9. Characteristics
•Verbal snipers
•Critics and naysayers
•Context and subtext
•May be reasonable

10. Strategies for
Dealing with
Snarks

11. Strategies
•Take a deep breath
•Set the tone: be human
•Follow your guidelines
• Liz Strauss: “be nice”
• IBM: “responsible
engagement”
•Moderate comments, if
necessary

12. Case Study: Snarks

13. From Critics to Allies
Aruni Gunasegaram Jennifer Laycock
BabbleSoft The Lactivist

14. TROLLS

15. Definition
Takes pleasure in sowing discord
Provokes others into taking up their cause

16. Profile of a Troll
Generally male
Young
(some exceptions)
Free time
Few outside interests (12)

17. Psychological Theories
Deindividuation (2)
Social Learning Theory (3)
Misattribution Theory of Humor (4)
Cannot distinguish between good/bad
attention (5)

18. Weapon
FLAMEBAIT
incendiary comments that
elicit flaming emotional
responses from other
readers
(6)

19. Tactics
Ad Hominem Troll
Online threats (9)
Offline threats (10)
Cyberstalking (11)
(13)

20. (7)

21. Strategies for
Dealing with
Trolls

22. Strategies
•Stay calm.
•Ignore. (See the sign.)
•Establish clear comment
rules and enforce them. (8)
•Grow a thick skin; refuse
to be baited.
•When appropriate, delete
the comment.

24. Case Study: Trolls

25. TechCrunch: Women In Tech

29. Q and A
It’s your turn …

30. Sources
1) http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Internet_troll
2) http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2007/11/dont-flame-me-bro.html
3) http://books.google.com/books?id=zeP1UdZKYfIC&pg=PA194&dq=internet+aggr
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misattribution_Theory_of_Humor
5) http://topazbean.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/on-the-psychology-of-trolls-my-name
6) http://larcho.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/how-not-to-get-hooked-by-a-flamebait/
7) http://tantek.pbworks.com/TrollTaxonomy
8) http://blog.ezinearticles.com/2007/01/ezinearticlescom-blog-comment-policy.html
9) http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ratcliffe/amanda-chapel-aka-strumpette-needs-some-to

31. Sources, continued
10)http://www.auburnmedia.com/wordpress/2007/10/11/amandas-backstory-reveals
11)http://www.cyberguards.com/CyberStalking.html
12)http://blogs.cornell.edu/newmedia10cbp42/2010/04/07/dont-cross-the-line/
13)http://thomaspainescorner.wordpress.com/trolls/

32. Photo Credits
1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21561428@N03/4338069854/
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/clocky/1119779290/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkohara/830763316/
4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobasonic/178666415/
5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/annia316/2905665310/
6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/photonquantique/4488093613/
7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkudel/1410676786/
8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/foresmac/4034842899/
9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcolman/2795393320/
10.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:The_Hunting_of_the_Snark_(
11.http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_kelley/2388613589/
12. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zen/6338392/

33. Case Studies
Engagement Turns Critics into Allies
Connie Reece
http://everydotconnects.com/2008/05/27/case-study-engagement-turns-
critics-into-allies/
How to Recover from a Scathing Blog Post
Aruni Gunasegaram
http://www.entrepremusings.com/index.php/2008/06/05/how-to-recover-
from-a-scathing-blog-post/
Bloggers Need to Accept Responsibility Too
Jennifer Laycock
http://www.searchengineguide.com/jennifer-laycock/bloggers-need-to-
accept-responsibility-t.php

34. SlideShare URL:
http://www.slideshare.net/TheJenATX/h
ow-to-survive-a-snark-attack-
conniereece-thejenatx
Connie Reece Jen Wojcik
@conniereece @TheJenATX
Conniereece.com Pinqued.com
THANK YOU