Bait: Not just fish food

[RabbitPam]

Hi, BinkyBunniers,

I just want to say how truly caring and devoted our members are, to both their own bunnies, bunnies in general, and to this site. You make it a great place to drop by daily, and I thank you for that. It’s like a fuzzy, cyberspace place to share our stories and dilemmas, goofy pix and poignant moments that only other house bunny slaves can share. It’s nice, and you guys are nice, too.

I’ve learned a lot about the internet in the last year as a Forum Leader here, and a term and practice I’ve learned, among others, is Troll and trolling. I can’t understand the practice – why waste your own time? – but it seems that there are people out there with nothing better to do than take advantage of the anonymity provided by the internet to find a stable group of folks who come together for a mutual interest and stir things up. Maybe it’s fun to read. Maybe it’s a relief from boredom and the tedium of being alone when people avoid you in person. But it’s lousy and it happens. So Trolls are identified and dumped as soon as possible. Thus, the Alerts button.

But what if someone knows about the limits set on a site like this and is just shy of a bonafied troll? Nothing asked, no advice needed, just hanging around to push people’s buttons, start arguements and generally be a pain in the furry butt? What then?

We are not fish.

We don’t have to take the bait.

Bait works because it is disguised as something else, often in our case a legitimate question or concern, and then the controversy begins.

So, as someone who knows how passionate and compassionate our members here are, I am asking you to be on the lookout for bait.

It does not feed your souls. Don’t eat it. Don’t swallow bull when you read it. Step back, hit the Alert button if you want to, close the post, and go back to the legitimate interactions with the other members who really need and want your advice and welcome your input. And your pictures. And your sharing in their lives with furbabies large and small.

If you want to be a fish, I’ll get you the link for an aquatic website. But please think before biting bait. We care and want you to enjoy your time here.

Thanks for reading. RP

[Author]

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