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Dealing with forum bully

Picanto

By Picanto,
in Lite & EZ

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Picanto

Picanto

3rd Gear

If you've ever spent any time in an online forum, you've undoubtedly encountered certain individuals who abuse their status within the forum. I'm not talking about forum trolls. They're easy to spot and just as easy to dismiss. But rather, a different kind of malicious entity - the forum bully.

 

...

 

Troll or Bully?

In many ways, I have more respect for a troll than a forum bully. At least a troll is direct. If you pick up a snake, and it bites you, whose fault is that? The snake was just doing what it does. It's the same with trolls. Their intentions are obvious - they're in the forum to disrupt and cause trouble. They arrive with all the subtlety of a jet on a landing strip.

 

Forum bullies are harder to spot. They disguise their intentions. But make no mistake. When you encounter one, you will know - because their bite is equally malicious and just as full of venom.

 

What is a Forum Bully?

A forum bully is school ground throwback. Remember that middle school bully with his pathetic little band of sycophantic followers? That's a forum bully. In ways the forum bully is just a pseudonym for a troll, but with a major difference. While the troll's behavior is condemned by the group, the forum bully's actions are condoned by the group. Established members of the group, who don't agree with the forum bully, usually remain quiet while the bully tears apart people just for sport and as a demonstration of power within the forum.

 

Basically a forum bully is the equivalent of a popular troll -- a troll with power within the group. And therein lies the danger... ...

 

Evolution of a Forum Bully

Forum bullies are typically intelligent. They usually begin as helpful members of the forum. But as their power grows, their true nature reveals itself. Once established, forum bullies begin mixing their helpful posts with intimidation. As they evolve, and develop a reputation, they attract followers. The followers serve as back up, often times speaking on behalf of the bully to clarify the forum bully's statements. Other times the followers are like a pack of hyenas jumping in for the kill after the bully has drawn blood.

 

As the forum bully fully evolves, she begins to feel immune to attack. She states her opinion regardless of accuracy or consequence, knowing full well that she can always rely on the support of followers to bail her out of trouble.

 

Enablers

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The other danger of a forum bully is that she creates an atmosphere of fear within the forum - not fear among the established members, but rather fear among those outsiders who want to participate in the forum. It is this fear that enables the forum bully to operate. A forum operates on the classic in-group/out-group dynamic. The bully's behavior is tolerated because of an understanding of this dynamic. You don't attack those within the inner circle, only those outside it.

 

If one of the respected members of the forum were to call the bully what she is, a petty, repugnant fraction of a human being, this member risks losing position within the forum. The resulting forum is a place in which comments are guarded. Politics are played. And the free flow of information is stifled. This is the true danger of allowing a forum bully to continue her activities. By not calling her out, the forum loses part of the dynamic it was created to foster. The forum bully also undermines the legitimacy of everyone else in the forum.

 

... ...

 

What to do When Attacked by a Forum Bully

Unfortunately if you are an outsider, there's not much you can do. To attack the bully often will cause the more established members of the forum to close ranks and dispel the outsider. There's a certain logic in this. As an outsider, you've yet to prove whether you're worth defending - especially against an established member of the forum.

 

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If attacked by a forum bully, disagree politely then get out. Diffuse the situation with silence. Remember, others will read your posts and make determinations about you. Even the most skillful defense will dash up against the walls of the kingdom. Besides, you may have more people rooting for you than you think. Forum bullies are not necessarily liked by the more respected members of the forum, they are merely tolerated because they are part of the inner circle.

 

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While I do not think we have a serious forum bullying problem, I do feel sometimes there is a small degree of group cyber bullying going on. I believe we do not set out to bully intentionally, but regardless of what has transpired, no one should bare the embarrassment of having a group of forumers taking turns picking on him/her.

 

We may try to pass our words off as a teasing comment or a joke but remember we are all strangers here and across the World Wide Web an innocuous comment may turn into something insidious. Would sincerely hope all members strive to be professional in their comments, remain objective, always give the benefit of doubt and learn to walk away when you feel it is no longer possible for polite conversation. This holds true for any 'victim' as well.

 

Cheers~

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Ahtong

Ahtong

1st Gear

You either die a troll or you live long enough to see yourself become the forum bully.

 

He's the troll this forum deserves, but not the one it needs right now. [laugh][:p]

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Zanter

Zanter

3rd Gear

The bullies are the people who are impotent in real life. Their motives are to empower themselves by bullying someone whom they can't do in real life. Basically they are the losers or lower stata in society and their life often revolves around the forums.

 

They would often claim many things to elevate their status and their modus is to gather fellow forerunners by being helpful or buddies. Once their gang is establish they would them start their bullying or attacking people in the forums & they would often get their gang members to back them up or failing that their clones. Their main motivation is to satisfy their hate for society or certain groups of people.

 

The best way to deal with these bullies is to ignore them. When you ignore them, they become as impotent as they are in real life and soon they will leave you alone and find other victims or other forums.

 

Trolls have similair motivations. They too are impotent in real life, so they come to forums to rattle or create a fuss as it is a form of empowerment. You see in real life they are the invisibles, losers and wannabes. Their motivation is not hate unlike the bullies but the panacea for their impotency. They love it when their trolling creates a big fuss so often you can spot a troll just by their headlines which are designed to create jealousy, shock and controvesy. They love it when people are rattled so the best way to deal with trolls are just not to feed them. They will die of invisibility.

 

 

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