#online trolls

[nando161mando]

Online trolls are predictably spreading around a fake screenshot, claiming it is from Aaron Bushnell's Reddit account, and states that Palestine will be free only "when all the Jews are dead."

This is a fabrication and a fake. Don't get fooled and don't share.

#trolls #online trolls #fyi #psa #aaron bushnell #ausgov #politas #auspol #tasgov #taspol #australia #internet #fake propaganda #propaganda #fuck neoliberals #neoliberal capitalism #anthony albanese #albanese government #free palestine #freepalastine🇵🇸 #palestine #free gaza #gaza strip #gaza genocide #gazaunderattack #gaza #class war #social networks #social media #media

[odinsblog]

how do you avoid right wingers (& centrists that use slurs) when making political posts? i want to be able to help inform other people but the nastiness i’ve received makes me want to give up. i understand why some people avoid politics entirely

Hello there, @land-shark-is-here

Honestly, I don’t avoid them. What I mean is, you can’t avoid them.

They drop into my asks just to sling the n-word at me and then they just keep strolling by like nothing happened

They’re literally out there by the tens of thousands, and they’re loud

After a while I’ve learned that instead of internalizing their vitriol or letting them get me down, the best I can really do is delete their comments and then block them (in that order - it matters). Most of these trolls are looking to ride the coattails of your posts to gain the visibility that they cannot get on their own — unless you can crush their foolishness with a particularly witty or devastatingly insightful comeback, deny them that visibility. Don’t, as they say, feed the trolls

(please see also: x, y, and z)

And even when comments and reblogs by other trolls might make it *appear* that dozens and dozens of other bloggers are expressing agreement with a troll, that is almost always an illusion. Online trolls travel in packs. Seriously. If you visit a comment troll’s blog, you will probably see the following things: their blog is almost exclusively nothing but them shitting on someone else’s posts, or they are in constant communication with other comment trolls who do the same thing, or they’re just bored conservative porn bloggers. Anyway, when a comment troll sees one of their ilk latch onto a post, they dog pile it. I have witnessed this repeatedly with pro-gun bloggers and anti-choice bloggers. I’ve seen them force some bloggers to delete some really great posts over the years, because the person felt overwhelmed and outnumbered due to being ganged up on

And learn to spot sea lions - they’re the disingenuous trolls who always seem to be interested in genuine discourse, but no matter how many times you answer their questions, somehow it’s never quite enough—that’s because their true goal is to keep peppering you with “simple” questions that require a ton of thought on your part. They could care less about your answers. Their mission is to wear you out. Death by a thousand cuts, so to speak. Their job is to remain unconvinced, no matter how much sense your replies might make. Please understand: they want you to get discouraged and give up. Because as you and others like you quit, their version of reality becomes more accepted, and they gain control of the narrative, and they eventually become the “common sense” gatekeepers, and ultimately their way of thinking will shift the Overton window ever rightwards. If we let that happen

Look, on the other hand it’s always a good idea to open ourselves to the possibility that we might be wrong. There is nothing wrong with honest and respectful debate, if that’s how you want to spend your time. No one is right all of the time. No one is wrong all of the time. We’re human. So sometimes we do need to hear what those who disagree with us are thinking. (Within reason, ofc. I’m not talking about Nazis or people who think Black people and/or LGBTQ, etc people are second class and less than human - fuck those so called “viewpoints”) If nothing else, we learn how to retort their disingenuous arguments—but that has its limits. You are not a doormat for trolls to amuse themselves

But if you dO decide to engage the trolls, it’s never a bad idea to invest in learning logical fallacies and how to debate, so that you have the skills to thoroughly deconstruct a troll’s specious arguments (and honestly I need to take my own advice here)

So unless you genuinely want to enlighten an audience with your response to a troll, my advice is to go heavy on blocking. It may take a while, but just like tending a garden, eventually you will see your online space become more de-trolled. It’s self care. It’s not living in a bubble or being a snowflake. If you spend a significant portion of your time online, please remember that you deserve some peace of mind, even in online spaces

I hope you found this helpful

Good luck

#land-shark-is-here #ask #answered #politics #advice #comment trolls #online trolls

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Andrew Doyle

Published: Feb 15, 2024

How do we argue with those who are incapable of argumentation? This is a question I’ve been grappling with for some time. If your child is demanding sweets before dinner, screaming like a banshee and committing various acts of domestic vandalism, you have few options. You might attempt to initiate a debate, outlining the pros and cons of ingesting unhealthy food in advance of a nutritious meal, but this strategy will invariably fail. In the end, you’ll just have to tell the little brat to shut up and do what he’s told. Or, better still, avoid having children in the first place.

