You wake up early in the morning, suck down some coffee and make an effort to make some kind of decisions that will affect the outcome of your day. Going to work is out of the question. Snow storm from hell is being predicted and experience says that spending three or more hours trying to get home from work isn’t worth it.

You check your email. There’s a Facebook message for you from someone you never heard of.

Someone that Likes your Facebook page said something that this guy doesn’t like. Now it’s your problem. You’re being threatened with economic harm by him and apparently his hoard of followers if you don’t do something about this. This thing you have no clue about.

I also read it as saying… you do what I say, you tow my line, or I will reign economic harm down upon you.

I’m sorry, but I don’t take well to threats.

I learned that from my dad. Always stand up to the bullies and the assholes and never let them win. Easy for him to say and do. He was a high school boxing champ, Army vet, a life long roofer and almost six feet tall. To this day, even though he can barely walk, there’s something in his face that says “don’t fuck with me.”

The only thing I have in common with him is that look and his attitude. I’m amazed at times that I’m not dead already.

For all the banter about building your brand on blogs and social media like Facebook, my experience over the past 20 years or more of being on forums and early types of social media have proven to me that they are primarily occupied by trolls. As entertaining as screwing with trolls may be, it loses something after the millionth time. My blog is my own entertainment, Facebook is just another outlet for nonsense. If you think of it as anything more than that, you need to shut your computer off more often and go out for a walk. It will be time much better spent.

But really, threatening me? Poor stupid you. Did you actually think that would get you anywhere?

I’ve taken out the names and the links involved, they’re not important. Pretty much like this whole conversation that came out of nowhere. Since I started typing this, I got a response. Further proof to me that human beings are basically clueless.

I did like how I dealt with this though. I think if more dealt with the trolls this way, the trolls might start to think twice about leaving dumbass comments since they get nowhere fast.

But then, they are trolls. They simply don’t know any better.

From the troll:

Just curious, is this guy an employee of yours? Name Deleted? If you will read his comments regarding the photograph of the injured veteran, I think you will understand why myself and other veterans are looking to ensure that no business goes in any direction tied into this person. He’s got your farm listed on his likes. If this is the kind of behavior you want to be associated with, we’d like to make sure you don’t gain any business from people who served, are related to those who serve or have any interest in those who serve our country. Thank you.

Here’s the photograph and his comments. You can click the photo itself and see him calling the injured soldier an idiot and worse.
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Troll,

For starters, I don’t have a business. I write about the outdoors in the Fox Valley outside Chicago and that’s about it. I’ve been doing that for around 15 years now, have made virtually nothing off of it and do it because I enjoy it.

I’ll agree that what Name Deleted said is pretty stupid. Would never dawn on me to say something like that. I’ve also never met Name Deleted along with most of the other 140 or so others that Like my Waterdog Journal page.

I do know that those that Like my page run the gamut of the political spectrum from flaming liberals to staunch conservatives. They’re political stances mean nothing to me. Do they like to fish? Hunt? Wander around in the outdoors and do whatever they can to protect our natural resources? If so, then I’m glad they read what I write.

I have no interest in wandering around the internet monitoring anything they may have to say about whatever they believe no matter how stupid it may sound. If you wouldn’t have sent this to me, I would have never known about it, which is fine by me. He has the right to go say whatever stupid stuff he wants.

It would also never occur to me to censure someone for whatever their stupid beliefs are. It also would never occur to me to threaten and basically try to blackmail someone into towing the line on these beliefs. If I were a business and I were making money off what I do, I’d be pretty pissed off that someone was threatening me with the possibility of economic harm all based on comments made by someone I’ve never met.

Do I think what he said is stupid? Yes.

Do I agree with his stupidity? No.

Am I pretty pissed off about someone contacting me telling me I should censure someone that Likes by Facebook Page and that if I don’t they’ll somehow cause me economic harm?

You can damn well bet I’m pissed off as hell about it.

Thanks.

Ken G
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Response from the troll:

I’m pretty sure you are just about as pissed off as I am about what he says. While you have the luxury of making money off of people regardless of their beliefs agreeing with you or not, our commitment tends to be quite a bit more true to one another.
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You missed the part where I make no money off what I do. I’m kind of done with this conversation. Go take it up with Name Deleted.

Ken G
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One last one from the Troll:

Dont take it personal. Good luck with what you do. We ask before we act. Which is the courtesy you were given. I could see if you got your name blasted as being this turds buddy before anyone came to you but you got asked a question…relax

And with that, blocked, deleted, marked on Facebook as spam, goodbye.