What is the best, or your favorite, way of handling a troll, racist, or all-around bigot...?

Question

... just curious how everyone handles the flood of trolls, racists, and all-around bigots. What do you like to do? How do you, personally, deal with them.

Mine:

For the most part, I ignore. Trolls hate being ignored. Every now and then I give in and reply but that is rare and I am attempting to not but I slip up sometimes.

However, every now and then one gets my attention.

I sometimes expose the troll if it is not a well-known troll. What I do is post a list of its infractions (such as the people it hates and other trolling behaviours) in its questions to point the way for other answerers. I have learned that if the target of the trolling defends him/herself (his/her person and/or ethnicity), the troll gets what it wants.

I make the listing of its infractions as minimalistic as possible. I am just a "signpost" in these.

I have a habit of not going into troll's threads so I do not report as much as I suppose I should.

My belief is that if you respond with hatred to hatred, firstly, you stoop to their level, and, worse, you give them what they want... a rise.

That is why, when I use my answers as a signpost, it is as clinical and emotionless as possible. I have learned that, unless I get others acting against the troll, often I cannot get rid of said troll.

Here is the most recent example of what I mean:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq6zkddnSaCJPdreQ4ct3eDsy6IX?qid=20070418034248AAe0MWe

I answer the question minimally to appease Yahoo. My entire goal is to bring the bigot to the attention of other members who might be offended by whatever the troll is slamming. I have had success when I get enough people interested in reporting the troll.

Ok, with this one I might be entertaining my right to correct its spelling because it is also an intellectual bigot and likes to put down the intelligence of other races.

... AND THE RACISTS ARE IN THE HOUSE!

You took your bloody damned time about it. I was expecting you yesterday.

Cannot you keep a schedule?

... and now we have a racist that is "grammar and spelling challenged". I would not want to be un PC about it.

Took you long enough to get here!

Answer 1

Generally I laugh at them and consider where the idiocy is coming from. The strongest emotion I feel is sorrow for how they are so ignorant and misled.

Although I will write good answers and refute their foolishness at times, the joke is on them. They offer the needed forum which provides me with a place to grind them into the putrid mince meat that they are. The big key is to NEVER take it to a personal lever in any way, shape or form.

There are evil critters on this planet who literally feed off negative energy. These silly people are their foodbaskets. Therefore, I propose starving them emotionally by staying calm. Sometimes, I must admit, I ENJOY flaming them. However, it is always done with class and educational points. We all need to be a lil bit nassy sometimes!

Anger? naw, never waste it on idiots. I tend to ignore them unless they are just too cruel for words. I am also very fond of the "no answer just report" button if they are too foul. I don't know why but I almost wore that button finger out last night!

Answer 2

To be honest, people usually claim to have 'experienced it too' when they try to trivialize other peoples experience. You do not always know enough to judge others from the inside. Every time human beings tend to make social progress there will be a cross road where people have great controversies. It is here that all the views collide and evolve together. You cannot claim that your ideal is the deal so everyone must grab it. Any debate between loggerheads is usually towards a compromise. I do not see how quieting people can help. The last man who called me a ****** solved one of my problems in the words. I knew I could not trust him. And I also know that mankind is evolving spiritually and that evolution consists of debates. Every type will come to reason. You are not even in a position to see if everything has been made allright for some of the 'weaklings', because you believe in a social doctrinaire as christians believe in the Bible. Therefore, let us listen to what others have to say and stop with the attempts at muzzling. Peace.

Answer 3

I ignore them, except when they really make me angry enough to just turn them into a total comedy show in front of everyone else.

People like this try to make everyone they hate into a joke, but when the tables are turned on them, they run away with their tails between their legs.

Now, if you start flaming back, they only get what they want in the first place, attention.

Answer 4

I think you're spot on about ignoring them. Unfortunately I am an overly passionate bleeding heart with a huge mouth, It still gets to me that people are still acting this way. I grew up in Southern California, where, if you did not accept every culture, you were in serious trouble. I thought it was great, and an opportunity to experience diversity in all its form. Then I had to move to the South. I learned Hate there, and it truly darkened my soul. Ever since I was able to leave, The slightest things said in a hateful racist bigot manner have me on edge. The problem is that the trolls are looking for a reaction just like mine to feed off of. Goodness knows my own persona will cause me to have a nervous breakdown by the time I hit 30. Thanks for the question. I look forward to seeing how others handle this behavior so that I may adopt the same sort of acceptance. ;-)

Answer 5

WELL IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD AT THE MOMENT....

BUT KNOW MATTER HOW I FEEL THERE QUESTIONS OR ANSWERS MAKE MA LAUGH (HARD) BECAUSE IT KILLS ME TO SEE HOW IGNORANT AND STUPID THEY ARE...AND THEY THINK THERE BETTER THAN SOMEONE ? LOL....

IF I'M LIKE NO THIS *** HOLE DIDN'T THEN I'LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE: YOU NEED TO SHUT THE FU&k UP YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SPELL(THEY ALWAYS SPELL SOMETHING WRONG...GET A LIFE..

IF I'M JUST LIKE HAHA YOUR FUNNY: THEN I'LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE : HONEY IM SO SORRY THAT SOME BLACK PERSON HURT YOU BAD THAT YOU HATE EVERYONE OF THEM...YOU SHOULD GET SOME COUNSELLING YOU'LL FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ..IT ONLY HURTS YOU TO LIVE WITH ALL THAT ANGER AND PAIN ALL LOCKED UP INSIDE TRUST ME....YOU NEED JESUS IF YOU DON'T LET THIS GO AND STOP BEING SO FU*KING EVIL YOUR PROBABLY GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL WERE I BELIEVE YOU BELONG....I'LL PRAY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU NEED IT.....

Answer 6

You have to take it with a grain of salt; in other words, "take it lightly."

Many racists, are just ignorant, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, they are just unaware of things.

Now bigots, I just found out through another question on Yahoo that I may be one. It states on wikipedia.com, that a bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own because I always think that I am right and don't even try to hear others' points (I really don't think that makes me a bigot, but I could be).

Answer 7

Pray that a bolt of intelligence strikes them and leaves them in the smoke of all shades which is called humaity!

Answer 8

I like to yawn, and ask them if they're still talking. ( ^ _ ^ ) Apparently it works because they hate when I do it! Oh, there's this one person who hates being called a troll. I found that out earlier today! There are ways to get under their skin without getting too personal. Still I wish I could reach through cyber space and smack the ever living stupidity out of them.

Answer 9

Thanks for the link ... EXCELLENT Response!


Also, does the lunch time and evenings/early night seem to be the "happy-hour" for trolls? I have a theory there are only a dozen trolls, but they each have a dozen accounts.

Answer 10

I don't respond to their questions. I just report them and otherwise ignore. If they keep getting the attention, they will never stop.