Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Dealing with Online Harassment

This article talks about online harassment.  My suggestions ...

1) Don't engage with people who use abusive language.

2) Delete or ban them as necessary.

3) Death threats, rape threats, and other illegal activity should be reported to the police and/or the offender's service provider as appropriate.

4) Remember that cyberspace is what we make of it.  You do not have to put up with this kind of nonsense.  If you do, you'll get more of it.  If you don't, you'll have a venue attractive to people who actually want to hold conversations.

5) Also, it helps to make your expectations clear up front.  Have a civility policy and point to it whenever people forget to behave like decent human beings.

6) If you get swamped by more abuse than you can deal with on an individual basis, walk away from that venue -- or the Internet as a whole, if necessary -- for two weeks.  Almost nobody online has an attention span that long, so it will almost certainly be quieter when you get back.  Reopen your activities, deleting all backlog from the interim.  Contact anyone who might have had something important to say and catch up with them privately.
Tags: blogging, cyberspace theory, networking
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  • 8 comments
ideealisme

ideealisme

October 12 2011, 07:18:32 UTC 9 years ago

I have two public blogs, but they are both of a specialist nature and so are not prone to trolling. But the kind that concerns me and is all the more vicious because of its hypocrisy is the left-wing, "social justice" trolling which is nothing more than Mean Girls dressed up as "calling out your privilege" and if you object to a crowd of hysterical screaming harpies shredding you, why then you are guilty of the "tone argument" which is quite possibly one of the most vicious constructs I have ever come across. I have made it clear on my own "welcome" post that anyone who does it on my blog will not pass Go and won't collect 200 either.
ravan

ravan

October 12 2011, 16:00:07 UTC 9 years ago

I may have to do that. I get very tired of passive-aggressive BS, especially when people claim I have a privilege that I don't, and that whatever I say or do is wrong, not enough, or trying to take over. I don't get into no-win scenarios by choice.
ideealisme

ideealisme

October 12 2011, 16:20:34 UTC 9 years ago

I just don't conduct business with people whom I suspect are likely to react in that fashion. Among other things, I simply don't have the time and energy for it.
ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

October 12 2011, 20:22:42 UTC 9 years ago

If all someone does is bitch, without giving reasons or suggesting a solution, that isn't helpful and it's not a conversation. Shake hands with Mr. Delete Key and go about your business.
ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

October 12 2011, 20:34:51 UTC 9 years ago

It is not necessary to be obnoxious in order to make a point.
gwendally

Re: Good for you!

gwendally

October 13 2011, 14:04:20 UTC 9 years ago

I have a problem on my blog where two guys who have a lot of interesting things to say are really abusive and derogatory. These guys are SERIOUSLY judgmental, i.e., anyone who disagrees with them is "an idiot not worthy of respect", so when I chastise them to play nice they say that their respondent doesn't merit respect.

I don't want to ban them because they are so smart and have such interesting things to say. And, frankly, with their personalities it's hard to imagine that they have much in the way of outlets if not on the internet.

Interestingly, these two men are brothers who were raised Mennonites. Fierce judgmentalism and clannishness appears to be hardwired into them.

I do not believe I can have an open forum without allowing their voices, even though they aren't really following my ground rules (no name calling is the main one.) I'm finding they can't HELP but call people names. It's part of who they ARE.

I'm dismayed by this, but allow them and just put up a warning when they cross the line. In some cases when it devolves entirely into a flamewar with NO actual discussion I just screen that thread. But most of the time, frustratingly for me, it is a post making a really good point, illuminating to the discussion, and the poster just had to be abusive at the start to get over it or something before they knuckle down to talk about the actual issue.

So what I guess I'm saying is that occasionally people DO appear to find it necessary to be obnoxious.

It takes all sorts to make the world go 'round, eh?
cissa

Re: Good for you!

cissa

October 17 2011, 02:28:38 UTC 9 years ago

I think it would be possible for them to make their points without the abuse.

Now, if y0ou think their abusiveness is OK given their other contributions- well, that's your call, but it's still arguably abusive.

I would certainly ignore any possible valid points they made based on their abusiveness... especially if they choose to ignore basic ground rules in order to do this; that's a level of priviledge and entitlement that I do not favor encouraging.

But- your journal, your call.
gwendally

Re: Good for you!

gwendally

October 17 2011, 02:38:50 UTC 9 years ago

I'm pretty uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes I think they are restraining themselves and trying to abide by my ground rules. They certainly benefit from it as they get to have more interesting discussions than I imagine they usually get. :-)