When & How To Deal With Internet Trolls
“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community…either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.” (Wikipedia)
It’s inevitable: you will encounter an internet troll at least once in your life, especially if you are a frequent blogger, tweeter, vlogger, person of interest etc. There are people out there who lurk in the shadows behind their computer preying on individuals who voice an opinion or present an idea that is different from their own. Nothing you say or do will stop them from making nasty comments.
There are varying levels of internet trolls that you should know about. Some produce harmless, negative comments that might annoy you or anger you, while others threaten harm or even death. How do you differentiate between the trolls, and when should you react?
Aggressive troll: If you’ve ever scrolled down to the comments section on YouTube (it’s a guilty pleasure), you will find the worst of the worst when it comes to internet trolls. This type of troll is easier to spot. They use profanity, racial slurs, wish death upon the author of the content, bodily harm, harm to their family or employees, and other violent things. Don’t let this type of troll get to you. Trolls survive off of defensive, over-emotional responses, and they feed on those victims who respond that way. Don’t take it personally. Let’s use an example:
Anonymous writes, “This blog post sucks. I hope all your fingers get broken and you never get to write again because you clearly have no brain function to produce decent ideas. I also hope you get in a car accident that permanently disables you because this planet has no use for you,”
Ouch. Your heart is racing, you have never read such awful things being wished upon you, and you want to respond emotionally because you don’t deserve such a fate. Stop. Breathe. No matter how nasty the comment is, don’t take it personally. Chances are you have never met this person in your life and you never will. You have three options on how to deal with the comment: erase and forget about it, ignore it, or respond politely.
“Thanks for the feedback. What sort of topics would you like me/us to cover in the future?”
If the troll responds with more aggression, you can ignore it. If there is no constructive criticism, you will gain nothing from it. Remember that you are not posting content online in order to preserve or defend your sense of self. You’re posting content that represents your ideas, your opinions, your product, your creativity, etc. Not everyone will agree, and that is ok.
The troll trying to change the world: You will come across this troll by voicing your satisfaction with a certain product, company, political or religious stance. This troll will come out of nowhere and attempt to make you feel embarrassed about your personal opinion by stating facts that support the opposing view. They may or may not include any curse words or racial slurs. Respond in a passive, emotionless way. Thank them for their input, state your own facts if they’re questioning your brand or product, ask how it could be improved, and move on.
The fake profile troll: This troll will create an account on a social media site posing as a somebody else or somebody you might know. They will try to get a rise out of you by spreading rumors, sending vicious messages, threats, and posting inappropriate photos where they may tag you. This could be a difficult troll to ignore, but ignoring them is your best weapon of defense. Do not argue with them, and certainly do not threaten legal action as that can only worsen the situation. Block that person from your own account and continue to do so even if they keep making new profiles. Trolls eventually tire and go onto the next victim when the current one isn’t giving in. The only way you will win is by remaining calm and collected – or at least appearing so.
Sources:
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/How_to_deal_with_vile_nasty_comments_online_11553.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)
http://www.webroot.com/us/en/home/resources/tips/pc-security/you-cant-win-an-argument-with-a-troll
http://www.business2community.com/blogging/how-to-handle-nasty-comments-on-your-business-blog-0570591
5 Toronto Halloween Events You Won’t Want To Miss
Ah, can you smell it? That lovely hint of decay in the air? Whether it be flowers, leaves, or flesh; it means October is officially here. Everywhere you look this month you’ll see orange, black, pumpkins, fake cobwebs and all things Halloween. Sure, it’s also the month for Thanksgiving here in Canada and the start of Fall, but we’re mostly focused on the fun of dressing up as our favourite characters, creatures, ghouls and other ghastly things (Miley VMAs, anyone?). But where’s the fun in dressing up if you don’t know where to go to show off your amazingly grotesque costume? (ok, it doesn’t have to be grotesque – it can be pretty, too) Here’s a list of 6 Halloween events and parties going on in Toronto this month that you can’t miss.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival – No need to dress up for this one (although, if you want to dress up, you most certainly can!). If you’re looking for a more laid-back Halloween event where you can watch all the horror, action, sci-fi and cult classics and munch on snacks late at night, this is the event for you.
Where: Scotiabank Theatre,
When: October 17th-25th. Showtimes TBD
Cost: $143 for all-access pass to screenings on all days (you also earn 2,000 Scene points). Individual tickets are $13 and go on sale Oct 3rd.
Church Street’s Halloween Night Block Party - With three blocks of the Church and Wellesley area closed off from vehicular traffic, the annual Church Street Halloween Night Block Party is one of the biggest outdoor Halloween events in the city. Peruse the streets in your best costume, check out other great costumes, have a few drinks and party in one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Toronto.
