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[Launa]

Lately with a lot more media exposure, stories in the news and net about trans issues the spotlight on Caitlyn etc. I have been watching the comments left behind from people. Wow what a lot of haters there are out there! I have jumped in a couple of times to make remarks back at these people but I have to ask myself when I post am I lashing out or am I trying to educate?
Its really tough to keep your mouth shut when folks talk about us and say things like, "lock and load" "he/she/it" "freak show" and the list goes on. sometimes I think its better not to look at the comments on MSN.

Launa

[kimdl93]

Look, the comment section of virtually every web based news and commentary site inevitably deteriorates into a bunch of unbridled visciousness. I honestly believe that the anonymity and lack of accountability for such statements has turned it into a playground for sociopaths. My god, they attack videos of kittens.

The solution...as is often said. Don't feed the trolls. Ignore the comments entirely. They're not worth a moment of your time.

[Leslie Langford]

My preferred approach is to do a "John Stewart" or a "Bill Maher" on these morons to first cut them down to size and publicly expose their B.S. for what it really is. This usually reduces them to a quivering, blubbering puddle of Jello, which is pretty typical of bullies when confronted head-on. Then I strive to educate - not necessarily them, as they are essentially a lost cause - but other posters who might follow and who I can perhaps influence pro-actively (and positively) before they hop on the same troll bandwagon.

I find that taking an incisive jab at these "haters" first soothes the soul, which then puts me in the right frame of mind to assume the "good cop" role for the educational part of the discourse...

[Adriana Moretti]

yea you cant get angry at the comments.....its the internet

[Tracii G]

I don't respond because I hate trolls.

[Robin414]

...
The solution...as is often said. Don't feed the trolls. Ignore the comments entirely. They're not worth a moment of your time.

I agree, no fuel and the fire dies! I like Leslie's approach as well but takes more tact for an online debate. In person though I carry a 15 lb cinder block in my purse so I can swing it like Thor's hammer (or maybe like Thor's sister's purse LOL &#128515

[Teresa]

Launa,
Sometimes people don't see their own lives when they comment on others ! " Let him without sin etc..............."
People can be very verbal often in an attempt to cover their own tracks and inadequate lives, they don't stop to think that many of us have wives and families and we struggle to juggle the various life styles .
How many of them would have the guts to admit the way part of their lives are lived and dare to show their pictures to make the point clear !!

[Laura912]

In order for a comment to receive a reply, one must decide that the commentators are worthy of the time spent on them.

[Amy Fakley]

I have been suckered into so many comment wars over the years. Especially on facebook, because it's essentially one huge comments section.

What I have found, is that even though I'm in the right, and even though I'm doing a good thing by responding to such ignorance publicly, and even when I'm nice about it ... my brain doesn't know the difference between a real confrontation and a virtual one.

I still get all the stress. The adrenaline rush. Sometimes my hands start to shake. My heart races. I can't stop thinking about it afterward. I'll keep coming back to make sure I'm still "winning" the confrontation.

I came to realize that trying to change the world by winning arguments on the internet is like trying to move a beach by throwing one grain of sand at a time back into the ocean.

It doesn't work, and trying isn't healthy.

[Alexis08]

I find small-minded bigots comments funny. it's their perspective nothing more.

[JessicaJHall]

Whatsa matter Amy? You some kind of girly man? (/sarc) Sorry, I can't help making fun of those people. You're spot on about the getting sucked into the confrontational rabbit hole.
More specifically on this thread topic, you may notice most of these trolls don't like anything or anyone that doesn't conform to some "Leave it to Beaver" fantasy world in their minds. They hate Women, minorities, our government, all other governments, and anyone that doesn't hate the things they hate.
My theory is no one in close proximity of them wants to hear it, so they take to the internets. Most unmoderated comments sections descend into playground name calling and become unread, abandoned, and removed, unless hating is the sole purpose of the site.
IOW, trolls be trolling... and get ignored for the most part.

[CynthiaD]

In places like that, most of the nasty comments are written by people who couldn't care less about the issues one way or the other. They're just trying to stir the pot. The more reaction they get to their comments, the better they like it, no matter what the comments say. The best idea is to ignore them.

[LucyNewport]

Rule # 1 of the internet is never read the comments – I break it every day, so who am I to criticize?

There are certain sites that have comment sections (Gawker, Gothamist) that I find really fun to read. And then there are comment sections, like those on yahoo, which seem to consist entirely of racist-uncle-Bobs spouting the most vile eliminationist crap imaginable. I try not to engage in those. There is no point. You won't change any minds by entering a circular argument. The only result will be frustration and despair at the state of humanity.

So my advice is choose your comment battles wisely, and don't be scared to walk away.

[Dana Nichole]

I agree with Lucy...never read the comments. Too many trolls, flamers and bomb throwers.

[arbon]

I honestly believe that the anonymity and lack of accountability for such statements has turned it into a playground for sociopaths.

Except they are not all anonymous trolls. An article on a faith based FB page came onto my FB feed after a FB friend shared it and I looked at the comments - horrible! They were real names, real people with a lot of moral judgments about us.

[Jorja]

People can be very verbal often in an attempt to cover their own tracks and inadequate lives, they don't stop to think that many of us have wives and families and we struggle to juggle the various life styles .

The problem here is a lack of accountability. If these people were forced to use their real names, there would be nothing at all. When people can say anything they want without repercussion, they will say anything. The more disgusting and foul the better.

[27th Jennifer]

Ugh. I try to avoid comment sections on news sites, but sometimes I can't help it. I have to look. And I always regret it. The best thing any serious news site can do is disable the comment section. It serves no purpose anymore. I am sure the original idea was for an article to stimulate a thought-provoking dialog about the subject matter, which was a great sounding idea in 1998, but by now we have all figured out the uselessness of allowing every idiot with an inter-web connection to just spew garbage out their empty brain case to try and impress people with their knuckle-dragging skills.

[Marcelle]

. .. My god, they attack videos of kittens.

Trolls eat kittens? When did that happen???

In all seriousness, unless I have the person in front of me I won't engage because it is a loosing battle as they always come back with the "Oh yeah . . . " defence. I typically ignore the comments made on internet news articles because most of the people who respond have such a narrow definition of what is right and wrong that you have no hope of educating and arguing with them . . . well, just brings you down to their level.

Cheers

Isha

[Gladys]

Every time I reply to comments on the internet, I am sorry I do and swear not to comment again.......but eventually I give in.

[Josie]

I feel like I fell in a sewage pit after reading some of the really mean and ignorant comments.

[Robin414]

I'd like to open a social media profile with a photo of a hells angels biker looking dude, present as a full on guy advocate, and fight back like a wolverine, hey might be fun taking advantage of the 'cloak of anonymity' 😄

[Missy43]

I don't read any of them. I let the ignorant people have there opinions but I don't need to read them