How To Deal With Internet Bullies?

creyes123 writes "I run a free website with an online model airplane design calculator. The number of registered users has quickly climbed and I've gotten many compliments. Out of nowhere, a fellow shows up and proceeds to bad mouth the calculator in a posting in one of my forums. After I politely point out that he's mistaken and should have looked at the documentation before posting, he changes the subject and bad mouths a different 'flaw.' The cycle repeats a few more times, with no apparent end in sight. I want to encourage folks to share their opinions, but constructive criticism was clearly not his goal. I feel that the whole episode was just a massive time waster for me. What did I do to deserve this? Could I have handled this better?"

Comments

Create a "Trollcage"

[MisterBlueSky]

Nah, he will probably come back using proxy's.

Instead use some scripting to make his posts invisible to everybody, but himself (only someone visiting from his IP gets to see his posts/comments). He will think he is successfully posting his trolls, but nobody else sees them.

Re:Stop Playing Their Game

[Beardo the Bearded]

If you're the moderator, just shadowban their account.

They can post, but nobody sees their posts except for the bully.

Eventually they leave, since they think that everyone is ignoring them.

Re:We may be the ones being played

[Magic5Ball]

Also, according to the roster, the majority of the new (pre-slashdot) non-posting users appear to be registered in a pattern consistent with automatic account generation using approximately 2.5 username formats, with no indications of the standard network effects that would show up if people registered and attracted their friends to this resource. I would guess that there are fewer than 10 accounts tied to humans in total (given profile content and posting history), and that BlackHawk0's "bullying" contributes the highest volume and quality of content in the forums other than the administrator.

Re:Stop Playing Their Game

[GuldKalle]

In my experience banning the troll only agitates it.
I was thinking, why not give them their own little sandbox, where only users marked as 'troll' could see posts by other trolls?

Re:We may be the ones being played

[Dutch Gun]

This is how the conversation petered out:

In any case, the warnings are a minor problem compared to the invalid airfoil data. I hope that you manage to get it all straight though. The software might be impossible to 'fine tune' properly (but I simply have no idea about it), but a lot of real-world data is available in various books and publications, so it hopefully shouldn't be a major issue.

Seriously, that's an Internet bully? Sorry, but you need to grow slightly thicker skin if you want to interact with people. I mean ANY people, not just on the net. Yes, he came across as a bit of a know-it-all, and pointed out some perceived flaws in something you've obviously spent a lot of time on and care about. It's always hard to hear one's work criticized, but try not to take it personally. The guy seriously didn't strike me as the type that's going out of his way to offend you. Try not to take it in this light.

Honestly, I think it's a bit of an insult to him to describe him as a bully. Over-bearing, maybe, but certainly not a bully.

Re:Stop Playing Their Game

[Mhtsos]

Best punishment in forum: Girlie Ban. Everyone gets to edit banned user's posts. Hell forum features this (along with the visual torture that is its color sceme).

Re:Stop Playing Their Game

[dbcad7]

I think that will lead to.. well let's call it craziness, once they figure it out.

Other than slashdot, I think the best mod system is multi leveled.. for example...

Warned..... Shows up with their avatar.. A blight on your good name until removed
Moderated.. Also shows up, but all posts approved by administrator before posting (extra work)
Muted...... Can read but not post.. A time out if you will.. for several days
Banned..... Permanent Solution.

Of course with all these some warning is given.. and you should have a Terms of Service (forum rules) that back up what you think is and isn't appropriate behavior... with this system, you start at the top.. and work your way down until banning. If it's a place the poster wants to use, then it will rarely get past the warned or moderated stage... all but "Banned" are meant to be temporary.. just slight attitude adjusters.