Where: Church and Wellesley
When: Thursday October 31st. 7pm-2am
Cost: Free
Halloween Haunt @ Canada’s Wonderland – Every weekend evening in October, Canada’s Wonderland hosts their annual Halloween Haunt. You can run through mazes, be chased by nightmarish demons and killers, or go on their terrifying adrenaline-pumping rides. Just remember that those people chasing you through the maze are actors – they won’t harm you, so don’t try to defend yourself by, lets say, knocking them out with your fist (yes, it has happened).
Where: Canada’s Wonderland, 9580 Jane St., Vaughan, ON
When: Weekend Nights in October until Sunday, Oct 27th. 7pm-12am
Cost: $29.99 online or $37.99 at the park
Toronto Zombie Walk – The internationally famed Zombie Walk is coming to Toronto on October 26th. The pre-show starts at 2pm, with the actual walk starting at 3pm. We recommend getting there at 12, so you have plenty of time to check out the different vendors, take pictures of zombies and mingle amongst your fellow living dead. For full details and a map of the walk, visit the website. This is strictly a cannibal-free event.
When: Saturday October 26th, 2013 12pm
Where: Nathan Phillips Square
Cost: Free
Screemers – The legendary Screemers has been around for 21 years and is known as Canada’s #1 haunted indoor park. The park features live actors, special effects and images that will keep you up at night for the next month. If you get scared easily or have a weak heart, we wouldn’t recommend Screemers. The live actors make the experience all too real. We have to stress this again, however: they’re actors and they will not harm you! We promise.
Where: Screemers, 160 Princes Blvd, Toronto, ON
When: Every Friday and Saturday from Oct. 11th to Nov 2nd 7pm-12am.
Special Halloween hours: Wednesday Oct 30th 7pm-11pm & Thursday Oct 31st 7pm-12am
Cost: $24.95 online w/ $5 off coupon
A One Month Guide To Beating Clutter [INFOGRAPHIC]
If you’re anything like us, your workspace has a tendency to get cluttered quickly throughout the month. It’s usually one thing after the other until next thing you know, you have a desk full of odds and ends that need to be compartmentalized or sorted.
Don’t sweat though, we found something to help you with your cluttered space. This nifty INFOGRAPHIC (below) from terrysfabrics coaches you through all your clutter in a timely and effective manner! Although the image is geared to help you clutter-free your home, we found some great tips inside that you can easily apply to your office organization.
Do you have any other de-cluttering tips you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments below!
#FilmFriday: Stacey McKenzie Rules Her Runway
We had the privilege of attending this year’s Cashmere Runway Show (in its 10th year) at the AGO earlier this week, to witness our client, Stacey McKenzie, do what she does best! Check out a quick video of her RULING the runway below:
#WeeklyDisruptor: Robin Farr, Founder of Farewell Stranger
Each week at Embrace Disruption we introduce you to an influential person in the digital, blogger, arts, culture, film, or media world! Every Thursday, you can check back at EDPR to find out who we think is particularly amazing at ‘embracing disruption’ within their respective industries.
This week, we’d like to introduce you to Robin Farr, the woman behind the popular postpartum depression and motherhood blog, Farewell Stranger
What’s your official job title, and where did you go to school?
I have a day job, but for the purposes of this interview my title is Blogger. I have a bachelor’s degree in family studies from the University of British Columbia and a master’s in professional communications from Royal Roads University.
Elevator pitch. Describe yourself in a nutshell (or sea shell, or any shell for that matter).
Mine is totally a sea shell. I was born near the mountains but grew up by the ocean. As a kid I spent hours playing on beaches and poking in tide pools and those things became a central part of my identity. And yet when I grew up and got brave enough, I moved back to the mountains because that’s where I thought I should be. So many of the good things in my life are because I was brave enough to take a leap and find my wings on the way down.
Why did you pursue what you’re doing now? What was the inspiration?
I started blogging about postpartum depression on New Year’s Day 2011 (because part of me is neat and tidy like that; no random Tuesdays for me). I had been struggling for 2 ½ years by that point and I was trying to take back control. I had a story to tell and I thought that if I told it, it might help me get better and might just help someone else along the way. It did both, and also released my long-hidden inner writer. I missed her and didn’t realize how much until she came out to play.
What is the best part of your day-to-day?
In terms of blogging, I have two very different best parts. One is that I love sitting down to write knowing that I can write whatever I want. I can publish it if I want to, or not. I can break all the rules of writing. I can play with images. Each post is how I’m feeling in that moment and no one gets to dictate my content but me.
