“Should I Take the Bait?” is a brief article that analyzes the arguments for and against responding to the ancient, age-old, low-life traditions of baiting (flaming)¹⁾ and trolling. As a warning, I do not actually intend to solve the question or provide a solution in this article.

The arguments for taking the bait is that failure will result in a 'consensus crack',²⁾ which means that people can be misled into believing that certain ideas are accepted in the community if no opposition is present.³⁾ Some people may feel obligated to take the bait as if its their duty, believing that examples of mob justice like cancel culture (call-out culture), public humiliation, and general vigilantism do work.

The arguments against taking the bait relies on the age-old forum mantra of 'don't feed the trolls' (DNFTT), also called 'deny recognition', since it's often believed that responses will only encourage their behavior. While it's tempting to reply with a lame quip, clapback, dunk, roast, or one-liner, like a poorly-written cutscene, please keep in mind that replying amplifies the troll's visibility, expanding their reach.⁴⁾

It doesn't help that bad faith arguments and disingenuity are rewarded on the modern internet with capitalists realizing that angry people tend to stay on a website longer, which allows them to pocket more money from advertiser revenue. This is why troll farms receive funding, and it might also explain why society feels more irritable. In short, remember to pick and choose your battles wisely… or simply just log off.⁵⁾

• For the Christians and the Judaists, you may be interested in the fact that 'Proverbs 26:4-5' does argue against taking the bait, but applying religion to the internet is an extremely tall task.