I’m an African American woman on the internet, and I don’t have a troll problem. I don’t have keyboard wannabe psychos, perverts, or other brands of idiots plaguing me.
I used to. A long time ago, wasting time on Usenet, I picked up a couple of barnacles. They used their freedom of speech to harass me (as best as one could online without triggering spam detectors), so I used mine to repost some of their more colorful diatribes in their local and favorite interest forums.
What is public is public. If people don’t want something posted in public, they shouldn’t post it in public.
There is no real need to out a troll. They out themselves. I’d say how, but I don’t like to give away my secrets. Suffice to say, if someone is harassing you online, they fit a certain type that has pretty standard patterns of behavior. They think they’re a unique, special snowflake, which is why they think anyone gives a shit what they have to say about anything, when in fact they are like cookie cutter copies of the same pull-string doll. None of them ever has anything new to say. None of them ever has any honor or self respect. They are the psycho ex girlfriend of the internet who just doesn’t get that they don’t matter as much as they think they do.
So for the life of me, I do not understand why so many female writers are up in arms about them.
If I had a nickel for how many times I’ve been called all manner of ugly, worthless, stupid, evil, whatever, I’d be a millionaire just from that. I would buy a yacht and christen it _UglyFatNiggerBitch_.
Really, I don’t know how this became a freedom of speech issue. Nobody’s freedom of speech is threatened by not being able to post on one website. Everyone is free to open their own website where they can say whatever they want on it. I personally do not owe anyone the “freedom” to post whatever they want on my site. It’s my site.
If someone is trolling your site, delete their posts. Set up filters. If that doesn’t stop it, moderate it…or moderate it from the beginning and save yourself the headache.
Whenever you’re saying anything on the internet, much more anything important, you will attract haters. It’s the same if you go someplace and start giving a speech or reading poetry, or playing music. Some people aren’t going to like what you’re doing, and will say something about it. That’s life. Don’t want opposition, then don’t speak.
If you want to be able to say anything you want, and everybody agree with you, that is childish. Life simply doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go in this world, you will have to defend yourself. The internet is no different.
Get used to that.
