Can any good come from engaging with internet trolls?

Online abuse has been around for years, but the idiom of the troll has changed the landscape. Can they be reasoned with?

Q: Should I ever engage with my trolls?

A: Firstly, let's settle on a definition of "troll". A troll is not someone who makes you feel bad. It's not someone whose opinion you find offensive, or a "devil's advocate" who assumes a position contrary to your own with the intention of stirring up trouble. That person, while annoying, is called an opinion writer and can still be usefully engaged with. A troll, on the other hand, is someone whose gratification is vested in an intent to cause harm. Why on earth would you engage with that?