The Trolls Among Us

What makes someone spew hateful comments on a stranger's blog? Are they simply mean-spirited, or is their vitriol masking a sad life?

They're the bane of the internet, more annoying than a slow connection, or an inbox full of spam. Their presence is almost inevitable, and like some energy-based creature from the original Star Trek series, your attention only makes them stronger.

They're trolls, and if you've established an online presence, chances are you've tangled with your share.

When I first started blogging about moving to Canada from New York City, my politics provoked the ire of a number of American hard-right-wingers. I never sought them out, but my desire to leave The Greatest Nation on Earth™ provoked them to angry tirades.

I was called a coward, a "disgusting and vile traitor," a "fascist pig," and a "Marxist minion." I was told I'd die in Canada while waiting for health care, or freeze to death in the12-month winter. Eventually, there came the inevitable "good riddance, who needs you." But if I was so unimportant, why were they frothing at the mouth?

When I deleted their spew, I was, of course, accused of censorship. This turned out to be useful, as it helped me articulate to myself why I wouldn't tolerate hateful comments on my blog. Trolls poison the atmosphere, derail constructive conversation, contribute nothing, and ruin everyone's fun. Free speech is a red herring. I defend your right to express yourself, but I'm not obligated to rent you a billboard on my front lawn.

As Fox-News–style trolls lost interest, a different breed took their place: disgruntled Canadians. One of these went by the name of GaryStJ. GaryStJ hates Canada, and my admiration for my new country got under his skin.

GaryStJ drove my readers around the bend with illogic, trying to prove that Canada and the U.S. are exactly the same. Since same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts, doesn't that mean same-sex marriage is legal in the U.S.? Since Canada is at war in Afghanistan, isn't Canada an imperialist superpower too?

When his arguments fell short, GaryStJ resorted to name-calling of the lowest kind – the kind that is only delivered behind a shield of anonymity. By then, I recognized GaryStJ for what he was: a troll with a big vocabulary.

Banned from my blog, GaryStJ didn't give up. He started appearing at other blogs on which I commented, airing his imaginary gripes about me. After embarrassing himself a few times, he disappeared from my radar.

Which is more than I can say for "magnolia_2000." This Canadian man – of that I'm certain – began by posting under half a dozen different names, eventually settling on the persona of an admiring female reader. He posted under that disguise for months before revealing himself as the keyboard behind all of those earlier posts and flaming out in a barrage of bigotry.

Ever since then, it's been nothing but racist, sexist, and homophobic filth, and childish personal attacks, both on my blog, and my partner Allan's. I long ago started moderating comments, so his bile never actually appears online. Despite that, he has kept up his attacks, off and on, for almost three years.

Think about that. Since Mags revealed himself as a troll, I've never posted his comments or communicated with him in any way. Yet he's continued his monologue for nearly three years. The expression "get a life" doesn't even make a dent.

When I began to moderate comments, Mags triumphantly bragged that he had taken control of my blog. Then he tried to bargain with me: "I'm calling a ceasefire. If you remove comment moderation, I promise to leave you alone." This went on for weeks, his posts alternating between threatening – "If you don't take off moderation within 24 hours, I'll make you sorry you ever began this boring stupid blog!" – and plaintive: "Come on, L, I promise I'll stop, you can take it off now..."

Every so often Mags posts about me on other people's blogs, to the bafflement of all concerned. He visits the blogs of a number of my readers, telling them that I have insulted them and suggesting they reconsider their friendship with me.

He has gone so far as to post under a name similar to mine, telling online friends that our friendship is over. During one marathon eight-hour session, Mags invented eight different names, and posted at nearly two dozen blogs.

That this man has too much time on his hands is an understatement. The attention seems pathological.

I've often tried to imagine the mentality that might be at work. Who is this person when he's not online? What drives his obsession? Why does he need to insult me?

Perhaps it’s a longing for a secret identity. Mags could never reveal his hidden hobby to a friend or co-worker; he would instantly expose himself as unbalanced. He can only enjoy this game in secret. Does he fancy himself as an online superhero of sorts?

Since Mags is clearly addicted to trolling, perhaps his anonymous insults act as a kind of drug. In a dull, gray, lonely life, perhaps even a painful one, Mags soothes himself by lashing out at a stranger, protected by the internet from return volleys.

Is his professed loathing of me a disguised form of jealousy? While he constantly tells me how boring and meaningless my life is, I, in fact, live an interesting and meaningful life, while he spends his evenings writing hate mail under an assumed name.

Maybe there is some profound self-loathing, some essential lack of confidence, that prevents the troll from engaging in normal discourse.

Will this post embarrass him? He will likely leave gleeful comments – all of which I will reject – declaring victory for having inspired this article. But privately, will he squirm at being exposed?

We'll never really know. What I do know is that as soon as this is published on my blog, I’ll have a lot of comment moderating to do.