Many of us will have experienced something similar on Twitter (or X, if you insist). Something about the platform has the effect of curdling the sweetest Dr Jekylls into the most repugnant of Mr Hydes. And when someone just bleats insults, or mischaracterises your views, or generally cannot engage in good faith, the best thing to do is to block them. You don’t owe anyone your time and attention, and you’ll only drive yourself insane trying to reason with the unreasonable. Most clever adages end up being attributed to Mark Twain whether he wrote them or not, and this one is no exception: “Never wrestle with a pig; you just get dirty and the pig enjoys it”.

One of the best things about withdrawing from Twitter is that I am no longer bombarded by complaints that my blocking people on the platform proves that my commitment to free speech is inauthentic. The typical tactic is to screenshot the cover of my book Free Speech and Why It Matters as a kind of “gotcha” to illustrate my hypocrisy. And while I am grateful for the publicity, it does get rather tedious having to explain this most common and basic of misapprehensions. The podcaster Stephen Knight put it rather succinctly: “Someone implying that being blocked on Twitter is somehow a violation of their free speech is the fastest way you can tell people you don’t understand free speech.” Instead of smugly posting images of my book, perhaps they ought to read it instead.

In a surreal twist, my blocking habits on Twitter recently made the news. Just after Christmas, an article by Pierra Willix was published in the Metro with the headline: “Confusion as GB News presenter who champions ‘free speech’ blocks critics”. In truth, I have never blocked anyone for polite criticism; I welcome it. And while it goes without saying that nobody expects factual accuracy from the Metro, we should be concerned that an individual who aspires to make a living in journalism does not appear to understand the concept of free speech.  

Willix has fallen for what Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay have called “the fallacy of demanding to be heard”. They make the point that just as freedom of religion incorporates freedom from religion, the right to speak and listen also entails the right not to speak and listen. If you’ve ever received an unwelcome phone call and hung up, you have not impeded on the caller’s rights. If you choose not to read my books, I cannot claim to have been censored. If you block someone on social media, all it means is that you’re not interested in what they’ve got to say. I’ve been blocked by hundreds of people online and, although this clearly reflects poorly on their taste and judgement, my freedom of speech remains intact.

Permit me to suggest a workable rule of thumb when it comes to blocking online. Just imagine if someone came up to you on the street and exclaimed: “You’re an evil ugly Nazi and you should be thrown into a live volcano”. (I’m paraphrasing one of my more disgruntled critics.) Now what would you do in that situation? Would you…

Stop for a moment and say: “Goodness, that’s an interesting point of view. Let’s discuss that a little more, shall we? Perhaps over a glass of crème de menthe?”

Walk away.

If you opt for the latter, that’s the equivalent of the block on social media. Blocking is not censorship. It’s the difference between choosing to cover one’s own ears or forcibly stopping someone else’s mouth.

There are many other good reasons to block. I generally block those who throw insults, post threats or libel, assume bad faith, or those who tell me that they know what I am secretly thinking. These amateur telepaths are remarkably common on social media. Total strangers have variously informed me that I am a men’s rights activist, a white nationalist, a Tory voter and a raging homophobe. All of these happen to be the precise opposite of the truth, but since my detractors speak with the certainty of Old Testament prophets, their lies tend to gain traction. I’ve even been told that I’m being funded by “dark money”. This money must be very dark indeed, given that I have never actually seen any of it. 

If one wishes to avoid being drawn into endless arguments with these fantasists, many of whom seem to believe that the promotion of liberal values is some kind of “far-right dog-whistle”, blocking is a sensible option. But even if you were to block someone on a whim – for overusing emojis, or being a Sagittarius, or because they can’t spell “parallelogram” – this would be your prerogative. I have started blocking those who claim that blocking is a threat to their free speech. Not that I’m intolerant of the intellectually challenged, it’s just that I prefer to keep them off my timeline. Call it quality control.

Another option is to mute the worst offenders, but of course this does leave you open to malicious campaigns of mass reporting. In addition, there is a certain species of online troll that feels no compunction in posting libellous tweets wherever possible. Although muting them means that you will never have to see it, they are still able to use your tweets as a springboard to defame and smear. Why give them the satisfaction?

