I just had a LONG conversation with someone accusing me of all sorts of negative things, and what I found most toxic was their LACK of toxic language. They were calm, reasonable, and even polite.

But they used provocative language, subtlely criticising me and, of course, always asking for clarifications. This is the worst type of predator on Mastodon, the "polite troll" that hides behind civility but never wants to have a proper conversation, twisting words to get you angry.

They did me a great favor in the long run. It helped sharpen how I engage with disingenuous people that only want to waste your time. Thank you polite troll, for teaching me a lesson.