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Vox Day on Troll Hunting

My publisher has a clear and succinct list on how to hunt down online trolls.

http://voxday.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-to-hunt-trolls.html

The list is organized under 17 headings of short, pithy advice:

  1. Stay calm.
  2. Be patient.
  3. Directly inform the troll that he is banned: It is vital to put him on notice.
  4. Don’t delete the troll’s comments.
  5. Don’t permit the readers to engage with the troll.
  6. Look for the troll’s other identities.
  7. Identify his literary tics.
  8. Join forces with the troll’s other targets.
  9. Research the cyberstalking laws in the Troll’s legal jurisdiction.
  10. Don’t bother with threats and warnings.
  11. Don’t pay undue attention to the troll’s assertions.
  12. Don’t bother contacting his friends, employer, and family except to gather more information.
  13. Expect the troll to try to spin the situation as you harassing him as the net tightens. This is actually a very good sign of progress.
  14. Don’t contact the police until you have prepared a succinct summary of the troll’s activity on your site.
  15. Before you call the relevant police department, check the police website and see if they have an officer or a department specializing in online crimes.
  16. Be prepared to press charges, but be open to the possibility of other desirable outcomes.
  17. Above all, don’t be afraid.
About

John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.

January 15, 2015 @ 11:00 am
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