From Code of Conduct to Reality: Dealing with Internet Trolls
Even if you draft a “Code of Conduct” for online events or forums, there’s always some “funny one” who, in the middle of a conference or event, pulls a “stunt,” whether it’s posting an inappropriate image or creating some other distraction that shocks the community. If this has ever happened to you, or if you simply want to know more about the topic, here we’ll share how to deal with Internet trolls to prevent abuse and hostility in digital communities.
¿What is an internet troll?
Colloquially, an Internet troll is anyone who, taking advantage of the anonymity of being behind a computer, does not identify themselves and posts provocative, irrelevant, and sometimes rude messages in digital communities—such as a discussion forum, chat room, blog comments, an online event, or similar—with the main intention of annoying or provoking a negative emotional response in users and readers.
Types of trolls and trolling
Strange as it may seem, not all trolls are as unpleasant as the ones we described in the first paragraph of this article. Some of them seek to get people to question their ideas in order to break the status quo. Without being exhaustive, below we present a classification based on information from the Wikipedia page about Internet trolls:
- By their appearance, trolls are classified as:
One-shot trolls. These are the ones who post highly disruptive content to ensure they receive angry responses. This type of message is known as flamebait or flaming.
Second-shot trolls. Also called hunters or provokers; they don’t start the conflict but immediately reinforce it.
Disruptive trolls. They post off-topic comments, give spoilers about movies or books, or start fruitless discussions. This is often referred to as a flamewar.
Highjacker trolls. They divert the discussion off-topic in response to the provocative messages of the first troll.
- By their motivation, trolls seek to:
Attention-seeking. They promote other forums or self-advertise, make comments about their status, or claim to be someone they are not.
Challenge dominant discourse. These trolls call themselves “devil’s advocates,” intending to break a group’s status quo thinking. This group includes people who create satire.
Harass. They target a group member with the intention of making them feel bad or driving them away from the forum.
Exercise power. For example, to achieve the dissolution of a forum.
Have fun. Either by annoying other users or by trying out an alternative personality thanks to anonymity.
How to deal with trolls and avoid trolling
The term troll refers to a type of fishing lure, so the main thing is not to bite the bait and to recognize when you are dealing with a troll. A troll’s aggressions will not always be explicit, which makes direct confrontation difficult; in most cases, trolls will use covert aggressions, taking advantage of the anonymity that the Internet gives them. Many times, they will not acknowledge their provocative intentions, since they see themselves as misunderstood comedians or political commentators.
Our recommendation is to establish a protocol to avoid feeding meaningless conversations and vicious cycles. These are some processes that such a protocol could include:
1. A code of conduct for hybrid or virtual events.
The code of conduct should state zero tolerance for reprehensible behaviors such as:
2. Include an identity verification process.
Whether through email confirmation or a phone number, this will significantly reduce the chances of someone abusing anonymity. Creating a user profile and password without properly validating the authenticity of the data or the legitimacy of the email address does not remove anonymity from participants.
3. Evaluate audience behavior and interactions.
Not all trolls are the same, and some trolling can generate good discussion. A moderator should be responsible for identifying which users are contributing value and which are not.
4. Enable control mechanisms to quickly block aggressors.
Publishing the code of conduct will not completely prevent trolls from appearing. The benefit of having set the ground rules from the start with such a code of conduct is that you can block them immediately when they commit any of these offenses. As the administrator of a forum, blog, or event, you have the power and responsibility to remove or silence trolls.
In conclusion…
The Internet has become fertile ground for some people, under the cover of anonymity, to generate hate messages or fruitless conversations that disturb members of a community. As a moderator of a community, forum, blog, or event, it is important to have a protocol in place for possible contingencies with trolls and their attacks.