Mastodawn

2. No snark-and-lock. Don't fire off a smug "cutting" reply and then limit who can respond. If you can dish it, you can take it; turning off replies after a dunk is the social media version of ringing a doorbell and running. Don't be a fucking child.

3. Read the kind version. Most takes that look outrageous are clumsy phrasing or missing context, so when something reads badly, go back and find the more generous interpretation before you reply.

4. Screenshot in good faith. When you repost someone to criticise them, show enough of the thread that people can see what they actually meant, because cropping out the context to make someone look worse is lying with extra steps.

5. Don't subtweet, say it. Vague callout posts about "some people" are passive-aggressive theatre; either name the issue and talk to the person or let it go.

6. Correct, don't humiliate. When someone's wrong, you want the truth out there, so share the correction and skip the victory lap that only shames them.

7. Log off before you escalate. When a thread gets your heart racing, close the app, because you'll type something worse while you're angry and the post will keep until tomorrow if it's worth making in the first place.

Jacob Something 5d ago

@Daojoan Indeed, thank you! Interestingly, all of this also applies offline, in real life.

funnymonkey 5d ago

@Daojoan If more people practiced number 7 (myself included, lolsob) we'd all be better off.

Speed is often not our friend.

as someone who often engages with trolls because it's so stupid it's funny:

don't feel threatened

they can't bother you if you don't let them in

you default to good faith engagement

so when someone reply guys in bad faith, you feel anger

keep your composure and *code switch*

laugh at them

remove their power

the realm of the troll is simple: entertainment over truth

so flip the script

be entertained at their expense rather than they entertaining themselves at your expense

caveat:

when i say code switch, i mean code switch

your entire approach to the conversation is a completely different dynamic

that can be dangerous

code switching is reserved only for the truly bad faith malicious trolls

someone just lost or confused is not a troll

in that case, follow daojoan's advice above

trolls deserve mockery, but if you don't properly ascertain that that is exactly what they are, *you* are the troll!

so make sure your judgment of their behavior is sound

Guy on the run 5d ago

@benroyce @Daojoan

"someone just lost or confused is not a troll"

Thanks for this Ben. It can be hard to remember at times.

@philleu @Daojoan

but:

there is a form of trolling called concern trolling

the troll adopts an "innocent" attitude and sealions on the obvious until people get angry. they keep going with the "just asking questions" lying facade while secretly laughing at everyone

on the flip side:

a loud emotional malicious troll. you mock them. but then after a bit you realize: "oh my god, this is an actual child, i'm mocking a child" and then you feel terrible

blocking/ ignoring is still the best

Guy on the run 5d ago

@benroyce @Daojoan

Affirmative! Block/Ignore as needed

WARNING TO ALL TROLLS
Ben will code switch on that ass AND Block/Ignore without prejudice.

@philleu @Daojoan

i hunt vatniks for fun

i find accounts spouting kremlin disinfo

i engage and mock as cold calculation

i goad them into saying actionable shit

then i report

sometimes i get their account nuked

i should scratch hash marks on the side of my computer for each vatnik account i bagged, it's a nice count

lately, they've been preemptively blocking me

but i browse logged out

they even attack me personally now

this only brings me even greater joy:

i am known amongst the slime

publictorsten 5d ago

@Daojoan 8. Don't post when drunk.

Kirsty 5d ago

@Daojoan @publictorsten

I’m too busy dancing when I’m drunk. Can’t dance and post 😂

publictorsten 5d ago

@Kirsty @Daojoan Unfortunately some might do otherwise.

John Mark Ockerbloom 5d ago

@Daojoan Thanks! These are generally good advice. I would say on (1), though, that sometimes it might be better not to reply directly to a stranger who you disagree with, if you're not reasonably sure they'll appreciate you jumping in. (Which they might not for various reasons, including engagement exhaustion.) It can sometimes be better to post your own take for the counter-point you want to make, in a way that avoids "subtweet" passive-aggressiveness by focusing on an idea and not a speaker.

Johnny von Awesome 5d ago

@Daojoan "Screenshot ... to criticize them"? I expected better of you. ☹️

Bill 4d ago

And please include date info

Elle 💗5d ago

@Daojoan I'd lessen it even to just please read what was written. A significant amount of time negative interactions I have are because the other person won't just read what I actually wrote and appears to be talking to some imaginary person not in the room.

WowSuchCyber 5d ago

@Daojoan this. And also 60% of the internet is not native English speaking and while the words are properly translated, tone is so culturally significant...

Mark Wyner Won’t Comply

4d ago

@Daojoan this. So much.

My ADHD has me doing this a lot. I’ve worked hard over the years to improve my own reactions by pausing, breathing, and re-reading.

It’s not perfect — and I’m not perfect — but it helps to try.

TrueNorthSpice 🇨🇦5d ago

@Daojoan 💯

Dagnabbit, Pascaline ! 💥5d ago

All of this 🧡

firekeeper 5d ago

@[email protected]

Mastodon isn't the fediverse's Fight Club, that's Lemmy, lmao.

Sharp Leaves 5d ago

@Daojoan the fact that the only time I see anything close to that kind of behaviour is when there's a Xitter or Bluesky exodus (or the forkiverse...) is why I love the fediverse.

Meanwhile every other site's primary content is screenshots where someone commented on ragebait, posted a 'clapback', then immediately screenshot it and cross posted it as 'x DESTROYED/RIPPED'. To be recycled the next day by content farm articles telling people what they want to here. The internet human centipede.

Quick, find the Others!5d ago

@Daojoan Nice list. I start with no3 as often as I can.