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...editorial...
define “ internet trolls ”
Yes, we can define internet trolls, but we will not catch all with one definition. We may be able to separate them though, and that'll bring us a long way towards the goal of handling them to our advantage.
Internet trolls are disturbing factors in any internet-society. Any person who has disturbance as their main (or maybe only) goal, is definitely an internet troll.
In most cases the actual handling of internet trolls is what makes the difference. Rushed judgment of, and reaction to, internet trolls may cause more harm than good. Reacting too quickly and/or locking ourself into pre-defined positions and cry "troll", is rarely ever the right way to go.
use your imagination...
Failing to detect internet trolls early enough, may lead to problems. Seeing internet trolls everywhere is definitely an even bigger problem.
Since everyone may end up acting like an internet troll at times, we should first look at ourselves. We humans are more like each other than we tend to think, so it may be a good start to observe our own actions and reactions before jumping to judgments about others.
good internet trolls…
In short: trolls are not always trolls — they may just behave as if they are. Positively oriented people may stir up some controversy from time to time, but what separates the good trolls from the bad trolls is the open agenda positively oriented people have. Don't shut out the good trolls, as there won't be much left if we do.
- in search of knowledge:
Someone in serious search of knowledge and facts may provoke slightly at times, and may easily be categorized as a troll by someone who isn't looking for anything beyond the established. This is a well known limiting-factor, which is not good for progress.
People who openly search for knowledge are usually good for any society. We should encourage those even if we don't follow them along every path.
- curiosity:
Some people are always curious, and that's usually a good thing. Let's handle their curiosity in small doses so we don't grow tired of them. If they grow in the right direction when fed, then they may contribute much more to any society than they get from it. Let's hope they never grow out of their curiosity, because such people drive progress.
- mind-blocking:
Someone may simply not see the forest for all the trees, and be in need of a mind-jog. Nothing wrong in that, so we may as well guide them back on track. If they are in constant need of mind-jogs, then it may be time to re-categorize them.
- non-contributers:
People who don't contribute anything useful other than maybe some "parrot-talk" to a society, may just be newbies. Don't judge them to early, as we may all need a bit of time and knowledge before becoming contributing members of any society. Don't shout at newbies (or anyone else for that matter).
- accidental:
Cultural differences may cause unintentional disturbances. One should be aware of this phenomena, and not add anything into unclear messages. It is impossible to perfect international communication, regardless of what language we use for communication.
not trolls, but sometimes…
There's a large gray area where we all spend most of our time. We think of it as an area for normal behavior, but such normal behavior is hard to define.
- border-lines:
Try to avoid defining normal behavior at all, and just draw some lines for what's acceptable. If we can't accept it, then it's important to look at what's going on and why we can't accept it. If we don't understand ourselves, then it may be pretty hard to understand others.
Most of us are not trolls, although we may stray into such behavior from time to time. Complete neutrality is rarely an option—at least not a good one. Normal humans tends to be all over the place in their behavior, simply because we are humans. That's a good sign, so keep plenty of space open for normal human behavior.
- short bursts:
Short bursts of disturbing behavior is not uncommon and should be tolorated to a degree, while prolonged disturbing and destructive behavior should be observed and limited by some sort of common rules. Remember that we most often have to destroy something old before we can build something new, so not all destructive forces are bad ones.
- don't be too strict:
Shrinking the space where normal people can spread their wings, will lead to loss of important resources. This will in turn make disturbing behavior and trolling the only options left for creative and positive humans, so too exclusive societies will create their own trolls and lose all ability to handle anything. Narrow-minded societies will easily collapse and become victims of their own strategy.
- don't be too tolorant:
Widening the space too far and becoming too tolorant, may also lead to weakness and collapse, simply because there aren't any control-mechanisms and/or leadership in such societies. Some moderation has to be observed, so there has to be moderators in one form or another if such open societies are to survive.
bad internet trolls…
Before looking into ways to separate the bad trolls from the good ones, we have to figure out any hidden agendas that bad trolls usually have. If we don't see them coming, then we may not know what's happening before it's too late.
It is important to be very careful here, as hidden agendas are just that — hidden. Watch and learn before choosing proper action, and first of all: don't feed the trolls.
- wanting attention:
Attention-seekers may be harmless people, but if attention is all they want then they should be overlooked. Difficult to draw a line here, because most people want attention. Watch out for this contradiction: wanting attention while hiding behind complete anonymity, is one of the clearest signs of bad attention-seeking.
- wanting confirmation:
Those who only seeks confirmation and agreement are easy to separate from all others after a while, and they may as well be ignored once they are spotted.
No use arguing with such people, and playing their game isn't useful either. They've already got what they want and know all they need to know, so there's no need to give them more of the same.
- looking for trouble:
Maybe impossible to spot at first, but professional troublemakers can't hide for long. They tend to get hungry, so they either try to stir up things through some controversial responses, or they leave in their constant search for better hunting-grounds. Some can be quite cunning and persistant though, so keep a close watch.
good judgment…
It's the outcome, the effect, that's important here. If we gain from handling all sorts of internet trolls, then the outcome is good. Yes, it is simple, but good solutions usually are just that.
Balancing the response intelligently is the ideal solution when dealing with trolls. Slow things down a bit and see if the bad trolls lose interest. The good trolls will usually adjust to, and learn from, the society, because that's usually why they came in the first place.
Keep it low key, and avoid getting distracted from the real issues an internet-society is created for. The good trolls should get all the good stuff we may have to share with them, and the bad trolls should be politely ignored.
sincerely 
Hageland 28.apr.2005
last rev: 19.sep.2007
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