Asking someone not to be mean is passive-aggressive bullying.
If someone is being mean, you confront the behavior it by:
1. Tell them you don't like their tone and that it isn't constructive. Make sure you criticize the behavior, not the person.
2. Ask them if they want to share their point of view instead of trashing someone else.
3. Empathize with their point of
view (the Internet makes this really hard)
If none of the above works, ignore the person (the Internet makes it very easy to not make other people's feelings your problem). Not the adult thing to do, but silence is a signal to trolls that they aren't going to be fed any time soon.
If someone is being mean, you confront the behavior it by:
1. Tell them you don't like their tone and that it isn't constructive. Make sure you criticize the behavior, not the person.
2. Ask them if they want to share their point of view instead of trashing someone else.
3. Empathize with their point of view (the Internet makes this really hard)
If none of the above works, ignore the person (the Internet makes it very easy to not make other people's feelings your problem). Not the adult thing to do, but silence is a signal to trolls that they aren't going to be fed any time soon.