In the midst of pile-ons, I have been known to block the most sociopathic offenders and all of their followers. This instantaneously has the effect of curbing the swarm; a clipping of the winged monkeys, if you will. Of course, this does inevitably result in a degree of friendly fire, and I am always happy to unblock those who have been caught up in the melee. It’s an imperfect situation, but once you have reached a certain number of followers, Twitter becomes unsustainable without weeding out the more bizarre and abusive users. (In other words: if I’ve blocked you by accident, don’t take it personally.)

Being in favour of free speech doesn’t mean you want to listen to what every single maniac or numbskull has to say. It means that you don’t want anyone to be censored. Far from being a threat to free speech, the block function on social media is a guarantee of free speech. It means that each individual user gets to decide for themselves what they read. It means we don’t require big tech overlords, or those sinister Silicon Valley “Trust and Safety Councils”, to decide what’s best for us and ban those accounts deemed to be “offensive” or “unsafe”.    

That said, we need to wary of the “echo chamber” phenomenon. I’ve never understood those who only wish to hear their own opinions repeated back to them. How can you possibly develop your ideas if you don’t leave yourself open to be challenged? Without humility, we cannot grow, and there is always something we can learn from even our bluntest critics. I have no interest in echo chambers, which is why I go out of my way to engage with those who disagree with me. I read their books and articles, I participate in public debates, I invite them on to my show on GB News. But the idea that Twitter is the best forum for these discussions is absurd.

Somehow, in the quagmire of social media, we have to find a way to restore civility when it comes to our differences. The block function is a useful tool in this regard. We should all be open to persuasion, but that does not mean we should waste our time wrestling with pigs. There is little point in attempting to defend a fictitious version of yourself that your detractors have invented. Instead, reserve your time and energy for those who are still capable of adult discussion. Leave the rest to roar away into the vacuum of cyberspace.

#Andrew Doyle #free speech #social media #freedom of speech #freedom to block #blocking #online trolls #religion is a mental illness

[thepastisalreadywritten]

#Princess of Wales #Catherine Princess of Wales #Catherine Middleton #Kate Middleton #British Royal Family #Doppelgänger #hacking #conspiracy theories #misinformation #Martin Innes #disinformation #hijack #manipulation #Russia #suspicious spikes #online trolls #China #Iran #Whitehall #hackers

[fashionistasparadise]

#avavav #high fashion #model #fashion #online trolls #mfw #milan fashion week #milan #Instagram

[otherkinnation]

On all levels except physical, I am a wolf.. "annoying high-pitched yelp" fucking freaks think y'all are animals. If ya want to be a wolf that badly, go run in the woods and let some poacher shoot ya.

I love trolls so much

Humans are a type of animal mate

I don't think I am currently a wolf dude, I am a 20 year old human who drinks too much caffeine and has a terrible diet

Poachers are "illegal hunters" and you are saying that they should kill humans.....so you want them to be murders as well

I am australian so its "bush" not "woods" and there are way to many spiders and snakes out there, plus it's 7 degrees (celcius) at the moment

Why are you looking through the otherkin/therian tags if you hate it so much?

Some religions believe in reincarnation but I am guessing by your attitude that you are either an Atheist or a child

It's 2022, where people are surviving active wars, disease, people are trying to make abortions/miscarriages crimes and massive rises in racism. Stop focusing on my community and worry about actual important things

#trolls #online trolls #therian #otherkin #otherkin community #therian community #wolf therian #wolf kin

[spookysalem13]

I guess maybe I'm just moody today. Normally I don't let people being flat out rude & disrespectful to me in comments on social media affect me.

But today some random person on Tiktok decided to respond to one of my sweet comments on a video being entirely rude, talking down to me, acting as if I was dumb. For absolutely no reason.

I must be having a day because I responded to their BS, I kept my calm. But man are trolls disgusting. Do they seriously have nothing better to do?

#tiktok #trolls #internet trolls #rude people #toxic people #negative energy #bad mood #grumpy #mental health #online trolls #rude #the disrespect #the audacity #story time #comments #mean comments

[lokisasylum]

Why its important not to engage with trolls on twitter/X 🚩

#BEWARE #bts #bangtan #jimin antis #bts antis #online trolls #twitter x #twitter

[liliesandparchment]

I will never understand why people who can show up to read a thousand fucking ton of words of fanfiction can't string together TWO HATEFUL SENTENCES without using asbolutely despicable language such as r*apist, b*astard, half-bre*d, etc NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HATE A CHARACTER OR PAIRING IT IS NOT OKAY TO USE SUCH LANGUAGE WHEN YOU ARE COMMENTING ON PEOPELS HARD WORK NO MATTER THE AUDIENCE OR FANDOM For fucks sake I want to just chuck some bricks at the deluded fuckwits who do this they should be banned from legally owning a keyboard EVER

