What is a Flamer?
In short, a flamer is a person who tears others' work to shreds for their own entertainment or just to start a fight. There are more complex and long-winded explanations, but they will not be covered here.

Who is affected?
Anyone can be attacked by a flamer. Just because you are popular (or unknown) doesn't mean you're safe. I've seen nasty posts on some of the best art on dA (which can be by very popular artists), but I've also seen the exact opposite. I don't consider myself a popular artist, and frankly I don't care that I'm not, but I've been flamed too. No-one is safe from flaming.

So what do I do?
First things first, DO NOT try to argue with them. Explain your views as politely as you can, and try to show correct grammar and spelling. A reply such as "WTF R U talking about U idiot" is not going to get you anywhere with these people. Nor will it get you anywhere with any polite person. It's much better to just leave it a few days until you've calmed down. The best way to get rid of these people is to try to explain that they have offended you, but you will not lead them on with their flaming, and leave it at that.

Give them a few days to a week to reply, then hide the comment and forget about it. If, however, they have repeatedly flamed you or your work, you are right in wanting to get them banned. In any case, you should always document any flaming that is going on. Write it down with the date and time it was posted and write down the names of the submission it was posted on and the person who posted it, and if the same person flames you more than twice, block them and report them. Now I know the dA staff aren't always that good at dealing with this kind of thing (no, I won't name and shame, because I haven't actually dealt with any of the staff over this kind of thing), but it's always worth a shot.

They'll just make another account and do it again!
Yes, they probably will if they're that kind of horrible persistent flamer who has no life, but you will have shown them that you will not put up with flamers. It doesn't matter who they are or whether they've flamed you before, the only good flamer is a dead one and you should never have to put up with them.

But what if they're my friend?
If someone flames you, as a general rule they should never be considered a friend. 'Flaming' a friend is only appropriate if the 'flamer' is joking with the flamed, who ideally is a person they have considered as a friend for a long time, preferably in real life.

I've been the flamer before...
Then make sure you aren't the flamer ever again.

What can I call flaming?
First of all, you should never accuse a person of flaming if they have offered critique you don't agree with. Flaming is mostly considered to be worth reporting if it really rips you, your beliefs or your work to shreds. Any racist flaming is report-worthy.

What if I think someone was flaming but they deny it?
Explain to them your views on the matter (be polite, though!) and why you think they were flaming. Sometimes a perceived flame can be someone not watching their mouth over the internet. You do, after all, need to be extra careful with what you say over the internet. A joke could be taken seriously far easier than in real life, because anyone who reads your comment can't see your face and they can't hear your voice, so it can be incredibly difficult to tell if someone's joking or not.

And if they apologise?
You should acknowledge their apology, but whatever you do, don't say it's okay, because it's not. Nobody EVER has the right (or permission) to flame or offend others.

Is there anything I can do if someone keeps flaming me even though I report them?
YES. You are never helpless. Just change your dA address. Tell everyone you want to follow you to your new address via a NOTE. Comments can be accidentally stumbled upon by the flamer.

What if they find me?
You could move again, you could report them again (from your old account) or you could give all your dA friends a way to contact you so that you're not running away from good friends and quit. There are plenty of other art communities on the internet, you just have to look for them.

In Conclusion
If someone flames you, contrary to popular belief, it is actually not always better to simply ignore them. There are steps you can take to stop them from bugging you, and if all else fails, you can try to find a different site on which you can show off your work.

Thank you for your time. I hope you find this news article useful.
~Shande