Trolls, annoying commenters and weirdos

Izz · Sep 21, 2009

bsolah said:
I'm reviving this thread because of a persistent troll that keeps coming back on my blog and I can't ban him because his IP address keeps changing so have to manually delete his comments as spam each time.

How do I get rid of this guy? I never respond to him. I just delete so I thought he'd get bored by now but is just so persistent.

If his IP address keeps changing there may not be a way to get rid of him unless he gets bored

Are there any words that this person uses consistently in their comments? I'm not sure what blogging platform your blog is based on, but i know with wordpress there is an option under the discussion settings to hold a comment for moderation if it contains a particular word.

Other than that i'm not sure. I definitely wouldn't recommend turning comment moderation on for every comment, because that might give him a sense of victory.

Do any of your other readers ever respond to the guy's comments? That might be the kind of kick he's after. Maybe a note on your comments page recommending people don't respond to obviously trollish comments because it only encourages them, or something, might help as well.

James D. Macdonald · Sep 21, 2009

How do I get rid of this guy? I never respond to him. I just delete so I thought he'd get bored by now but is just so persistent.

Are there any common features in his posts? If so, you can engage a spam filter.

If not, then just push the button and delete him every time he shows up. Dispassionately. Without comment. Just ... gone.

Deleted member 42 · Sep 21, 2009

Moderate all comments until he gets tired.

bsolah · Sep 21, 2009

I'm using Wordpress too. And there's nothing common about his comments anymore as he's begun changing his name.

Is there a way to moderate the first two parts of an IP address? i.e. if the persons IP address always starts with 573.398

I'm just deleting his comments dispassionately at the moment. And no one's responded to him. He even follows me to other blogs, but the other people delete him without comment now too.

bsolah · Sep 21, 2009

I agree with Izz, that moderating comments would give him a sense of victory.

bsolah · Sep 21, 2009

I installed a plug in called WP-Ban and it allows me ban a string of IP addresses

Deleted member 42 · Sep 22, 2009

bsolah said:
Is there a way to moderate the first two parts of an IP address? i.e. if the persons IP address always starts with 573.398

Most of the plug-ins support a "wild card"; something like ? or * so that *573.398 will ban anything that begins that way.

Some support domain banning wherein you enter name of the domain; you'd have to look.

bsolah · Sep 22, 2009

This WP-Ban plugin seems to be working well. I can track how many times someones tried to access my site from that IP address and I guess when he stops trying I might remove it, in case I'm denying others too.

GabrielNovo · Sep 22, 2009

I've found WP-Ban to be a god send, removing a lot of the SPAM comments I use to muck through. Since installing it I've blocked over 1000 attempts and I don't think it's been up more than a month or so.

I just read a couple of great articles on handling trolls/criticism. One is from CopyBlogger (which is a solid blogging site) http://www.copyblogger.com/handling-criticism/

The other is from Remarkable Communication (new to me, but still a great article) http://www.remarkable-communication.com/how-to-take-a-punch/

Like several people have said, it's YOUR blog and you can enforce rules as you see fit. The tactics in the articles are great, but the one that stood out was from CopyBlogger:

I’d love to quote an example of someone who remained angry at me, but that would be feeding the troll.

Instead, I’ll leave you with an analogy: Responding to harsh criticism is like having only one bullet to hit a difficult target. You have to breathe deeply, aim carefully, and take your shot.

If you miss, go home. Don’t engage in back-and-forth name-calling on the internet.

bsolah · Sep 22, 2009

I've read the CopyBlogger article before. It is a really good one and has helped me deal with all of my trolls, except for this one.

I think WP-Ban did the trick now. Some people are just really weirdos.

GabrielNovo · Sep 22, 2009

I'm there with ya. I get the occasional personal insult. Never makes it online due to moderation, but what really bothers me about it is that I'm positive it's someone I know. Its really sad that they can't come to me directly with the criticism, instead thinking a false email and pseudonym will hide them, completely forgetting I see their IP and know what city/state they live in.

Oh well. Like you said "some people are just really weirdos"

bsolah · Sep 22, 2009

You too? I've been thinking mine are people I went to school with as they're on my Facebook and I post links there.

I just now have a policy of deleting those with fake names and email addresses unless they're friendly. I have no time to debate idiots like that.

The important thing is not the be sucked into their argument that they must be right because I won't debate with them, or all those psuedo-free speech arguments.

GabrielNovo · Sep 22, 2009

Just like there's always someone who will be offended over anything and everything (many times FOR other people as well), there are those who will be pissed at you for just existing.

I had never heard of this term before reading it in a CopyBlogger article, "Tall Poppy Syndrome", but it hits the nail right on the head for me.

Your success--as a blogger, political activist, person willing to speak their mind--fosters resentment in those unwilling to defeat their own fear and achieve the same. So they channel their frustration in a childlike manner. Logic does not apply to these knuckle draggers at all, thus their being labeled TROLLS.

bsolah · Sep 22, 2009

Childlike describes this guy to a tea.

I'm going to comment on my friend's blog that he usually comments on to see if he follows me there.

madmumbler · Sep 23, 2009

Can you set up a comment filter to auto-spam any comment with certain words? Then you can add ones he commonly uses.

You just have to chalk it up to part of doing business on the web, unfortunately. Set your comments up to be moderated so his comments never appear. Yes, it's work, but again it's part and parcel of doing business unfortunately.

charlotte49ers · Sep 23, 2009

I just feel sorry for people like that. I mean, do they really have nothing better to do than to cyber stalk someone? Whether they agree with your positions or not, it's just a big ole lamefest.

I'm glad what you are doing now seems to be working! Akismet got rid of all of my general spam, but its good to see an option if it ever gets personal (I hope I never deal with it, though!).

charlotte49ers · Sep 23, 2009

Oh, and in wordpress you can set it where only new people have to be approved, but if you've approved their comments before, it will send them through. That takes some of the workload off, anyway.

Trolls, annoying commenters and weirdos

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Deleted member 42

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

Deleted member 42

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

GabrielNovo

Cuban Nomad

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

GabrielNovo

Cuban Nomad

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

GabrielNovo

Cuban Nomad

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

madmumbler

Self-declared Queen of Dark Snark

charlotte49ers

let it snow

charlotte49ers

let it snow