Misinterpretation as Anti Troll Weapon

Internet trolls LOVE to make other people upset and disrupt an intelligent discussion. They do whatever juvenile thing they can think of to attract negative attention. They crave angry reactions. 

I have written extensively on this topic of blogocombat. There are many powerful techniques to defeat a troll, although the best thing to do is ignore them. Do NOT Feed the Trolls. But, if you want to mess with them just for fun, one great tip is to misinterpret what they say. 

That's right. I said: -- Misinterpret.

If a troll says, "iPhones suck and only idiots buy them" -- you reply "I agree, iPhones really shock me with how great they are. You nailed it. They shock. Astonishing functionality!!!" 

Now THAT will really tick them off. EVERY single thing they say, twist it around, deliberately fail to understand their statements, and reply as though they are AGREEING with you. 

If a troll says, "You know what I said. Quit pretending you don't understand. You're just acting stupid. I said iPhone suck, not shock."

Reply: "I think you're right. iPhones do get stuck sometimes when you're in a building with a lot of electrical grids. Just shake it a few times. That will straighten it out."

Or use this technique of tangent tuna torpedoing: "You are correct. Eggplant parmigiana is much better than chocolate anchovy chili."

The greatness of this amusing technique is in the fact that no matter what the troll says, you can distort it and make it backfire. Exasperated trolls are a beauty to behold. By deliberately misinterpreting each remark they make, their own tool of abuse and confusion has thereby been neutralized.

What most trolls will do in this situation is get crazy angry, start using vile language, and administrators will kick them off and ban them.

The more they troll, the more you come right alongside it and misinterpret, making everybody laugh at them, which is the opposite of what they want. By utilizing this clever and effective technique, you may go so far as to de-trollify a person and steer them into proper participation in online discussions. Wouldn't that be nice?

I Am The Troll Smasher.

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