The other best thing is when I hear from other moms who are struggling and have come to me for help. That’s such a huge indication of faith and trust and it humbles me every time. And to know that something I have written or said helps another mom through an incredibly difficult thing makes all the times I’ve been vulnerable so worth it.
What’s the most challenging?
There are times when I have nothing to say and, given how much I have processed my world through words since I started blogging, it makes it feel very much like something is missing. Just as bad—worse, maybe—are the times I have something I want to say that won’t come out. That usually means it’s not time for it to come out, but I haven’t yet learned to be patient while waiting.
If you took a look in the cliché crystal ball, what do you see for yourself?
It depends on the day. Some days I look ahead and see more of the same, and I pray that I don’t get to the end of my life and wish I had done more with it. One of my best friends and I have what we call the goat-pant analogy. You know those people you see on the bus to work day in and day out, who sit there looking bored and unhappy and whose office-appropriate pants smell a little bit musty when it rains? No one wants to be stuck in goat pants forever. So most of the time I look into that ball and see someone who has taken risks and pursued joy and figured out how to make time for the things in life that matter. (And yes, sometimes that’s ice cream.) Three years ago I was climbing the corporate ladder. Now I’m climbing out the bus window, shedding the goat pants and wondering what else I can do that will leave some virtual “I was here!” graffiti on the walls of my world.
How do you embrace disruption in your work and personal life?
I’ve always enjoyed change, whether that’s a new job or an opportunity to rearrange my living room. Stagnant=boring. I am, and always have been, a fatalist. I believe things happen for a reason and we have to learn something from every experience. It’s taken me longer to accept it, but I also think sometimes we don’t get to know why things happen.
My experience with postpartum depression and the massive disruption that caused to both my work (because of a four-month leave from my job) and personal life has reinforced those beliefs. I never asked for that experience. I never wanted it or saw it coming. But it had a purpose, all right. So I’m just embracing the opportunities that something incredibly hard has brought to me.
What is the most memorable moment in your career?
The TEDx talk I did in 2011.I shared my experience with postpartum depression and how for so long I wore a mask to hide it, and how when I finally took that mask off and asked for help I realized how common it is and how much we can help others by sharing our struggles. I was supposed to have six minutes and one of the producers was going to give me time signals, but he didn’t because people were engaged. So, lost as I was in my very emotional story, I just kept going. It ended up being 18 minutes and at the end I got a standing ovation. It was something I’ll never forget.
Do you support any initiatives or charities?
I informally support all kinds of things. If a friend is fundraising for something I try to contribute to that, but my own work focuses mostly on charities and programs that support postpartum mood disorders or cancer (which both my parents had – at the same time!). Those include:
Postpartum Progress: http://postpartumprogress.org/
Ovarian Cancer Canada: http://www.ovariancanada.org/
Movember: http://ca.movember.com/
Tell us what you see yourself doing at 65 years old.
Writing, travelling, playing with (or eagerly anticipating) grandchildren, enjoying ice cream (and my husband’s pie), continuing to speak up on behalf of those who can’t do it for themselves.
Just for fun: if you had to pick one app in the whole APPVERSE, what would it be?
That’s a really mean question. The boring answer: a white noise app. (The one thing I don’t like having disrupted is my sleep.) The slightly more interesting answer: Camera+ because I love playing with iPhonography. (I realize that’s not a whole lot more interesting. But hey, at least I’m not a Candy Crush addict, right?)
Reputation Control: How To Un-Google Yourself
Let us treat you to a modern day tale: someone Googles your name and something embarrassing from your past shows up in the search results. Sound familiar? Maybe it’s a comment you made somewhere when you were 15, your old MySpace account (don’t remind us), or something more serious that could truly damage your reputation or put you at risk for identity theft. Not to worry, you can still save face. Here’s how to stop certain results from coming up when your name is Googled:
Google yourself: Carefully search through every result that comes up in each different tab (Web, Images, Video, etc) and target what you want to remove from the search. Sometimes a nasty comment you posted on a Youtube video will come back to haunt you as the first result on the video search. If your Google account is linked with your Youtube account, all you have to do is remove the comment. Otherwise, retrieve your login information, sign into that old account and remove the comment.
Facebook: If you don’t want your Facebook page to show up when you’re searched, it’s extremely easy to hide it without deactivating your account. Simply go into your privacy settings, and turn off the feature that asks “Do you want other search engines to link to your timeline?” If you want to be extra sure that it won’t show up, change your username that shows up on the address bar, which is oftentimes set by default as your first and last name.
