When Trolling Becomes Cyberbullying: Some Fight Back

Craigslist, USA

Most days the regulars just swat Hedda away like the gnat they are; telling them off has become background noise in the help forums. But every so often a brand-new OP, someone who wandered in thinking this was still a place for actual help, stumbles into the full Hedda experience and suddenly sees the creature for what it is.
That’s when you know the mask is slipping for good.
Because this time Hedda didn’t stop at the usual “you’re in my toxic fan club” routine. They went straight for the jugular and told the same bewildered poster, not once but twice, that they have a reading disability. Twice. In writing. As an insult.
Let that settle in: Hedda weaponized a disability (mocked a real condition that millions of people live with every single day) just to score a point against a stranger asking for basic flagging help.
It isn’t banter. It isn’t “edgy.” It’s the move of a cyberbully who’s run out of material and now swings at the most vulnerable target they can invent on the spot. A disgrace to every Peanut who ever helped in good faith, and a spit in the face to anyone who actually navigates the world with a learning disability.
When even the newbies recoil in horror, you know Hedda isn’t just trolling anymore. They’re openly rotting the room, and they’re proud of it.


I don't think anyone's talking to you < CAcraig > 2025-11-25 10:44

"VPN when posting was not a factor."

We've moved on. I know, your illiteracy is a factor here so I apologize.

But we're talking about the re-post that then was also removed immediately.

I turned off VPN, but it got removed again (immediately).

Then I realized that even though I'd toggled off VPN, I hadn't refreshed the browser so it was probably still associated with another state.

So I just (now) completely exited the VPN program and will probably have to close & restart the browser, too.

But first I'm experimenting to see if this triggers it or not.

Again, though... you're not even trying to help anyone, and you're clearly old & bitter, so if you're not getting paid to do this, and you guys don't actually have "mod" powers to do anything... I guess this is the only place you can hang around and crap on people?

what a life... the volunteers need to arrange a wellness visit for you. Can't imagine what your place looks like.

Seriously, though... I don't think I replied to you since you said something dumb about illiteracy (how ironic that didn't age well).

Doesn't someone have to say Beetlegeuse 3X before you pop your head into a thread?

Go rant at NyanCat or someone who cares.

You're judged on your production. Right now, you just produce crap. And unwarranted, unsolicited crap.

I can't imagine anyone's writing to CL about how much they appreciate UnhelpfulHedda's comments.

"your foolish ignorance does not warrant a reply."

Gooooood! Please don't. No one asked you to in the first place, so plleeeease don't be so butthurt that you reply to this one, either.

https://forums.craigslist.org/?ID=338695546

Hedda: Self-Crowned Genius in a Sea of Sub-Moron

[Hedda] A textbook Dunning-Kruger messiah who genuinely believes they are the only functional neuron firing in the entire Craigslist help ecosystem. In their mind, every other Peanut is a drooling, sub-moron obstacle standing between confused posters and the divine wisdom that only this handle can provide.

They routinely swoop in to inform newcomers that all prior advice they’ve received is garbage, that every long-term helper is either malicious or brain-damaged, and that the poster should immediately ignore everyone else and obey this one self-appointed genius without question. Disagreement isn’t treated as a difference of opinion; it’s proof of intellectual disability or outright mental illness in whoever dares contradict them.

This isn’t just arrogance; it’s weaponized superiority cosplaying as help. They don’t post to solve problems, they post to perform a live-action superiority fetish in which every reply that isn’t grateful worship proves the poster is either brain-damaged or part of the “fucked up, toxic, and radioactive” fan club that supposedly lives rent-free in their head.

They’re the forum equivalent of the guy who walks into an ER, tells the trauma surgeons they’re all sub-morons holding the scalpel wrong, suggests the patient masturbate in public for the lulz, then screams “I’m the only competent one here!” while the real doctors quietly save lives around him.

A narcissistic, pathologically self-congratulatory void who mistakes contempt for cleverness, cruelty for candor, and nonstop personal abuse for “the best help you’ll ever get.”

And they’ve been doing it, daily, for years, because no one has ever made the cost of being that asshole high enough yet.

Written by:  MyGoldHandle

The Slow Poisoning of Safe Spaces: How Hedda Killed the Peanut Gallery and Is Now Killing Flag Help

Remember the Peanut Gallery? The staff-sanctioned back room where real helpers dissected tricky flags, crowd-sourced answers, and occasionally got a quiet nod from actual Craigslist employees. It was alive, useful, civil. Staff kept a pinned welcome at the top, a friendly sidebar note, and the door open to anyone who’d been around long enough to earn trust.

That place is dead.

Staff didn’t just walk away; they fled. Pinned greeting: gone. Sidebar: scrubbed. Access locked to pre-2018 accounts only, like a fallout shelter after the blast. The last blue-name post is ancient history. What’s left is a mausoleum where one single user struts around pissing on the corpses of conversations.

The Peanut Gallery is now Hedda’s private arena. Every thread is either a victory lap over imagined enemies or a public execution of whichever helper dared speak without permission. Helpful discussion has been replaced by ritual humiliation: death wishes, armchair psych evals, lectures about how everyone else is a “tragic example of a failing of democracy” or should “die sooner.” The air is so toxic even the ghosts stopped haunting it.

