Planned Ignoring is an actual skill taught to professional parents , & it works well .
Capitol Hill could use a fair heft of it , that is for certain !

yes, i think it does. just don't bight back.

I learned one thing many years ago, "Don't feed the Trolls!"

A few posts have confused me somewhat, seeming out of character for the site.

Things that are not trolling:

• expressing an unpopular opinion
• being contrarian
• being rude
• habitually being a total shitbird with no manners

Things that are trolling:

• posting/commenting for the sole purpose of instigating unpleasant reactions

You can't always tell from just one post whether it's trolling or just someone with a different point of view (anyone remember "Switchmaster"??). The magic ingredient is the attitude toward reaction. If they care how people react, it's probably not trolling. If they only care that people react, it's probably trolling. That kind of thing is hard to divine.

Remember: people with minority opinions may tend toward grumpiness in forums like these. It sucks when you feel like you won't be heard or taken seriously when you say what you have to say. I hate all the echo chambers--especially the ones that parrott the stuff with which I agree.

ETA: read the post. Defo know which category I'd put it under.

Why would the subject matter of: "anti social security" be considered trolling? Under the auspices of the Freedom of Speech, if the subject was well-reasoned, why would such subjects be considered inappropriate? Why not just let him give his view and counter it with logic instead of just attempting to block him? By the way, I am one of the most far-left people on here and a believer (as well as a recipient) in Social Security.

Are you sure this was trolling? There are some people who are opposed to all safety net programs, including Social Security. Hardcore libertarians, specifically, despise nearly all government programs, and especially loathe all forms of taxation. It's not an especially popular perspective among the mainstream, but it is a sincerely held belief among the fringe. I try to be careful not to jump to conclusions when I encounter an opinion I strongly disagree with or that seems like an unpopular idea — but if I have any doubt, I generally ignore the post. (I actually thought I was being trolled by someone on here a few days ago, but it was a misunderstanding. So, I fall into it sometimes, anyway, despite my best efforts.)

Pick your battles wisely! Some are not worth the energy and leave a bad taste.

I probably wouldn’t know it if I saw it. I just figure there are cranky people out there, everywhere.

"Gater" has Right-Wing Views to the point where I decided that it would be best for 'me' to just block him . Some people get on here 1/2 drunk & in dating mode , saying things that they shouldn't , but slam Social Security ? No . Who did that , & where can I find that post ? I'm not going to making trouble , I would just like to see it . . . ?

With growth comes trolls and scammers ...

I haven't seen any as of yet. Does my employee calling me a troll count?

I'm pretty new here, but I've been surprised by the number of actual conversations going on without trolling. If you've noticed an uptick I guess that just goes to show how much is normal on Facebook lol.

I just blocked one.

Yes, there does seem to be a few - as is to be expected with all the Facebook ads, unfortunately.

I always miss all the fun. Just flag them,block them, scroll by or tell them what you really think

We have a new person skimming posts and looking for trolls. How about post some links to questions with troll-ish behavior and we'll review? Remember, you can link to posts by putting q: then the post num (see the number 21323 in this URL) in your comments.