by Christyl Rivers

Created on: July 19, 2010   Last Updated: September 04, 2010

You can successfully deal with bad behavior on-line by  dealing with the E-RANT fool.

Let’s say someone is by blog, or public domain, or other means, issuing rants at you on the internet.  We might call such a person an E-Rant fool, after the Errant Fool literary allusion.  Here are some suggestions to consider.

 You can always sue.  You may think you can collect in a definite case of harassment, or slander, but this usually requires you to put negative energy into an already draining situation.  The idea you can always sue is primarily based on the fact that anyone, anytime, can begin a lawsuit in our litigious society.  However, it rarely leads to a rich settlement, an end to the matter, (people can always counter sue, as well!) or even satisfaction.  Lawsuits are generally geared for lawyers to make money, not you.

Still, here are five ways that usually help you deflect bad behavior.

 1. The best policy is to ignore the person who is actively looking for a response.  The anonymony of the internet ensures that there will always be individuals out there who just want attention and to rile you into a reaction.  Best policy: don’t play their immature game.

 2. Go to the administration of a social networking site or message board with a very politely worded complaint.  Do not include any name calling, extreme counter accusations, or a dirty laundry list of detailed injustices heaped upon you.  They want to avoid trouble makers, so provide no reason for them to see you as one.

 3. Delete or ban the person from your messages without reading them, in most cases.

 4. If you do sense the situation is truly a threat to you be vigilant, but not reactive.  A dangerous quirk of anonymity also means that someone could mistake you for someone else.  We had a former room mate at one point who published a horrific screed against us because he assumed that we were behind some negative messages he received.  We ignored him, but it was not until expensive damage was done to us and our finances that we knew the full extent of how assumption of guilt can do considerable damage to you and your reputation.

 5. Always be upfront and polite, even when others are not.  This assures you are modeling correct netiquette when they may not be.  Always be careful to whom you post any personal contact content, including your email.  This will also cut down on the amount of time, effort, and frustration you experience from spam as well as decreasing bad behavior.

 These are only five of the most basic defenses you have.  Remember that the internet is by far more of a connecting tool, than a weapon.  It is too bad that a few bad apple (or PC) users have simply fashioned a sneak attack tool out of what they could get their grubby little hands upon. The greatest challenge we all have is to learn best use of our technology that allows us to unite and create helpful, fulfilling, entertaining, and enlightening mastery of the wide open Wild West frontier of the World Wide Web.

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