Grants:IdeaLab/Don't feed the trolls
Project idea[edit]
What is the problem you're trying to solve?[edit]
In the world community, one may encounter communication styles considered offensive within some social circles. Rejecting those communications may undesirably restrict Wikipedia to some subset of the world community.
What is your solution?[edit]
An individual perceiving harassment should be encouraged to avoid responding for some period of time, preferably involving at least one sleep cycle. During that period, the user might get some physical exercise, edit some other subject, or research some subject of interest; but the delay should include time to consider why the offensive action was interpreted as offensive, and if there might be alternative interpretation.
While the three revert rule may be appropriate for something interpreted as an honest disagreement, a single response may be the goal of an individual intending to offend; and delaying response may cause a discouraged offender to look elsewhere for entertainment. Other readers encountering the offensive material may find it less offensive, and if they do respond, will tend to diffuse the focus of the offender, and ultimately generate the sort of consensus required for existing remedies.
Project goals[edit]
A relaxed response to material perceived as offensive harassment will encourage receptivity to a broader range of ideas and more open discussion within the world community.
Get involved[edit]
Participants[edit]
Endorsements[edit]
- OlEnglish (Talk) 06:40, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- The time tested method of dealing with toothless harassment. On the internet and to the dawn of humanity.
Everything else is just noise, I mean. Moiz Rafay (talk) 07:06, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- Pretty much this. Actual harassment is extremely rare; mostly, it is just people trolling or getting in fights. Titanium Dragon (talk) 07:25, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- About "one sleep cycle", see also practical Grants:IdeaLab/1RR minimal delay.
Nimmzo (talk) 07:40, 3 June 2016 (UTC) - This seems as sensible as it can be. Dealing with abuse and trolling is always difficult, but ignoring or at least not encouraging those who attempt to push it is one of the better ways. ProtoDrake (talk) 07:57, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- Wikimedia projects already have all the tools that open projects can reasonably employ to deal with harrasment when it happens. It just seems that many of them aren't being used properly. This is probably one of the most important tools at participant's disposal and its use should be encouraged. Veikk0.ma (talk) 10:56, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- I second the endorsements posted here. Daylon124 (talk) 11:54, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- Trolls can't be reasoned with; but rational people can be taught to deal with them appropriately. Lunaibis (talk) 13:05, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- It is simple and effective Exertuz (talk) 13:49, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- Sometimes, things are not all they look like and people over react Guilherme Nunes Corte Real (talk) 14:57, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- Excellent, this is the right idea. We need to build stronger ties and not react to trolling and harassment. TParis (talk) 18:03, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- I suggest 1)not to answer the troll at all 2) if not enough : to drown the said troll under a large amount of knowledge he/she doen't have, 3) never let down because he/she will follow you anywhere 4) if tired, wait for a time, until he/she got so wrong that it appears clearly 5) do not reckon on any help from anyone, most people enjoy wrestles, counting the points.Lepetitlord
- I endorse this, but what about en:WP:Don't feed the troll? Gamingforfun365 (talk) 21:34, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
- That is the only realistic way to deal with the problem while leaving all the good principles of wikipedia like unlimited write access untouched. MrKirushko (talk) 00:50, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
- I agree. There is great danger in allowing people to determine what is harassment and what is not. This is because they will invariably label things they disagree with as harassment. Very dangerous road to go down. Je Suis Charlie Nathanaelhooper (talk) 01:58, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
- Of course. Omni Flames let's talk about it 03:39, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
- Wikipedia, and Wikimedia by extension, is a place where we all strive for self-improvement by knowledge. The existence of harassment is an opportunity to improve ourselves further through self-discipline. Learning how to avoid reacting to trolls is an important step in the growth of internet citizenship. Omniferous (talk) 05:20, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
- Absolutely. This whole campaign is based on the false premise "Furthermore, available methods and systems of dealing with these behaviors are considered to be ineffective;" in fact, ignoring nonsense is 100% effective. NE Ent (talk) 10:06, 4 June 2016 (UTC)
- i do think this is a way forward Vikmonster (talk) 01:20, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
- I don't know how much this can help with harassment (but everyone here is using the word with something different in mind anyway), but I agree with the general sentiment of this proposal i.e. that victims are such because they are weaker, but the main weakness on the web is ignorance and how to deal with online interaction is something only a minuscule proportion of the world population has learnt yet. Don't feed the trolls, Rule of diminishing replies, ReactLater, Category:Conflicts and MeatBall:CategoryConflict are an example of empowering resources. Nemo 15:59, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
- I'm sure a good number of trolls would be delighted to see so much time, effort and money being dedicated to their malice (think "haha they're actually handing out grants to stop me from shitposting"). Simply ignoring them is the best way to handle them most of the time. Doveofsymplegades (talk) 21:43, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
- There is a difference between say death threats and disagreement, so far I haven't received any significant threats at all. If someone disagrees on a certain issue that is fine, as long as they explain way and justify the reasoning behind it. I try not to take personal attacks seriously, trolls don't know you personally no matter if you feed them or not. Millzie95 (talk) 21:57, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
- Give users a way to very clearly ignore posts, and then let other users strengthen and enforce that. By sending a signal that there will be no further answer you give a very strong signal that the post was inappropriate. — Jeblad 09:35, 6 June 2016 (UTC)
- Yeah, this is starting to get out of hand. Vulpicula (talk) 23:47, 6 June 2016 (UTC)
- Good idea; ignorance is bliss, after all. Colonel Wilhelm Klink (talk) 02:50, 7 June 2016 (UTC)
- Common sense but make sense. Brindavoine (talk) 14:28, 8 June 2016 (UTC)
- Of course ~riley (talk) 01:44, 11 June 2016 (UTC)
Expand your idea[edit]
Would a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation help make your idea happen? You can expand this idea into a grant proposal.