Yesterday and today, Jiggly Bits was up on WordPress’ “Growing Blogs” page (in the second spot!! Thanks everyone who’s visited!!), and I’ve gotten a stream of trolls, mostly on our “About the Authors” page, and my Poetry Collection. When I got my first troll, the infamous Tara, I took this stance:
Your insults don’t hurt, and I won’t give you the satisfaction of a post all about you in the future, because you aren’t that special. Just know my stand: your pettiness is noted and rejected. Please continue living your life as a minion of society, but I won’t let you drag me down with you.
Well, I still stand by that, and I don’t want to make this post about these haters and their comments, but I have a question for all you readers out there who actually respect what I do: what should I do with the comments I get that are from the trolls? I just discovered last night that I can actually edit their comments(!!). Should I leave them up, as they are? Or should I edit the comment to say something like, “Oh, yes. I’m a troll. Hummdy hum hum…doo doo dee doo!” Or should I delete them so they don’t have to sit there looking at us all funny?
I thought it’d be funny to change what they say to completely fat-positive comments. What do you all think?
Oh, and feel free to go troll hunting. I support it, as long as it’s witty and respectful (in the sense that you don’t insult any other groups while doing it…I’m not looking for hate, I’m looking for some confident expulsion of hate…do you know what I mean? Wittiness and sass are appreciated!).
19 comments
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August 14, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Bee
Hi Chrissy! If you really feel like editing (that is, reading through) these comments, I think it might be a laugh to replace the obvious fat-hate-bingo-ish phrases by something to the opposite effect… like, say, “disgusting” with “adorable”? Maybe there’s a way of making it completely automatic, so you’d just press a button and voila, a hater turns into an ally…
Sounds like fun to me, but then again, I am kind of immature
P.S. I’m actually kind of amazed by Tara. That woman is EVERYWHERE
August 14, 2008 at 6:15 pm
llencelyn
I am of the opinion that if they are genuinely trolling – i.e. trying to get a reaction, do whatever you want as long as you don’t engage them and try to explain to them their fallacies.
I read a fantastic article recently (surprisingly from the NY Times) where a reporter got to interview some of the most famous trolls ever.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html
The guys she interviews are, perhaps more intellectual the your average troll, but the primary thing I got out of it that I think can be applied to all trolls is that they want attention – they want a rise out of you.
There is a popular habit of “disemvoweling” trolls – taking the vowels out of their posts. I bet it would be really simple to find a downloadable bit of code that would make it easy for you.
I also read one blog that did one of the things you suggested – turned their comments into fun or entertaining things. “I like cake!” is one example.
Whatever you decide to do is cool. Just don’t feed the trolls.
August 14, 2008 at 8:00 pm
threeboys1mommy
Hi, No comment troll here. I’ve been stopping in via the Growing Blogs link. I love what you’re doing here, but mostly I’m amazed by how many hits you have in such a short time
Tell me how, PLEASE! I can’t get my mom to read my blog
August 14, 2008 at 8:46 pm
misanthropy
i think you should not delete the comments, only because it’s hard to click “delete comment” with a 12-inch submarine sandwich in your hand. my 2 cents.
great blog!
August 14, 2008 at 8:47 pm
integgy
I am very much in favor of what Ilencelyn mentioned about disemvowellment. 8D That’s the punishment they use for trolling/rule breaking on the site Bannination, and it always leads to incredibly amusing posts of folks trying to form sentences, but not being able to make anything sensible, because of the lack of vowels. xD
August 15, 2008 at 2:20 am
Esra
Hey miss,
I think I’d be tempted to delete them like 95% of the time, but every now and then just have a random thread that let’s them through for mocking. Kind of like shakes’ Fat Princess post.
August 15, 2008 at 2:47 am
Sarah
Delete their incoherent shit and move on. It’s a good philosophy to live on.
August 15, 2008 at 4:06 am
Elizabeth
Got to love the troll action on the troll post, but I do have to ask: how seriously maladroit do you have to be to fail at using a mouse while holding something (say a sub sandwich) in the other hand? Misanthropy clearly has motor skill difficulties, so perhaps we should be kind.
August 15, 2008 at 9:29 am
The Vinyl Villager
who is tara? Ive never “met” her…
as for trolls…Id just delete them…luckily Ive never had any of my own…
August 15, 2008 at 9:52 am
webescape
Sweet job!
http://webescape.wordpress.com/
August 15, 2008 at 10:03 am
osolomama
Just found your blog and I love it! As for trolls, one blogger I highly respect uses a combination of tactics, as no one tactic works all the time: deletion, derision, rising above it all (ignoring the troll) and “Oh God, —-’s here again stinking up the place” are all useful in context. In the meantime, your star is rising and trolls have nowhere to go but down.
August 15, 2008 at 10:44 am
teaescapade
I think its sad that someone feels the necessity to make derogatory comments on your blog or anyone else’s. Especially when it comes to such personal issues as body image – height, weight, color, etc.
We are all children of God and because of His creativity have a variety of shapes. Even if that shape is not in the best condition doesn’t make someone any less special. This behavior truly saddens me.
I think you should do whatever you feel most comfortable with – if it’s delete then delete; if not then keep – sometimes the world needs to see how truly pathetic people can be.
August 15, 2008 at 12:39 pm
downcastmysoul
A troll is a cockroach is like a perp. They will be around trolling/perping each other long after the rest of the world is blown apart. I think the best thing to do is keep comments on moderation unless you have a loyal following that can tear apart your troll/perps. Disemvolelling seems to be a cool solution though. I might try it on the one post I let get thru that is perpish.
August 15, 2008 at 1:33 pm
kellyq
Karma. That’s all. Keep doing what your doing- it’s working beautifully.
August 15, 2008 at 2:25 pm
gentlemansavant
Gawm I only WISH I had your trolls. Send ‘em over! I’ll give’em what they’ve got comin’!
http://gentlemansavant.wordpress.com
August 15, 2008 at 9:51 pm
April D
Personally I moderate all comments so that I can delete anything I find offensive. I don’t allow people to wear dirty shoes into my home and I won’t allow people to bring dirty comments into my blog.
Oh and congrats on being number 1 on the growing blogs list now! Wheee!
August 16, 2008 at 1:56 am
gentlemansavant
As you’ve noticed, Chrissy, I’ve apparently developed a troll infestation of my own. At present I’m using a combination of my rapier wit and a cream the doctor gave me. I think they jumped from your blog onto mine via a comment I left above, and they’ve given me a bit of a boost in my blogstats, so… what can I say? Thank you!
Here’s to fighting the good fight, and your blog rocks, by the way.
http://gentlemansavant.wordpress.com/
August 18, 2008 at 10:15 pm
behnnie
Could you post some of the real doozies in blog entries and let your readers edit them??
Best rewrite of a hater comment wins… um… ah… I have no idea.
But ooh I’d love to enjoy a few laughs to see trollies’ words turned against them. *hee hee hee*
Found you through “growing blogs,” btw, and am enjoying scrolling down and reading past entries. Lots of fun.
January 18, 2012 at 2:23 pm
magnifique100
I would simply delete the troll comments. No need to have them on your page.