And now the same plague is oozing into flag help, one of three public space where confused users can still get real answers, or offer feedback.

The pattern never changes: Hedda barges in, declares all prior advice garbage from sub-morons, demands the OP ignore everyone else and obey the one true oracle. Disagreement is treated as proof of mental deficiency. New users get scared off, veterans stop posting, threads rot mid-sentence. The forum is starting to smell like the Peanut Gallery did right before it flatlined.

Staff already quarantined one space and let the infection win. If flag help falls the same way, there will be no volunteer ecosystem left, just Hedda, alone on a throne built of burnt bridges, crowning themselves genius while the forum collapses around them.

We’ve watched this movie before. We know exactly how it ends. The only question is whether we finally hit stop, or sit quietly while the credits roll over the ruins.

Written by: MyGoldHandle 

When Former Good Helpers Go Bad

 

Craigslist, Flag Forum - At what point do we as helpers/Peanuts stop ignoring this person, and start being proactive in protecting the craigslist community from the abuse this handle dishes out on a daily basis. 

Most of us long term helpers just ignore that handle, "do not engage or answer" is the philosophy of many of us Peanuts.  History has proven that if you engage, this handle will just lite into you with a vengeance while justifying their attack. It is your basic, "I know you are, but what am I." type of reply mainly. Strawman, and gaslighting is the norm for this handle. Again, many of us just do not engage as it seems to accomplish nothing, and is not preventing or compensating for the actions of this handle. 

While most of the hateful things this handle says are akin to childish school yard behavior, this time it appears this handle has crossed the line into what very well may be criminal behavior. 

The above screenshot is accompanied by this copy/paste with URL of the offending comment this handle made in reply to someone engaging them in the flag help forum. Please note that this handle does not only act this way in the flag help forum, but in the feedback forum, and help forum of craigslist. 

That would be my Fan Club! < HelpfulHedda > 2025-11-22 15:45

You are welcome to masturbate in public but ... funny? Not.

https://forums.craigslist.org/?ID=338625568

While my opinion is that this is illegal, here is what the internet has to say: 

Encouraging the act: Encouraging someone to commit an illegal act, such as public masturbation, could lead to you being charged with a crime, potentially including conspiracy or solicitation.

Potential legal consequences: Depending on the jurisdiction, you could face misdemeanor or felony charges, fines, and/or jail time.

Again, at what point do we stop ignoring this...

Fixxer's Pick of the Day - LIVE IN BABYSITTER AND GIRLFRIEND

This ad was found in the CLSouth Bend >housing >rooms & shares category. Basically they seem to want a sex slave to keep the house, do all the domestic house work....everything including sex. 

Shout out to South Bend Indiana......smh

  

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Posted 3 days ago

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LIVE IN BABYSITTER AND GIRLFRIEND

© craigslist - Map data © OpenStreetMap

room not private

apartment

no private bathroom

laundry in bldg

off-street parking

All I want is a LIVE IN BABYSITTER AND GIRLFRIEND. I have 2 kids, almost grown. I have a single dad roommate who has 4 kids shared custody.
You cook, clean, raise the kids, do homework , drive them around. You must have a car that we all use.
You share MY bed as a girlfriend. You can't have friends in my apartment or go out without me. I'm not home much, work and hanging with friends. Place to live for free and sex. Why not?

post id: 7867636705

 

posted: 3 days ago

 

updated: 3 days ago

 

♥ best of ^[?]

Avoid scams, deal locally! DO NOT wire funds (e.g. Western Union), or buy/rent sight unsee

Fixxer's Pick- My Spider Needs to get Laid

craigslist - You just can't make these things up. This poster needs to get her spider a quick girlfriend for a happy ending, before his final ending. Tiny terrifying baby spiders may result...

(Plenty to click on below, had to "edit Hedda", real peanuts will understand.)

Flagging system misunderstood post < qztarant > 2025-07-15 14:43

It's not a stud service, there's no money or anything exchanged. My tarantula hit that stage at the end of his life where he's wandering and looking for mate. He's stressed out and if someone has a female he can mate with that would be nice enrichment and someone else gets babies.

t's not like I'm renting out a dog as a stud or something. It's different for tarantulas. And the section is full of people selling tarantulas for full retail price, not to mention full litters of pure bred cats for full price. I don't see why my ad was targeted for deletion.

