How to deal with an internet troll

I originally published this article at nakedsecurity.sophos.com. I suggest you follow Graham; he has great insight.
British comedian Dom Joly has contacted the police after an internet troll made abusive comments about his children via Twitter.

Dom Joly, the star of “Trigger Happy TV” was upset that a Twitter user called @deathtojolykids sent a string of offensive messages, including ones hoping that the comic’s children got cancer.
Joly got the Twitter account suspended, and he filed a complaint with his local police, asking them to investigate.

Earlier this week, in a separate incident, the British court jailed a man for 18 weeks for leaving hurtful messages on Facebook and YouTube memorial sites.
25-year-old Sean Duffy was imprisoned after pleading guilty to two counts of “sending a communication of an indecent or offensive nature.” His victims had included the family and friends of teenager Natasha MacBryde who had killed herself after being bullied.

Duffy had posted the upsetting comments, despite never even having met Miss MacBryde.

The internet is full of trolls:

The internet can turn people who might appear perfectly pleasant if you met them face-to-face into ugly trolls online.
The fact is that it’s a lot easier to be downright rude and offensive via a computer than if you’re standing opposite someone. Sitting in front of a keyboard and monitor can make us forget that there’s a real human being with feelings, reading the message at the other end.
Trolls take this to an extreme, revelling in the chaos they can stir up on an internet message board – the more people they offend, the better in their book as they purposely cause trouble.

Don’t feed the trolls

The first piece of advice should be familiar to us from fairy tales: “DON’T FEED THE TROLL”.
If an internet troll is demanding attention, don’t give them any.
Responding to them can just feed the flames, and encourage them to post more offensive remarks. Eventually, they should grow bored and disappear.
As tempting as it is to fight fire with fire, you’ll only be pouring fuel on the flames if you respond in kind.

How to block and report trolls.

When a troll stops being merely annoying and is harassing you, then things get more serious. You should report the behaviour to the internet site you’re using (such as Facebook), and block them – if possible – from contacting you again.
If you feel that the social network isn’t being responsive, maybe you can get the media to apply some pressure.
The problem may require inventive and creative thinking. In my own experience, when my family was threatened by Facebook users, I found Facebook unresponsive and unwilling to remove highly offensive Photoshopped images. Nothing happened until I complained that there might be a breach of copyright!

Report physical threats against you and your family to the police. They should take online threats just as seriously as threats sent by mail or phone.
If you’re setting up an online tribute site, it can make sense not to open it to the general public. Instead, request that people ask permission to join. That way, you can delete any upsetting messages and banish any trolls who are merely there to offend.

No magic wand

It’s a sad reality that trolls will always exist. We can’t wave a wand and make them disappear entirely from the internet. But we can reduce the opportunities for them to cause trouble. And we can perhaps make them realise that what they’re doing is destructive.

How trolls could make the internet a dangerous place

What trolls might do well to realise is this – their antisocial activities, normally hidden behind a cloak of fake names and pseudonyms, play into the hands of those who would like to do away with anonymity on the internet.
Imagine an internet world that bans anonymity. A world that prevents free speech and stomps on those who have a genuine need to keep their identity secret.

Don’t feed the trolls, but most importantly – don’t be a troll. You could make life worse for everyone.