Trolls and other real-world monsters. by Chrissy Brown | C.A.A.B Publishing
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Never feed the troll! We all know that line but what if the troll is disguised as a sweet and helpful person? You reply, you offer to help, you engage, you find yourself in the middle of a war you didn’t start, didn’t want, and have no idea how to end. As an author you have to put yourself out there. You need to be in the public eye and that usually leads to people noticing you, which can lead to a troll infestation. But it is not just the trolls that are a worry on social media. There are creepers too. No not the sort from the popular, kids, block game but people who watch, who send messages to your contacts and then attack you on social media. Why? Who knows? Because they are bored? Because they are nasty? Because they crave attention? Because the pixie that lives inside their ear told them too? Some of these people may have mental health issues and that is not something to laugh at, it should invoke sympathy but that is difficult when you are getting death threats or being called horrible things by someone you do not know. Then there are jerks. Those that message you with a perfectly reasonable question or comment and you answer them, but then they have you in their sights. You have communicated, and the messages will then not stop, they will get nastier and more personal. The jerk will continue to bother you until you block them. Some are clever and will come back with another account, they can be relentless. Lastly, scammers. We have all heard the warnings, but these guys are slick, and they know their business. Some may offer promotion, publication or a helping hand. They all want your money. They may say they admire your work, they may try to chat you up and act as though they want a real relationship. They may try breaking you down, getting you into a vulnerable state and then … wham! Money please! Or they may try to be friends and then play on your sympathies and kindness. Some authors have even found themselves in the firing line, when scammers steal their photos and their names and use these to scam others. Be vigilant. Never give people online money and be aware of the latest scams. It is easy to say DO NOT ENGAGE, but often very tough to do. But it can be the only way. That is why celebrities do not give out their phone number or email address to fans and why most have someone else monitoring their social media. The world is full of keyboard warriors, trolls, creepers, jerks, scammers and just plain
