Picture a woman at a bar. She's sipping a drink and writing. You decide she's attractive enough to approach. Your choice is to a.) greet her and introduce yourself; b.) comment on something unrelated to her but relevant (such as the terrible storm outside or the drinks at the bar); c.) apologize for interrupting and ask her a question; d.) say something rude. Which do you do?

The popularity of pick-up artist techniques have resulted in a culture of terrible miscreants, who don't think twice about approaching a woman to insult her.

The web, the place where random acts of rudeness originated, has taught us what to do in such situations: ignore. The tenet "Don't feed the trolls" is just as applicable online as it is in real life when faced by a pick-up artist.

Pick-up techniques attack fear and insecurity. By doing so, those deploying insults can then easily manipulate the recipient into agreeing to things they usually would not, such as a date or a hook-up.

Given the popularity these techniques have gained and how known they are, we have to wonder whether they're as successful as they once were. If a person knows they're being conned and how they're being conned, aren't they much more likely to behave in a rational way when interacting with a pick-up artist? Think about it: the more rational a person is, the less likely they are to allow their fears and insecurities hijack their behavior.

As a result of the constant barrage of insults hurled at women when they go out, many have started to tune them out. Much like having a thicker skin after your fifth or sixth flame war online, "negs" (negative comments) are quickly losing their effect.

Many women who joined the discussion on the topic on Twitter confessed that they had begun responding in kind when confronted with such a situation. So now, while the men in question are getting the attention they crave, instead of leaving a woman vulnerable by attacking her, they're being confronted by women who are just as much on the offensive as they are -- if not more (one of the women who responded referred to her retorts as "blood sport").

Which begs the question: is the pick-up artist over?

We hope so. But just in case you still think the technique is worth using, read this.