Trolling. Ever since I discovered the wonders of online communities and the “interwebz” it seemed that every time I dug deeper into the myriad of comments, forum posts, reblogs, etc. you invariably run into some form of trolling. Some saw it as a bit of slightly mean spirited fun, drumming up a little entertainment from the reactions to their name calling, rude remarks, and general annoyances not unlike the most annoying sound in the world. Others saw it as an art or testament to their wit: luring victims into conversations or debates that ended in logical frustration and or embarrassment. At the end of the day, a troll is pretty much a person who posts content (usually but not necessarily under the guise of anonymity) in an attempt to draw out reactions for their amusement. Unfortunately, there are times when the act of trolling crosses the line and becomes harassment, with extreme cases involving stalking, sexual harassment, death/rape threats, and even impersonating dead relatives.
Trolling that crosses the line into harassment territory is about as ethical as more traditional bullying (you could even go as far as to call it bullying by the people who used to be bullied). Schools and universities have an obligation to suppress traditional bully behavior, so it makes sense that websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc. have a similar obligation to try and suppress/report online harassment. However, technology companies are in the precarious position of having to meet this obligation while maintaining its users rights to freedom of speech/expression. While the current systems of allowing users to block other users or reporting abuse do maintain this balance, they are limited in the fact that (1) the most persistent trolls will still find ways to get to users who have blocked them, (2) requiring a review process of every abuse report slows down response times, and (3) reviewing abuse reports is still subject to errors from human subjectivity as to what constitutes harassment.
Some companies like Google and Blizzard Entertainment (For the Horde!) tried to help deal with online harassment by requiring users to use their real names. Their logic was that removing the veil of anonymity that allowed trolls to be brazen and act with relative impunity would force people to act a little more well behaved. It didn’t work. While some users praised the addition of such features claiming that they had no reason to hide behind a screen name, most reacted negatively for reasons such as wanting to maintain a roleplaying experience (in the case of Blizzard’s games), wanting to maintain anonymity due to hostilities in their home countries, or just simply not wanting their online personas and their real lives to intersect. I personally side with the latter argument, seeing anonymity as both a blessing and a curse. Not only are real name policies ineffective at stopping harassment (just look at the harassment that takes place on Facebook), being anonymous or operating under a screen name allows for some form of escape from regular life. I can go online and interact with communities without having to really worry about any baggage or issues that come for real life. With this freedom, or any other freedom however, comes the choice of using it for good or for evil. You in essence need to let the scum live in order for everyone else to prosper.
I used to be a troll, albeit one who preferred to be a minor annoyance as opposed to someone who sought to harass other people. That form of trolling is not really an issue, and even if it does annoy you there’s always the timeless adage of “don’t feed the troll.” The real issue is trolling that has crossed the line into online harassment, which itself can be a reflection of even larger social issues such as racism, sexism, etc. These trolls are harder to deal with since (1) they tend to be more persistent, (2) ignoring them makes you an emotional punching bag, (3) fighting them may only add fuel to the fire, and (4) their posts/threats cut much deeper emotionally than the most annoying sound in the world. The only way I can see to deal with them is to just educate people and have them realize that such behavior cannot be tolerated and should be openly mocked. At the end of the day these trolls are people on the other side of a computer screen. People get angry. People yell. People get bored. Most importantly: people can be embarrassed. There is no better feeling than watching a troll flailing around for all to trying to defend their views. I will admit there is a bit of irony here, using trolling to combat trolls. I guess we really can’t escape that precarious balancing act between good and evil when it comes to the Internet.
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