Twitter and the evil trolls

We are not talking about the mythical kind to be found in Norwegian forests, but Internet users who apparently don't have anything better to do than insult others anonymously. These online trolls post comments in discussion boards that add nothing to the actual discussion and start trouble for the sake of upsetting others.

Looking for a troll's deeper motivation is a vain endeavor, writes communications expert Jens Scholz: "They always have the same goal, which is taking over or destroying the original communication. It's always a game of power, and it's about whether you let yourself become engrossed by the troll."

So far, troll victims were left pretty much to their own devices and received little to no support. And what was there to be done in the anonymous world of the Internet?

Ignoring the messages is one option. But completely ignoring what they write - and what is written back - is a feat only few people manage.

British singer James Blunt has found his own way of dealing with trolls. He doesn't ignore them, but rather answers them with witty comments. One example of his battle against the haters: "I can't put into words how much I hate James Blunt." Blunt's blunt reply: "Maybe you can sing it?" Point taken. However, Blunt didn't have to wait long for the next attack to arrive.

A thin line between funny and psychologically damaging

Some of these comments might even be funny. More often than not though, they are sexist or racist.

Dick Costolo, head of Twitter since 2010, has taken on personal responsibility for the vicious trolls recently. So far, he says trolls have not been traced or penalized effectively, The Verge reported.

Recently, the case of Lindy West has drawn attention towards the topic of trolls and cyber mobbing. The outspoken US author who publicly calls herself "fat" - and is content with her BMI - writes about controversial and often feminist topics: rape, for example. That makes her a literal bit of fat for the trolls.

Just after publishing new articles, the flurry is always at its worst, West said in an interview with the Guardian. "My Twitterfeed, my mail account, my Facebook page: Drowned in hate messages, so many that I couldn't answer them even if I wanted to."

Remorse - rare among trolls

Her friends told West to simply ignore the trolls. Representatives at social media platforms said to "report violations." But there came a point when West wasn't able to hold herself off any longer and follow all the good advice she had received. A troll had sent her a message from her father's fake twitter account, telling her that she wasn't living up to his expectations. West's father had died recently.

West took an unusual step. She published an article on jezebel.com, publicly addressing her feelings about the troll's message. The next morning, she woke up to an e-mail: "I can't say sorry enough," her troll wrote. And: "I think my anger towards you stems from your happiness with your own being. It offended me because it served to highlight my unhappiness with my own self." He had also donated $50 to the cancer clinic where Lindy's father had been treated.

Twitter takes on fight against trolls

"PawWestDunezo," as Lindy's troll called himself on Twitter, is one of the very rare cases in which trolls understand they have done something wrong. Twitter has recently seen more and more of its users leave the platform because of troll attacks, Dick Costolo said.

Costolo seems to be truly willing to change some policies in order to fight back against the trolls. "We will find ways to identify and block these people. Nobody will even be able to notice their attacks any more." He did not explain how he intended to do so, as it takes about five minutes to establish a new, more or less anonymous Twitter account.

In December, Twitter introduced a button to report abuses on the social platform as a first step. It is also collaborating with a group that deals with the harassment of women. A more detailed statement about the microblogger's plans to take the trolls to task is expected to be released soon.