Long before I head the expression, "Don't Feed the Trolls," I wasn't. In the early days of this blog, we had no device to block trolls. I was forced to delete some of them again and again until they gave up. In those days, my blogging for Huckleberries Online was 24/7/365. Even on vacation, I was constantly checking the comments section. I remember one Thanksgiving Eve in which I deleted one post after another from the same individual slandering a regular commenter. The slanderer would cut and paste. And I would delete. It lasted about 6 hours. Now, of course, I might give a warning. Or I'll simply delete and sometimes ban.

Trolls are easy to spot. Some are drive-by, attracted by a topic. Others have a chip on their shoulder and some over-sized idea re: there rights to post what they want in the comments section. Still others are ideologues who have no interest in community. In the old days, I tried to tap the brakes and guide a trollish person to higher ground. But I learned that it's almost impossible to reform a troll. I've occasionally tossed a regular. But most of them have worked their way back into my good graces. Some took months and even years to do so. I guess I could extend a blanket amnesty to all the lost souls in the bowels of the cooler, as I head out the door. But I can't remember who's down there.

Question: Have you ever been coolered?