Say no to trolls!
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #153
Although the internet is a fascinating place through which it’s possible to connect with an amazingly supportive and wonderfully diverse, intelligent, talented, and welcoming community of like minded individuals, it also has its problems.
Sadly, the internet is also infested with a small group of nasty, belittling, hateful, spiteful, nonsensical no-nothings who muddy the waters of what ought to otherwise be an astonishing ocean of genuinely helpful information.
I’m referring to internet trolls.
These are the argumentative, patronizing, religious zealots and the bigoted, racist, homophobic, lecturing, hectoring, neo Nazis; the anti-everything bullies and self righteous, self serving, self appointed twats who must have the last word no matter what.
How can you protect or otherwise insulate yourself from this assholes?
First of all, what you absolutely must NOT do is engage them. Nope! Don’t do that because all that does is encourage them.
You can ignore them, but that seldom works for long.
You can block them, ban them, and report them as well.
But by far and away the most effective way to deal with them (if you can) is to mute them. That’s right, you TAKE AWAY THEIR VOICE!
I read this somewhere on Substack recently although I don’t recall where and it’s become my default way of dealing with these kinds of people.
They can go off on their merry way but I no longer have to deal with their shit.
Quite satisfying.
So, that’s this edition of Shaking the Tree. That’s my advice. I hope it helps.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Start thinking ten articles ahead!