Beware of Trolls

"An Internet troll is a member of an online social community who deliberately tries to disrupt, attack, offend or generally cause trouble within the community by posting certain comments, photos, videos, GIFs or some other form of online content."

From time to time we get people here who are obviously trolls. They make crazy comments and seem to have some sort of agenda. Either they crave attention or perhaps they are trying to convince people NOT to have bariatric surgery. They seem to post the same thing over and over and do not make much sense.

I think this is a great community. I know many of us who have been here a while get all riled up when the trolls show their ugly heads. We want to protect others, especially newbies, from their nonsensical comments and advice.

Do not get caught up in their drama. Do your own research.

I will get off my soapbox now.

What about the stuff like Nutracelle. I kinda wondered about that. I know the business is legit but I kinda wondered about a direct post. I don't know what those rules are.

Stay on that soapbox as long as you want to Laura. You explained things perfectly and it's probably a reminder that needs to be posted regularly.

When we see behavior like this over and over and over for ten years or more it gets tiresome. And when we've been around a while we also learn to recognize that it's dangerous.

It's a fine line to walk between being supportive and answering questions and recognizing repeated lies and errors that give a false impression to newbies, lurkers and pre-ops. Trying to dispel erroneous information while attempting some kind of communication with a poster who may be a troll is a tedious yet crucial function for many who are farther out.

I'm grateful to those that have come before me that stay here and teach us all. They do a thankless job, out of only the goodness of their hearts.

LAURA --VERY well said!!!! I much prefer for peeps to just go ahead and put "Attention *****", in their thread title...then I know what I am in for

BTW, I will be attention whoring, this time, next week...you have been forewarned...