Crypto fans may have noticed a recent surge in hostility directed at Dash. More on why that’s a good thing later, but in the meantime it helps to understand the breadth and depth of the ongoing troll wars in the cryptoverse. Though I mainly do a lot of writing now, I was originally recruited for Dash Force for what’s colloquially known as the “troll patrol,” or to counter the false narratives of hostile actors in the space. I’ve learned a lot fighting in the trenches. Here’s a field manual to winning a troll war. Each of the links below leads to a whole article expanding further on the particular point. Happy clicking!

1: The cryptocurrency world is a loud and hostile place

Regrettably, right now the cryptoverse is filled with aggressive and hostile characters. This is because of a variety of factors, but it mostly boils down to this: you have an emergent field where social graces are not as valued, where anonymity is specifically prized, all competing over network effects. This has led to a lot of fighting for dominance among the persuasion-challenged, resulting in a lot of ugliness. It comes with the territory, we must act accordingly.

2: You do need to push back

As tempted as one might be to simply turn away and ignore the hostility, that’s a very bad idea. The trolls will keep on trolling, emboldened each time a good actor just gives up and quits the space. Pushing back encourages the good actors and tires out/discourages the bad. It’s a necessary measure to prevent the evil elements from taking complete control over the space.

3: Don’t troll back

While you shouldn’t give up, trolling back is an equally bad idea. If one troll attacks someone else and that person trolls back, now there are two trolls, multiplying the ugliness in the space and driving out the good actors even quicker. Instead, maintain the intellectual upper hand, stay cool, and stand your ground with moral authority. This fights back while maintaining a strong and clear good vs. evil narrative to onlookers looking for a side to back. Be strong, but be righteous.

4: Control the narrative

Trolling establishes narrative control by repeatedly shouting one message over and over, in absence of a competing viewpoint. If people only hear one story they will be forced to accept it, while introducing a second opinion makes them undecided pending further research. If the truth is on your side, this is always a win, as onlookers will either remain indifferent or look closely into the claims of each side, which is a death blow to the trolls.

5: Fighting trolls improves your understanding

A welcome bonus of being forced to fight message wars all day is what that does for your understanding of the subject. When you spend your days doing research and crafting arguments to counter the constant barrage of troll attacks, you know your stuff really well. This will make you a better advocate for your cause, and give you a deeper appreciation and greater understanding of the underlying technology.

6: Message wars are hard, and that’s good

Trolls didn’t become trolls because they had patience an work ethic. It’s a tactic of cheaters, and cheaters cheat because they don’t want to put in the hard work and lack the serenity to win on their own merit. When engaged in a full-on message war against a competent and informed resistance, trolling becomes work. This alone will cause many of them to simply give up.