#fanfiction #toxic people #toxic fandoms #hate comments #boundaries #fanfiction problems #archive of our own #fandom #fandom issues #unhealthy hate #online trolls #unhealthy thoughts #constructive criticism #constructive feedback #when will people learn #hate speech #i hate people #hate post #i am aware that this can be construed as hate speech but i truly do not give a fuck

[thoughtfuljournal]

Shielding Yourself from Online Trolls

In today's digital age, online trolls and cyberbullies have become an unfortunate reality. Dealing with their rude and hurtful comments can be challenging, but it's essential to develop strategies to protect yourself and maintain your well-being.

This article will explore effective ways to ignore online trolls, stay calm, develop resilience, and suggest ways to protect yourself from their harmful behavior.

1. Don't Engage: The first and most crucial step in dealing with online trolls is to resist the urge to engage with them. Responding to their negative comments or attacks only fuels their behavior and gives them the attention they seek. Instead, focus on preserving your peace of mind by not giving them the satisfaction of a response.

2. Utilize Blocking and Reporting Features: Social media platforms provide tools such as blocking and reporting features to protect users from online harassment. If you encounter a troll, promptly block them to prevent further interaction. Additionally, report their behavior to the platform administrators, who can take appropriate action against the offender.

3. Preserve Evidence: It's important to document and preserve evidence of the abusive behavior. Take screenshots or save any relevant information, such as offensive comments or messages. This evidence can be useful if you decide to report the troll to the platform administrators or authorities.

4. Seek Support: Dealing with online trolls can be emotionally draining. Reach out to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or professional counselor, for support. Sharing your experiences and feelings with others can provide validation and help you navigate the challenges more effectively.

5. Practice Self-Care: Prioritize self-care to maintain your emotional well-being. Engage in activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, meditation, or pursuing hobbies. Taking care of yourself physically and mentally will strengthen your resilience and ability to handle negative online experiences.

6. Familiarize Yourself with Platform Guidelines: Each social media platform has its own terms of service and community guidelines. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines to understand what constitutes acceptable behavior and what actions you can take against trolls. Knowing your rights and the platform's policies empowers you to protect yourself effectively.

7. Report Severe Harassment: If you encounter severe harassment or cyberbullying that goes beyond mere trolling, don't hesitate to report it to the platform administrators. They have mechanisms in place to address such incidents and can take appropriate action to protect you and other users.

8. Set Boundaries: Set clear boundaries for what content you engage with and what you ignore. Limit your exposure to platforms or online spaces where trolling is prevalent. By controlling your online interactions and focusing on positive content, you can reduce the chances of encountering trolls.

9. Build Resilience: Developing resilience is crucial in protecting yourself from the impact of online trolls. Build self-confidence by recognizing your own value and positive qualities. Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends, family, or online communities. Reframe negative comments in a more positive light and maintain perspective by keeping your goals and values in mind.

10. Take Breaks from Social Media: If the presence of online trolls becomes overwhelming, it's essential to take breaks from social media. Disconnecting temporarily can provide you with a much-needed respite and allow you to focus on real-life interactions and activities that bring you joy.

Dealing with online trolls requires a combination of strategies to protect yourself, stay calm, and develop resilience. By not engaging with trolls, utilizing blocking and reporting features, preserving evidence, seeking support, practicing self-care, and setting boundaries, you can effectively shield yourself from their negative impact.

Remember, building resilience takes time and practice, but with these strategies, you can navigate the online world with confidence and protect your well-being from the harmful behavior of online trolls.

#online trolls #cyberbullies #online safety #self care #social media #social networks

[theiconicmeghanmarkle]

What is wrong with these people? The fact that Laura Dinah Palomo feels so comfortable making statements like that on a public platform is insanity and stupidity all rolled into one. 💀

This woman and many people like her is the reason that Prince Harry is so adamant about getting proper security for his family. The unbridled hatred aimed at Meghan is insane. Created and amplified by the UK press...encouraged and not reprimanded by the British Royal Family /The Firm. Disgusting

#meghan markle #online trolls #trolls #meghan markle racism #duchess meghan #the duchess of sussex #prince harry #duke of sussex #the duke of sussex #british royals #meghan the duchess of sussex #the royal family #meghanmarkle #duchess of sussex #uk royal family #royal family uk #brf #the duke and duchess of sussex #prince harry the duke of sussex #british royalty #princess meghan #british royal family #royals #the british royal family #duke and duchess of sussex #royalty #meghan duchess of sussex #harry and meghan

[shahronak47]

One more chance before I hate you.

