How to Deal With Attacks

Some years ago, a newspaper columnist wrote a particularly nasty article about a particular Member of Parliament. The article was being discussed on every street corner. Those linked to the M.P. were considering what should be done or said.

At Head Quarters, the phone rang, it was the newspaper, wondering if the M.P. had a response to the article. I grabbed the phone and said,

"Oh, I'm sorry, the M.P. doesn't read that columnist."

One sentence closed down the entire performance, and paid the columnist the most grievous insult available.

When you write online, be it in a group on Facebook or Reddit, on a writing site, message board, etc. there are always attention seekers who will attack/insult you. For you to notice them, enhances their ego.

This is why they post something to 'pull your tongue'. They need the attention.

There will always be vicious Trolls on every site who make up for their inferiority by attacking others.

It isn't a comment, such as; "I disagree with your assessment..." the attack is to get you to respond so that you can be kicked off the site.

That's the purpose.

Many Admins/Moderators have 'duals'; this is another account in a different name. Desirous of getting rid of a user, the Admin/Mod sets the trap.

Their Duals attack the writer, expecting a response which they will use to get rid of the user.

This method is very popular on writing sites which pay. It is a way to not pay. it is a perfectly legitimate way to defend the eviction of the writer and pocket his/her earnings.

It's been done for decades; often the 'targets' are non-Americans who 'can't fight back'.

This procedure is usually begun a week before pay out, so as to not pay the user.

On non-paying sites this scam is a way to kick off a user who annoys them. Maybe the user knows too much, maybe the user has contrary opinions to the Admin, etc.

I am sure it's happened to many of us, perhaps the first or second time we believe we did something. By the third we 'get it'.

Many long time users of publishing sites know the trick. And some have brilliantly developed a strategy.

The easiest example is Mylot.

If you go to Mylot you will be shocked at the blah blah that is published there.

The items with the most hits/comments are usually something like a photograph of a flower, or discussion of what the user had for breakfast, etc.

Scrolling down the garbage path it seems to make no sense why a user would write such blah blah or others comment on such vacuous posts.

The fact is, the 'top' users have seen the Admins performance over the years and know how to avoid it.

They've created their own 'paradigm'.

For example, A.B. will write rubbish and twenty five friends of A.B. will comment. A.B. will respond to their comments. She will also comment on the blah blah posted by her friends. Her crew gets the most views, most comments.

Further, the cherry on top of the whipped cream is that she, and her posse, click on an ad on each item, so that to kick her off and her crew would end the site.

A.B. and her friends have carefully composed their strategy. They know the Admins propensity to not pay.

They are aware of Admins desire to kick off users who defend themselves from the attacks by his duals, so don't respond.

Obviously, considering what Mylot is, kicking off these users is impossible, for no one else clicks on Ads or has so many views and comments.

When you post and are attacked, ignore the attacker.

It doesn't matter what they say, how much they post, don't respond. Don't even block. Ignore. Recognize you are being set up to be thrown off the site.

Sure, in cases of groups on F.B.. there's no reason to be sentimental. There are always other groups.

Leaving the group is an option, but getting the experience of Trolls and the Admins duals will assist you in recognizing them in the future.

It's a very useful lesson.