bolding mine>
I can't always tell if someone's baiting so with one post I try my best to reply in a sincere manner. If it turns out the person IS baiting for it's own sake they see this as buffoonish on my part, naive if you will and are at it all the more. I've been banned from other cites for alerting a mod so I'm loathe to do that. Will I be banned for trying to answer courteously and sincere? Sometimes it does take more than one or a couple posts to try to guess someone's purpose.
if someone is baiting you, (and truly it may only be a perception because the written word is tricky that way) ignore them 100%. if it is a troll, responding to them in a polite manner will not make any difference. Put them on ignore, scroll by and find a post that is interesting and worthy of discussion.
If no one talks to trolls, they have no one to talk to.
Honestly, it really is that simple.
You will never be banned for answering someone in a polite and courteous manner. if you fall for their trick once, just don;t do it twice