Activist handbook: trolling

So, Phil Saxby was someone who was doing a similar thing, and I found that inspiring. He wrote a post about 'being a good troll' which influenced my approach. 👋 - I think the key to a good activist profile is: 1. An issue worth writing about. 2. A hobby or other passion that people find interesting, so it's not politics 24/7.

3. Good writing. It doesn't have to be clever, but it's good if it's got some style.

4. A knack for relating news events to your particular kaupapa. That's something one can acquire on-the-job, as it were, but trawling the news sites is definitely a requirement (see: Gary's twitter for more info/ideas ☘️). - I personally think debates on political pages or news website comment sections are a waste of time; people feel important while doing those, but if my blog is any indication, politicians are much more likely to stalk individual profiles than to read comments sections. Communication is key: I prefer to use my blog and page as a way of making public statements, but other people may prefer other, subtler methods. My two cents -- if the GCSB and pollies are reading, then they can choose to respond (or not) to anything I've said. I think debating Chloe via the news shows, while unintentional, has been useful for sharpening our plan of attack. - I'm a provocateur; that's my thing. There's lots of other approaches, though. I've never started a petition, but I was considering one last year about Radula Marginata. I was directed to the Minister for the Environment, but I couldn't figure out which laws applied to at-risk native plants. As Gary's experiment with the petition showed, it's a very precise exercise, and the wording is key. So if you're a lawyer or something, then that's the route to go with political engagement; for a fairy queen like me, this approach is more effective.