Please don't pearl clutch in the comments if you're outside the invert hobby. Lop

title of ad : Mature Male Orange Baboon Tarantula Looking for Love (West Seattle)

sea Flagging system misunderstood post < qztarant > 2025-07-15 14:43

: . . Ahem < HelplessHedda > 2025-07-15 14:55-150+1

: . . : . . post ID < qztarant > 2025-07-15 15:04

: . . : . . : . . You tried to sell an enclosure in pets < HelplessHedda > 2025-07-15 15:12-700+1

: . . : . . : . . It can not be offered for free. < TheFixxer > 2025-07-15 15:18+3

: . . prohibited... < TuesdaysHandle > 2025-07-15 14:56-2+12 link

: . . "no stud service" < TheFixxer > 2025-07-15 15:01-3+4

: . . Thank you for pointing out other prohibited < Sayfoo > 2025-07-15 15:13+2

: . . People that hate spiders are doing it. < Dr__Beeper > 2025-07-15 16:18-1+4

Fixxer's Updated Help-List for Pet Ads on Craigslist

1. Rehoming Fees Must Be Transparent and Justified

   A rehoming fee is intended to recover costs incurred while preparing a pet for adoption, such as vaccinations, neutering, or microchipping. Always specify the fee amount in dollars ($) in your listing. On craigslist, pets cannot be traded, as they are not considered commodities for buying, selling, or trading.Per Craigslist guidelines:
   "A small adoption fee may cover expenses like vaccinations, neutering, and microchipping. Please clearly state the fee amount in your post."Note that listing a fee does not guarantee you’ll recover all expenses. Your community may flag your ad if they believe the fee is too high, unjustified, or appears to disguise a pet sale (e.g., if the fee is not clearly listed).craigslist prohibits pet sales, animal parts, and stud services, but allows rehoming with a small adoption fee. Posts violating these rules may be flagged, as outlined here:
   "Prohibited on craigslist: pet sales (rehoming with small adoption fee is acceptable), animal parts, stud service. Please flag postings that do not follow these guidelines."
2. Clearly State Fees in the Ad
   Always include the specific rehoming fee in both the title and body of the ad. Phrases like "rehoming fee applies" are insufficient and may result in flagging due to suspicion of a disguised sale.
3. Free Pets Require Clear Language and Screening Details
   If rehoming a pet for free, include the word "Free" in both the title and body. Specify the steps you’ll take to ensure the pet goes to a good home (e.g., home visits, reference checks, or adoption questionnaires). This demonstrates responsible rehoming and reduces flagging risks.
4. Age Requirements for Puppies and Kittens
   Puppies and kittens must be at least 8 weeks old at the time of rehoming. Stating "will be 8 weeks on [date]" is not permitted, as it may suggest intent to bypass craigslist rules or state laws (e.g., California’s pet sale age restrictions). Verify local laws, as some regions may have stricter requirements.
5. Post Pet Adoption Ads in the Correct Section
   Pet adoption/rehoming ads belong in the "Community" section under "Pets." Posting in other sections (e.g., "For Sale" or "Services") is miscategorized and may lead to flagging or removal.
6. Pet Services Go in the Services Section
   Ads for pet-related services (e.g., pet sitting, grooming, training) must be posted in the "Services" section under "Pet Services." Posting these elsewhere may result in miscategorization and flagging.
7. No Animal Parts, Blood, Fluids, or Breeding Services
   craigslist prohibits ads for animal parts, blood, fluids, or breeding/stud services for any household pets, including dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rodents, amphibians, or fish. Such ads will be flagged and removed.
8. No Pet Sales Allowed
   Selling household pets (e.g., dogs, cats, primates, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish) is strictly prohibited on craigslist. Only rehoming with reasonable, justified fees or free adoptions are allowed.
9. Rescues and Shelters Must Follow the Same Rules
   Rescue organizations and shelters must adhere to all craigslist pet policies, including transparent fees and proper categorization. Over-posting or repetitive ads may lead to flagging for spamming. Limit posts to avoid overwhelming the platform and ensure fair use.
10. Further Information on "small fee" craigslist permits a “small” rehoming fee for pets, but the term “small” is vague and often debated extensively in forums here. What’s clear is that readers have firm expectations about these fees, regardless of the pet’s vetting history or where it was done. They generally accept small fees that reflect recent veterinary care necessary for rehoming, such as vaccinations or spaying/neutering/chipping. Claiming a fee to recover costs from past treatments, like “$1,700 for Sparky’s hip surgery last February,” is unlikely to be well-received, even if not explicitly prohibited by Craigslist’s guidelines. Readers are quick to spot inflated or unjustified fees and may flag such ads. You may also not charge for vetting to the pet's mother. The fee is to only cover the pet being rehomed. Advising posters on specific fee amounts, like saying $50 or $500 is acceptable, risks crossing into subjective territory where only craigslist flaggers can decide an ad’s fate. However, it’s reasonable to share insights about what readers typically find acceptable based on experience with pet rehoming ads. craigslist is not a platform for necessarily recouping all expenses spent on a pet. On this site, pets, whether a mixed breed or a pedigreed French Bulldog, have no monetary value. The platform was designed for giving pets away, not selling or trading them, with the allowance of a modest fee to cover vetting costs. When craigslist specifies a “small fee,” it does not mean recovering every expense incurred. Readers understand this and expect transparency and fairness in rehoming ads.
11. Disclaimer These helpful guidelines are my own. These are not endorsed or created by craigslist. Just like all help in flag forum 3, this is my interpretation of the rules, and my opinion on what works for pet ads. None of the help you receive in flag help forum 3 guarantees your community will accept your ad.