Old Accounts: Don’t worry about your old Myspace account: they went ahead and did the work for you. With Myspace’s rebranding, all of the accounts that were under the “Classic” Myspace have been erased. Your angsty teenage blog posts are gone forever (which can definitely be a good thing). If you have any other accounts still showing up, try accessing that account by retrieving your login information. Once you’re in the account, you can delete it. If you can’t remember your login information and have no way of retrieving it, simply contact the webmaster or customer service on the site and talk to someone about getting the account deleted.
Bad publicity: If someone posts an unflattering picture of you or writes something that would damage your reputation, you can send them a polite e-mail asking to remove the content. Do not make any legal threats, as that could make the situation worse. If the person or site still refuses to remove the content you can contact Google’s content removal page and submit a request to have a specific search result be removed. Although the content is still there, it won’t show up on Google. The only issue with this, however, is that it could still be visible on other search engines. But if the content is truly awful or gives out your personal information, you’ll go the extra mile to get it removed.
Don’t use your name: For future reference, keep the blogs or accounts that you want private under an alias. If you comment on videos or blogs, make sure that’s anonymous as well. 5 years down the road you could regret that one angry comment about an article you disagreed with.
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Ungoogle-Yourself
http://www.waysto.com/ways-to-ungoogle-yourself/
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Un-Google_Yourself
10 Steps To Eliminating That Pesky Writer’s Block
The dreaded writer’s block! This seemingly-harmless issue could cripple your blogging or writing career if not handled immediately. As a writer, can you picture anything worse than watching that blinking line with a mind as empty as the text box? The harder you try, the worse the writing sounds. Don’t worry, though! There’s still hope that you will produce quality content despite the temporary block. Having experienced it far too many times, we’ve decided to compile a list of 10 ways to get over writer’s block (maybe even for good!)
- Get over that OCD – We know, we know. You need to start writing from the beginning and continue writing until you get to the end. It seems like the natural order of things. However, this can actually make your writer’s block even worse. By focusing too much on writing and producing results in a certain arrangement, you might overlook the most important thing about writing: the content. If you already have an end in mind, write the end first. If you already have the middle thought-out, then start there. The ideas will start flowing and before you know it you’ll have a whole, finished piece. Take it like a jigsaw puzzle. You would never think to put the pieces together row by row in a consecutive fashion. You put together pieces at random and they form the picture in the end.
- Create a calendar – We’re going to refer you back to last week’s post about editorial calendars because it’s one of the most important things to have when running a blog. By having ideas that you wrote down in advance, you can just start writing without having to rack your brain thinking of a topic.
- Writing prompts – Remember grade school when you were given a subject to write about every day? Start doing that again! Not only does this nurture your writing skills, but it can also be great content for future blog posts. Make a list of prompts for two weeks in advance (or a month if you’re feeling brave) and start writing. Just don’t make your prompts as easy as they were in grade school, like writing about your favourite colour. If you make your prompt topics interesting for yourself, you’ll want to write about it.
- Forget the backspace key – Once again, don’t let your writer’s OCD kick in while you’re writing. If you are continually finding errors and pressing back space, you’ll become discouraged from writing about the topic – even if the topic is good. It’s all about creativity, not perfection. There’s always time to edit it later once you’re finished writing the bulk of it.
- Walk around – Get up from that chair, walk to a convenience store, grab a soda, admire houses in your neighbourhood, and do whatever else gets your mind off of writing. Refresh your brain (or completely turn it off) and come back to the writing later. The writer’s block will only feel worse if you’ve been sitting in the same place for hours forcing yourself to write without taking a break.
- Change of scenery – If you’re feeling extra frustrated with your writer’s block, move your desk (unless it’s really heavy – in which case we suggest you buy a lighter desk) to a place where you’d never move it (the bathroom could be fun). Try moving it in front of a window – or away from a window if you’re easily distracted. Or, if you’re not in the position to move your desk, simply find a place to write. Try a park, coffee shop, or a library. A simple change of scenery can do wonders.
- Download browser extensions – Google Chrome offers a variety of free, downloadable extensions that allow you to block certain URLs that will distract you (like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit etc). There are some that make you simply click an enable or disable button, and there are more serious ones that make you type in a long and annoying code in order the disable the extension (making you less likely to disable it while you’re writing).
- The Pomodoro Technique – Developed by Francesco Cirillo who was definitely suffering from intense writer’s block in the 1980s, The Pomodoro Technique breaks up your work in 25-minute intervals. Set up a timer anywhere for 25 minutes and see what you can do in that period of time. After the 25 minutes is up, take a 15-minute break and go back at it for another 25 minutes.
