How do you personally deal with troll attacks on Fluther?

I have not seen any actual trolling on Fluther in a very long time.

Well, arguably, I can be a bit of a troll from time to time, but I’m also a legit user of the site, so I’m sure it gets under the mods’ skin.

If I were the victim of trolling, I would reverse-troll the troll, and annoy them until they left on their own accord. It’s more fun that way.

I haven’t seen any. I think that the mods do a great job of blocking them before I get a chance to see them.

In pm’s or actually in threads? I haven’t noticed any, but I don’t read everything on Fluther.

I flag and then call my mom.

@chyna In PMs or threads.
It’s a subjective thing.

If in a PM, I would tell them to stop PMing me and if they persisted, report it to a mod. In a thread, I just stop following the question. I find that if someone is really being a jerk, that others will put them in their place or flag it. I personally have flagged people when I feel they are really trolling or being mean to someone else.

If it’s obvious they’re a troll I just disengage.

I threaten to kick them in their balls

I become their advocate because I think all people are nice.~

Sharp humor, dagger sharp.
I told one troll, once upon a time. that the odds of them seeing me naked were about the same as being struck by lightening while being simultaneously attacked by a mountain lion. haha

I just swim away. No blood no foul. You don’t kneel down to bite an annoying barking dog.

I haven’t personally experienced any trolling, so I haven’t needed to react. How do you define trolling?

I have a couple that like to PM me once in awhile. As tempting as it is not to, I don’t respond… much. They only hit once in a blue moon. They are assholes, what can you do? The world is full of them.

Thanks everybody.

I ignore trolls, at Fluther and elsewhere online. A troll posts outrageous, inflammatory comments to sow discord, start arguments, and offend. A troll’s posts have nothing to do with that person’s actual thoughts or opinions. The words are written for sole purpose of provoking; then the troll sits back and enjoys the fallout. The only way to stop the fun is to avoid and refuse to respond. Why post subversive comments if nobody will take the bait?

If we are using the classical definition of troll which is “Says shit just to piss you off and start a fight” you ignore them since they want to make you mad. That is their game.

But it seems like the troll thing is so fucking twisted you get labeled a troll for simply disagreeing. That is fucking stupid.

Flag ‘em and forget ‘em.

I’m not talking about disagreeing. I’m talking about when you post something and then you get personally attacked and harassed.

@Rarebear I usually retreat from the question if I am being attacked and often retreat quietly from Fluther for a while. I also make it a point not to engage with that person again (unless I forget.)

I delete my account.

Being the combative, confrontational, and in-your-face kinda guy that I am, I get my mom to flag them for me. ;-o

@Rarebear, you’re intelligent enough to know that there’s no guarantee people will agree with you when you post here or anywhere online, or indeed when you present your opinion on any issue even in a face-to-face situation. However, again, as you are aware, the internet gives some people a false sense of bravado and they use that bravado to attack rather than discuss.

My response to people who disagree with me and are frankly obnoxious or aggressive is to make my point, and perhaps to explain further if I feel that’s warranted, and then to withdraw from the conversation. I’m conscious of the ‘don’t argue on the internet’ notion. Some people just want the argument. Others are so closed minded in their opinion you’re wasting your energy to argue. In either case, I think it’s better to present my point, reinforce if I feel it’s worth the effort, and then walk away. I try not to invest emotion in the interchange. That doesn’t always work, but I don’t think there’s much to be gained by allowing someone on the internet to upset or offend me. There are people here I like and respect, I’d invest emotion and energy in them. Others, I really don’t waste my breath on.

Any troll must have the most hollow and empty life imaginable. I can’t even fathom having hours of time on my hands and nothing better to do.

@Earthbound_Misfit I agree. I have my own ways of dealing with it—usually involves flagging and ignoring, and I know that the internet is full of jerks. I was just wondering how others deal with it.

First, I’m not always sure who is a troll and who is just dimwitted or mentally ill. I try to figure that out first, and if I’m not sure, I will ask the Mods what they think.

We don’t really have trolling here. At worst we have some users who go way off topic. This results in their content getting flagged. Same goes for the spammers trying to sell face creams, gardening tools or whatever else. Flagging is usually the way to go.

But I’m not sure what people are defining as trolling here. To me this is trolling.