Let’s Talk About Blocking and Trolling on Medium

Sometimes, shit happens.

By Shannon Ashley

Perhaps a less pleasant topic in the world of online writing, blocking is a tool available to everyone on this platform.

In case you missed it, all you need to do is click on the three little dots at the top right on a user’s profile and select “Block.” Like this:

For illustrative purposes only. Obviously, I would never block Zulie Rane as she is an amazing cat person!

Some folks consider blocking a necessary evil. I suppose I fall into that camp. Other people are pretty much trigger happy with the blocking feature and will use it on anyone they dislike for any reason.

Personally, I only block people who’ve shown themselves to be bad for my mental health. Mainly, users who comment in an effort to get me to quit writing. Or, those who go out of their way to try to make me feel like shit.

However, some folks block users in an effort to protect certain individuals or prevent arguments. They might block a family member or friend whom they think could be offended by some of their stories.

Lately, I’ve seen a few questions come up in Facebook groups about blocking users on Medium, and I decided to help clear up a few misconceptions.

If you block someone, they might find out about it.

This might be the biggest misconception about blocking users on Medium. If a person is using the Medium app, and they click on the profile or story of a member who’s blocked them, nothing will pop up.

If they’re savvy enough to know the profile or story exists, and that blocking exists, they’ll most likely put two and two together.

On the website, however, it’s even more obvious. If they click on the link or name of somebody who’s blocked them, they’ll see this message:

Some of you are screaming right now. Yeah, that means your mom/sister/cousin/ex/frenemy/whoever might very well see this message if you decide to block them. So, be prepared for some awkward conversations if this happens.

Blocking somebody after leaving them a nasty comment makes you look petty.

I have run into writers who brag about leaving a snarky comment or reply and then immediately blocking the recipient. I’m not sure if those users realize that their carefully crafted rants or insults cannot be fully read by anyone they block.

Here’s what happens to me when somebody comments on one of my stories and then blocks me:

All I get to see is a preview. Since the user blocked me, I am unable to click on that “Read more” link. But based on their previous comments to me on my other stories, I know the intention isn’t great.

So, I’m not sure what the point is in writing a 2 minute rant the recipient may never even read. Ultimately, it’s a passive aggressive way of getting in the last word.

If you block a writer whom you don’t like, you also prevent them from supporting your work.

Sometimes, you might come across writing on Medium that you don’t enjoy. Maybe it’s the topic or perhaps the writer rubs you the wrong way. Somewhere along the line, you may have been advised to block writers you want to see less of.

That might be a good policy for users who only read stories here, but I don’t think it’s a great move for writers. Why? Because you may unwittingly alienate readers.

I encourage writers to learn how to develop a healthier scrolling habit. If you don’t like another writer’s work, just scroll on by.

Just because you don’t like them, doesn’t mean they don’t like you. If you block them, that means they can’t read your work even if they want to. What’s worse, let’s say that you get featured and promoted by Medium. The people you’ve blocked might click on your story and discover they’re blocked.

Ouch.

At that point, you haven’t just lost a fan and reader. You’ve left an unnecessary negative (and possibly hurtful) impression and those linger. People talk about their negative experiences. So, think before you block somebody who’s never been rude or unkind to you simply because you find them annoying.

Consider how you want your readers to feel about you. Blocking might not help your image.

Some people use blocking as a harassment tool and you might need Medium support to intervene.

Let’s say that somebody blocks you on Medium, but then they periodically unblock you just to comment on your work. That can quickly become harassment and the best way to stop it is to email Medium support and ask that they block the user for you because we can’t block a user who has blocked us.

Go ahead and send an email to yourfriends@medium.com, give them the username of the offending member and request that they block the user on your behalf.

Not everyone who disagrees with you is a troll.

I know it’s common to call anybody a troll if they make a comment to disagree with your story. But how a person disagrees with you online says a lot more about them than the fact that they disagree with you. And how they disagree is much more indicative of their trolling status.

Remember, trolling is all about purposeful discord. People can dissent and be perfectly genuine about it. But once they start accusing, name-calling, judging, and simply making cruel comments, there’s nothing authentic or constructive about that.

How to handle bullying on Medium.

If you see or receive bullying comments, you can report the user to Medium, and/or block them. There is no reason to compromise your mental health by tolerating hateful remarks.

I know there’s an awful lot of pressure for online writers to take whatever criticism comes their way. And I think that’s unfortunate because plenty of criticism is just trolling in disguise, which doesn’t make anybody better.

Also, if you see somebody being bullied on Medium, don’t be afraid to speak up and say something about it. Particularly for writers who talk about their mental health struggles, it can be devastating to have some stranger go out of their way to make you feel like shit about it.

It’s hard to put yourself out there day after day and be vulnerable. You don’t deserve to suffer because you choose to write your truth. But it can feel horribly lonely when people attack you and onlookers say nothing. So, don’t be afraid to reach out when you see something unkind.

See something negative? Say something positive instead.

How I deal with bullying on Medium.

There are a few select people whom I trust to talk to when somebody lashes out at me. These days, I rarely respond directly to bullies or trolls.

I typically block them. I might write a few stories about my thoughts. Maybe I’ll write a story to encourage other writers too.

Ultimately? I try to channel my positivity. It’s not my job to convince other users that mean girls and bro trolls exist. And I don’t need to sandbag or railroad a writer who’s been mean to me because you know what? They might be perfectly nice to 99% of the other users here. I need them to get off my back for the sake of my mental and emotional health.

I don’t need the rest of the world to know they’ve been shitty to me. So, I block them and report the issue to Medium Support (if appropriate). I vent to some friends. And then I write about my feelings in an indirect way.

But I don’t wish for their downfall or try to get other users to block them too. If anything, I wish them healing and happiness so they never bully anyone else again.

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