Terry Sarten: Internet trolls easily foiled

Look out ... there are trolls about.

THE worldwide web is currently reeling from a huge ransomware attack by a bunch of what could be described as super-trolls.

Whenever I hear about trolls my imagination leaps back to childhood and the story of the Billy Goats Gruff crossing a bridge with a troll underneath singing about 'who's that walking on my bridge' in a menacing voice.

Trolls are not fussy about which social media bridge they patrol. The Twitter-universe has its own trolls. Researchers in Europe tracked a Twitter data trail and looked at where the trolling activity was coming from.

They found that most of it was from a relatively small number of digital accounts, perhaps a few hundred altogether, linking up in large scale attacks on any tweets that challenges their world view.

For many users, Twitter is just 140 letters and they are not troubled by trolls. But for those who are on the receiving end of a troll attack the effect can be a terrifying method of electronic bullying.

In the process of analysing the data sources, the researchers themselves came under attack. The accompanying threats, insults and abusive language was alarming and quite scary. Initially frightened by the hostile tone, further investigation found that ignoring the trolls was the best way to respond. There was some satisfaction in finding that this seemed to annoy the trolls more than any other response.

Observing troll activity, it became apparent that most trolls exist within a 'network' in which stating extreme views was regarded as normal. Insults, threats and abuse were considered as commonplace shock tactics used between them. Death threats were regarded by many trolls as part of the fun. The use of symbols and shocking language was considered satire with what appears to be little concern or understanding of the effect on those receiving abusive tweets. For those outside this network, the language was frightening. Receiving a death threat, for example, created panic prompting real fears for personal and family safety.

The research showed that it begins with one troll tweeting an electronic assault then others across the network joining in until it is a huge circus of bullying. Responding to this often escalates the level of abuse as it provokes more to join in.

It seems, in Europe at least, that troll targets come in all kinds of guises. They can be men, women, on the left or right of the political spectrum.

Examining the motivations of trolls the research found the strongest troll reactions came from those who felt their beliefs and freedom of speech might be cut off. They feel provoked by situations in which they regard someone as having more influence than them deciding what can or cannot be said.

The feeling of being relatively powerless prompts a dramatic response that they know will be hard to ignore. The troll network reacts strongly with a very aggressive attack on any thinking they do not agree with.

Those on the left and feminists are often the targets but this may be partly because this will bring the biggest response.

The researchers also found that if a person is attacked by a twitter troll the best thing to do is absolutely nothing. They suggest blocking is helpful in the short term but these can be captured by trolls as 'trophies' and send to others who will pick up and continue the troll activity.

One of the strategies suggested to ward off trolls is to note when this happens to someone you know by sending them a support tweet message saying 'You are not alone'. The best piece of advice was simply for Twitter users to ignore the trolls. 'Don't feed the troll'. It seems that being ignored really annoys them.

-Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician, satirist and social worker - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz