotional and get worried much from others' posts. I tend to be either more positive in posts, or have strong opinion backed up with lots of facts, details, analysis or reasoning. Bullies, negative persons, and trolls will often fear taking on those they feel will not get upset too much, or one they feel can attack their message to make them look bad.

I guess my general rule how I would act to a rude or crude person would be as follows: Be polite, be confident, be positive, and be constructive. Like, instead of showing how upset you are, word things in a way that would put them on the defensive. Like, "I am sorry you do not like my art piece. I absolutely love it. Everybody I know and like loves it. Maybe you had bad experiences with art. You should try it, it is fun."

If they did not back down from that and act friendlier, but continued with their negativity, I think I would say, "Sorry, I do not have the time to chat as I am finishing up on another great art piece too. I wish I could show you, but I have to run.
Thanks much for the talk. Have a good day." If they were still mean, then block them, and ignore and never reply to any message that gets through again as they cannot be trusted.

By being positive, consistent, fair and strong like that, often bullies go to easier targets that appear more negative, inconsistent, impulsive, and weaker. But, it all depends on if you want to stay on those sites and forums, too, or if you are fine with leaving. If the founder of the website or group does not stop that nonsense, it is not a place I would want to be. I know it could be hard not to want to fight back when people act mean, but it is almost impossible to win with those troll types, if they sense they could or would win.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

Block them or ignore them. I don't have time for these people.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Block them or ignore them. I don't have time for these people.

Ordinarily, I would have said that as my main advice. It is just like a prank caller. Hang up quietly and do not talk, as they may want any reaction, which encourages it more. But, for those on a blog site or forums it is often tricky if that offensive person still is allowed to stay there or post there, and if that nice messager wants to stay and keep posting too.

As well, in real life we cannot always run away from rude and crude people. Sometimes, at least temporarily, we have to be
politically correct and have a good come back line to diffuse the situation and show our strength by not backing down but by turning the tables on them by putting them on the defensive, and showing our wit and calm. It gets good social practice to deal effectively with all types of people.

 

[OlLiE]

this is the only forum i'm on. i like to take photos, listen to music, fly rc models and play ps4. But i do these things because i enjoy them, i don't really ever feel the need to share the result of things i like to do. i've never really understood the need for 'putting yourself out there' on sites with random people, i generally don't care what people have to say about me if i don't know them or trust the environment. i'm on the site because the conversations here are interesting, and commenting on other people's posts makes me distance myself from my own situations and analyse an issue, i get to learn about myself by being here.