wikiHow to Deal with an Internet Troll

Three Methods:IRC Trolling Message Board Trolling User Page Trolling Community Q&A

Trolls on the Internet can be infuriating to other people reading or participating in a website. If you know how to handle a troll, beating the troll frustration-free can be very simple and quick, as outlined here.

Method 1
IRC Trolling

1
Make sure you're dealing with a troll. Sometimes, what appears to be a troll may just be a very stressed out person. Avoid getting heated yourself and try to ask kind questions or make kind suggestions before assuming the worst.
- Always assume good faith initially.
- Keep your sense of humor. You may be able to joke them out of their misbehaving.
- Consider ignoring them. Troll behavior directed at you will usually stop if you don't add fuel for them to play with.
2

Report the troll to an op, administrator, or site owner. An op (channel operator), administrator, or site owner will know how to deal with the troll and will know whether to ban or kick Or Just Leave And Make A New Chat .
3

Use the ignore command. If you want to ignore them, type /ignore troll's_name_here, you won't see any of the text they write!

Method 2
Message Board Trolling

1

Ignore the posts. A troll's goal is to make users angry, and by responding to their posts, you are "feeding the troll". The sooner you extinguish the trolling, the better.
2

Compliment the troll. Trolls will be thrown off balance if you give them a simple compliment, and may even stop trolling people. And keep it up!
3

Report the troll to a moderator or the site owner if they persist. If the trolling persists, a moderator or site owner can deal with them.

Method 3
User Page Trolling

1

Ask the troll to stop posting on your page. Only do this once.
2

Stop responding to them. Keep your sense of humor and don't get angry. Treat the matter as what it is – someone testing your boundaries and waiting for you to bite.
3

Ask for a moderator, administrator or site owner to intervene if the troll doesn't stop.

Community Q&A

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How do I make a troll crack?

wikiHow Contributor

You're probably best doing nothing. As They are likely only looking for attention, if you give it to them, they win.

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How do I deal with trolls in games?

wikiHow Contributor

Ignore them, or they will just try to annoy you more. Move away from them or into a different chat room if you're in a online game.

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Unanswered Questions

How do you deal with a troll that keeps coming back, and the moderators/administrators don't do anything about it?

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Tips

Trolls love attention and they love it when they see angry replies. Don't feed the troll.
If you announce you are leaving because of trolling, it will convince the trolls that they are winning.
Inform your friends about the troll so they don't respond.
Don't let mean trolls upset you.