In the last year, I can remember 3 instances where people screwed up and were on the receiving end of online hate and trolling.

Jocelyn Chia - She is a stand-up comedian and cracked up a joke about the disappeared flight MH370 which was very insensitive to the victims and their families.

Pushpal Roy - An HDFC bank manager who was recorded abusing junior employees for not reaching their sales target.

Cameroon Green - Australian cricketer who took a controversial catch of Shubman Gill in the final of WTC between India vs Australia.

Now these are just recent examples off the top of my head, I am sure every day some people screw up and receive online hate. I read about this stuff on social media and go through the comments that people post. For example, Jocelyn is a Singaporean-born and one of the comments was "Jocelyn does not represent us Singaporeans. She represents her family and her upbringing". More comments were worse than this. Going through these comments I felt bad. Do we really know her family values and her upbringing? I am in no way defending what she said. Whatever she said was definitely wrong and insensitive but what my point is do we really need to stoop this low to make someone feel so bad about their act? For all that we know her parents must be the most sensitive people and they truly feel sorry for what she said. Or Jocelyn herself is very sensitive but this one joke is what she did not thought it through. She did not know that it could hurt people the way it did. I mean this has happened to me so many times when I say something in a group and then later thinking about it I regret what I said.

Same with Pushpal Roy. Few people didn't find him online so were commenting on HDFC's page about him. Obviously, what he did and how he spoke to his colleagues is not appreciated and should not be tolerated but what if this is 3rd time he is telling them and they are still making the same mistake? Do we know the back and forth of the story? We see one side of the coin, make our instant judgments, and share our thoughts in a very insensitive way.

In this age of social media, no one has time but everyone has an opinion. They don't have time to research things, try to understand the issue to its core, form an opinion, and then post it online. They see an incident in isolation and immediately start spewing venom. Since we do no research on our own, a lot of our opinions are dependent on how the post is written.

Consider these two headlines,

"Monster on the Streets: Ruthless Murderer Kills Own Boss!" and "Tragic Homicide Occurs: Individual Involved in Fatal Incident with Former Employer"

Reading the first headline you have already labeled the murderer as a villain without understanding the situation. The second headline is at least a bit balanced. It encourages you to read more and find out what was the actual situation. Why the employee had to kill his own boss. Imagine we scrolling through our social media feed, read the first headline and within 10 seconds we find ourselves commenting on the post "This person should be hanged. He has no right to live. What an inhuman creature. ". No time to think or reflect. The worst case is when the news headline mentions the race or religion of the person who has done this. "Ruthless Asian Murderer...." or "Ruthless Muslim Murderer...." or "Ruthless Hindu Murderer...." and again we as "innocent" social media consumers would fall for it. Some would get all riled up and add a hate comment on the post for the community, and someone would do nothing but in their mind make a point about how a member of a particular community did this heinous act.

Now there are a lot of wrongs here. It is a fact that someone killed someone. Why they killed some person is secondary but killing someone is wrong. It is wrong that the article wrote a sensationalized headline for more views/likes or whatever and it is also wrong that we get angry about this immediately just after reading the headline and without understanding the complete picture. So yes, there are a lot of wrongs but which of these wrongs can we control? Which of these wrongs can we change? Can we take a break before forming our opinions? Can we give some time to understand the situation completely?

Can we give that person one more chance before we start hating that person for what they did which may or may not impact us? Maybe it was just in the heat of the moment, maybe they were weak for that 10 seconds when they committed the mistake. Can we allow them to be a human who makes mistakes and not behave in a way that we have never done anything wrong?

Can we just take a deep breath before we say or post anything?

#self help #online trolls #anger

[confessionsofarefashionista]

Guy is pretty sure that this troll isn't familiar with the meaning of "helping" 🤣

#refashionista sheri #refashionista #troll time #responding to trolls #mean comments #trolls #online trolls #Youtube

[binarypulsar]

"Maybe. But maybe, in the information age, sound is as destructive as fury."

#mco335 #social media #online trolls

[sammlemon]

Process of daily feedback.

#online trolls #battletobalance #space invaders #code #feedback #listen

[thomasmwatt]

Keyboard Warriors - Widescreen

This is the same animated short I posted yesterday but the widescreen version. I was hoping to find time to write a meaningful post today but at the moment that time is lost. Looking forward to updating soon.

View On WordPress

#Animated Series #animated short #ems humor #funny #online trolls #Paramedic Robot #reddit #short story #Youtube