How do you know if you are answering to a troll here in G and WS ?

Question

Please before answering check the person's profile:

1- The account is recent. Let's say just a couple of days old and the person is already asking aggressive/insulting questions. This means it is probably a recurrent troll

2- The question is not serious, and it is obvious by the language and desire to attract negative attention.

3- They repeat the same questions/answers ad infinitum

4- They have multiple accounts three or more (I have a list I can give to you if you want)

Do you have other elements to consider?

Do you agree is better not to answer to them?

How to prevent other unaware posters to answer to these individuals?

For more details go to Yahoo Answers Forum. IF you have a suggestion post it there too

Well, "Stale White Male", how can you answer to me when I have you blocked??

You see people how this works? Several accounts (lol).

YAHOO ANSWERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE!

Levity this is your fourth account (lol)

YAHOO PLEASE TAKE NOTE

kendrickflorida, what I consider trolls are bullies, not people that don't agree with me. Even today I gave a best answer to a person that didn't agree with me but that I acknowledge made a good argument, please read:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As4vaB8XSeyCenKxpMkQoIzsy6IX?qid=20070629092617AAx4k3W

And for the ones that will report this question: we all know that it will be JUST the trolls that would do it.

So please proceed to sign :-)

Answer 1

I try not to answer the questions of people who are obviously baiting others, repeat the same questions, are ranting, are asking personal advice about their relationships (why can't they go to dating?) or are asking sexual type questions (why can't they go to women's health or go to a sex web site?) If they're trying to be funny, why can't they go to jokes or polling?

I feel sorry for unsuspecting people who are asking a question out of ignorance, but ask a question trolls often ask every day. Also, I feel bad for people who answer troll's questions and actually think the troll cares about the answers they get! Once in a while, I'll answer a troll question if I think it could help those "unaware" of the trollers.

I've blocked people who have nothing to contribute of value to a question I ask. I don't always have a firm idea of what I think an answer should be, so I get bored with ranters quickly, since I can't learn from hearing tired old sexual stereotypes. I don't care if I'm blocked at all. I'm starting my grad classes soon, so I won't be around much anyway. If I can't learn something from asking or answering a question, I'll move on.

Answer 2

My instinctive response? Who cares?

If you don't want to answer a question because you suspect it's a troll, don't! There's plenty more questions where that one came from.

I know it annoys me more when I get a flippant answer from someone, than someone asking a (to me) dumb, or provocative question. I have control over answering them. I have zero control (that I can tell) from them answering me. Some of the misanthropic people out hear could use a nip and tuck so to speak.

If someone is mean, I just block them if I feel they hurt my feelings, or click "report as abuse" if it's downright inapproriate.

Truth is if I could do a reverse IP & send them a trojan horse, I would, but I'm not that smart, nor that malicious, or at least I like to think so.

However if someone asks a question that may be sexual in nature, and could be titillating to them, say, do you shave there? It's a yes, no , or sometimes, without delving into more details. Big deal. The world has alot bigger issues than worrying about whether or not someone's a troll and may get excited about it.

Answer 3

I agree with you that trolls are nothing more than bullies. Bullies obtain their illusion of power from taking it from somebody else. On the internet it is easiest to stop this by just ignoring them or writing a laconic reply that simply acknowledges their silliness. Much the way that one dismisses a child who is being unruly.
These people have a great deal of time on their hands because they are socially inept and this sadly is the only contact they have with others.
I usually feel sorry for them that they must grasp for attention so blatantly. It must be terrible going through life with little or no human contact. When they become especially frustrated and lash out the hardest I think to myself what kind of terrible life they must have endured to bring them to this point. It help to diffuse my own annoyance.

Answer 4

H. I answer questions that I think are interesting. I am particularly interested in women's role in history, which seems to be something that most people know very little about, despite the great number of good books on the subject.

Answer 5

There seems to be quite the proliferation of trolls on Yahoo! in general and it's just a price we pay for freedom of speech. We can either ignore them or maybe we have to actually answer three of their questions and they will let us pass.

Answer 6

If this is the troll police, I have a "Say no to Trolls" sticker on my computer(and car), so don't arrest me.

The problem is that most people consider trolls to be those who disagree with them... as opposed to true trolls who incite riot among everyone and bully people(not disagree with them).

Answer 7

people with too much time on their hands. School holidays are the worst time to get trolls
if a question is offensive I leave it.
Best not to feed trolls

Answer 8

Good grief, look what's crawled out of the charnel house. All they wanted was the oxygen of somebody noticing them - "Lets talk dirty - piss, po, bum"

Of course the best method is to let the question dangle - twisting in the wind - unvisited. Nothing they can do.

Answer 9

Thanks!!! I loved your question. I usually look to see what kind of questions they have posted before I answer people. You can tell a lot about a troll from the trail they leave behind.....and it usually leads right back to their bridge!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL

Answer 10

I really don't know cause I'm to new to this to know for sure. but to me it really dose not mater cause i watch for the nice folks , but i do tend to an answer some questions that do seem nasty and you know what i really don't care if they are troll cause i try to give positive answer any ways. but i do see your point thanks for pointing that out cause perhaps i have took some to serious.