- Just write – Write anything, even if it’s not at all related to your topic. Sometimes in the dead of winter you need to rev the engine a bit to heat up the car to get it running more smoothly (we don’t really know much about cars, but this sounds accurate). Maybe a better metaphor would be the importance of stretching before a workout to avoid cramping and soreness. Well, you get the idea.
- Be nice - We’re our own worst critic, right? Well, it’s time to stop being so harsh on yourself and your writing. Many writers fall victim to over-criticizing their writing to the point of no return. You’re a writer because you can write well, and don’t let that voice inside your head tell you otherwise. Once you’re done writing it, don’t over-analyze it – just hit that publish button. Of course, its always good to proof-read your writing, but only for grammatical errors. Once you change the content of one sentence, you’ll go onto the next sentence, and it’ll end up being a domino effect of changes.
Sources:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-ways-to-kill-your-writers-block-forever.html
17 Types Of Content To Boost Your Google Ranking [INFOGRAPHIC]
It’s no secret that the number one way people research new products, organizations and personalities is through online search engines; making it SO important for brands to capitalize with their content.
What does this mean for you and your business? It means that now more than ever, YOU have the ability to control your communications by developing content that will attract your desired demographic – ultimately driving sales, conversions and brand loyalty.
The below infographic from WebBizIdeas outlines 17 of the top content suggestions to help escalate your traffic, and build more meaningful content for your audience. Take a look:
Are there any other types of content that you think should be included in this list? Share them below in the comments!
#FilmFriday: Mel B (Scary Spice) Releases Controversial New Music Video
Part of a PR pro’s job is to keep updated on the daily talk show circuit. This means we PVR a lot of shows during the day and review segments, study interviews, etc. to come up with new opportunities and pitches for our clients.
Over the past few weeks we’ve noticed that the scariest of all the spices, Mel B, has hit up many American chat shows (Ellen, Bethenny) presumably to promote her stint on America’s Got Talent. In her interviews, Mel cleverly plugged that she was working on a new album and we’re happy to report, the first single has arrived.
Have a watch and let us know: do you think this new music video is a good PR move for Mel, or a little too much?
#WeeklyDisruptor: Julie, Founder Of SoberJulie.com
Each week at Embrace Disruption we introduce you to an influential person in the digital, blogger, arts, culture, film, or media world! Every Thursday, you can check back at EDPR to find out who we think is particularly amazing at ‘embracing disruption’ within their respective industries.
This week, we’d like to introduce you to Julie, the woman behind popular lifestyle blog, SoberJulie!
What’s your official job title, and where did you go to school?
Author/Speaker…ok I’m really not into titles but I’d say someone who is connected to the online world and enjoys the unlimited possibilities available for sharing purpose.
Elevator pitch. Describe yourself in a nutshell (or sea shell, or any shell for that matter).
I am the mother of two girls and the wife of a very patient man. Also known as SoberJulie in social media circles you can imagine why people are referring to me as a straight-shooter. After facing my alcoholism and being involved in a car accident, I began writing at Sober Julie where I take the tired, unappetizing reputation about sobriety and turns it into a day at the circus. Jam-packed with ideas for delicious food, mocktail recipes, tips for sobriety, reviews & giveaways SoberJulie.com provides tons of ideas for leading a better (more creative, more enjoyable) life.
Why did you pursue what you’re doing now? What was the inspiration?
After a debilitating car accident I realized I wouldn’t be able to return to my past corporate career and began writing as more of a journal than what you see today.
What is the best part of your day-to-day?
The moments when I have correspondance with people or brands I wouldn’t have without social media. Watching the power of the internet spread positive purpose.
What’s the most challenging?
Saying no. The requests to promote charities or products come daily and it’s a fine balance between being a blog which people read for inspiration vs a review/giveaway blog.
If you took a look in the cliché crystal ball, what do you see for yourself?
White hair and continued learning. A life where I’m connected into each moment, determined to learn all that I is available.
How do you embrace disruption in your work and personal life?
With open arms! How mundane life would be without disruption, being “different” and embracing new opportunities fits me just fine.
What is the most memorable moment in your career?
There are many, from having articles published on major networks to a simple email from a stranger seeking help with alcoholism.
Do you support any initiatives or charities?
Ronald McDonald House Toronto is my charity of choice, I shaved my head to fundraise for them last year.
Tell us what you see yourself doing at 65 years old.
Writing while sitting on a dock near some beautiful water with my amazing husband.
