Anonymous Troll

Most of you have probably noticed I've had to start moderating my

comments, which I absolutely hate. It disrupts the flow of the

conversation and is a pain in the butt to screen and click each

comment, let alone the pile up it causes in my email inbox.

Until now, I have been totally comfortable with the occasional

anonymous comment. A variety of comments compose a rich and

textured conversation around the blog post. They also provide a

meaningful forum for readers to express their views; the more

varied, the richer the experience. I've always welcomed readers to

post an opposing view or conflicting facts. The occasional spam was

always easy to delete and didn't particularly bother me.

But what do you do when someone abuses his or her anonymity by

posting bizarre, hostile, negative or abusive comments? I have one

particular blogger, who instead of using their blog handle, leaves

anonymous comments. This person knows me personally and has

clearly crossed the line with such comments, even ones that could

be potentially libelous to me and my loved ones.

It is most cowardly not to stand behind a comment with a name.

They have nothing to risk. They remain safe and unknown. It's

incredibly easy, as well as irresponsible to leave a threat, one they

would never say to my face in public, click "post" and be on their

merry way.

The following Blogger's Code of Conduct is a proposal by Tim

O'Reilly for bloggers to enforce civility on their bloggers by being civil

themselves and moderating comments on their blog. I think they are

some very good guidelines to follow.

1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the

....comments you allow on your blog.

2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.

3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.

4. Ignore the trolls*.

5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an

....intermediary who can do so.

6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.

7. Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

*An Internet troll, or simply "troll" in Internet slang, is someone

who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic

messages in an online community, such as an online discussion

forum, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an

emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic

discussion.

Hmm, just like the obnoxious creature under a bridge? Very aptly

named. How do you deal with these anonymous trolls? Heavens to

murgatroyd! Is comment moderation the only alternative?