Just once (I'd like to see a troll ignored)

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 08:30 PM

Good resolutions not to respond tend to get brokem - "just this once". So I've decided on an easier version - anytime I open a non-music thread and it's started by a GUEST, even a GUEST,somebody (unless that somebody is a name I know and respect), I'll close it right away. No peeking, because once I peek I'm prone to getting drawn in.

I might miss some good threads, but there's always going to be another one soon. And if anybody spots me breaking that one, please PM me and tell me off. (Except that if you are doing the same thing, which I recommend you do, you won't know will you?)

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 08:35 PM

Well, we've had at least 3 threads started today that were not "controversial" but were obvious trolls and we bit on all three. And as Frank said, the other flame/troll thing keeps going on too......We just gotta' keep trying.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 04:34 PM

But we're not trying very hard.........

here we go again!

When are we ever going to figure this shit out and

JUST SHUT UP!!!!

Sweet Jesus............

Spaw

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: MMario
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 04:37 PM

me bad. sorry.

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 04:44 PM

I was actually able to ignore one today, aimed at me. It takes an awful lot of effort to do it. I hope it gets easier.

~S~

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: JenEllen
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:00 PM

Sorry Spaw, but that's horseshit.

It would be a pretty rotten place if every time someone titled 'guest' asked a question we all got defensive. We are not great, we are not all inclusive, and we certainly have the option of reading each post as if it were a genuine request for help. I saw absolutely nothing in Karen's requests that would lead me to believe trolling, maybe I'm an asshole, but the responses were MUCH worse than the intial question. If I didn't know some people as well as I do, I'd think we were all a bunch of sorry bastards.

Answer the requests truthfully, and maybe your troll will get the idea you are a stupid sonofabitch and leave, but a bunch of folks standing around fanning flames is no way to put out a fire.

~yerJE

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: GUEST,CLETUS
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:13 PM

Yer rite thair JE on thet first part cuz the first part seemed okay. Then it got to rite obvious about whut it wuz an thets when the shit got gud an nasty an we reely fed the troll.

CLETUS

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Jeri
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:13 PM

JE, yeah. I think we need to stop responding to TROLLS. If we see a troll, we don't respond. If we see a question we can answer without getting pissed off, then we go for it. It's the "pissed off" part that's the real pain in the ass to read.

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Gareth
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 07:08 PM

Actually - why is it that Trolls don't like Billy Goats - says he wandering off singing "Paddy McGinty's Goat" the way me ould County Cork Granny taught me !

Gareth - in Pratchett mode.

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 02:15 PM

Gareth-have you ever sat under a wooden bridge with a storm force hangover and had a set of goats clogging across? Don't ask silly questions!

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 02:18 PM

Who is Billy Goats? Is he someone I should be avoiding? And what would Detritus et al think of all the speciesist comments on this thread?

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: John Hardly
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 05:26 PM

Here is the one way we could cut the legs out from under trolls and gain a greater degree of civility on this site---not that YOUS GIZE need civilizin'--I'm referrin' to myseff uv korse.

I think if we had the power to edit and delete our own posts we could end the problem in very short order.

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Wolfgang
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 03:35 AM

John,
I think you are completely right in that respect but it would bring some new problems. About half of the posts (in mild exaggeration) refer to minor errors or inconsistencies in other posts. Imagine I clean all my errors after someone points them out they too have to monitor the effect of their own posts and perhaps delete them lest they look stupid...

The interaction would be disrupted in unpredictable ways. Recently I spelled 'Sydney' in a song lyric where I should have spelled 'Sidney'. Two posters pointed out my error. Imagine how stupid their posts would look now if I had the ability to correct my error.

IF you want to see an example of this effect look at this otherwise stupid troll thread: Hi, I'm new here.... The troll had logged in with the name 'catspaw48', the powers with the editing ability had altered the name quickly into 'CAPSPAW48' which made some late coming regular Mudcatters assume in their posts wrongly that the imposter even cannot spell. Now the name has been altered once more and several of the posts look incoherent as if the posters can't even read for they refer to nonexisting entries.

That is just to show you a negative consequence of your idea. But I agree that the positive consequence probably would be as you presume.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: SeanM
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 04:54 AM

Actually, Wolfgang, if you change your 'catter ID, all your posts you've previously made change with it (I believe). I know there's nothing left under my original screen name, and my current one extends back to when I joined... That's probably the difficulty you're experiencing.

Now, one or two names HAVE been deleted - cases where the troll has decided to try usurping someone else's identity.

Other than that, any changes are likely the result of the member changing their name, not the admin Elves.

M

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: Wolfgang
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 05:12 AM

Yes, Sean, that's an additional difficulty. Read old threads and you see people in posts referring to names of Mudcatters who don't seem to have posted there. There are Mudcatters who change their names more often than once a year.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Just once........
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 07:24 AM

I'd be against our being able to edit out our own mistakes. It's cheating. MPs do it in Parliament and I think that's a good reason to avoid the practice. If you say something in haste that you regret later, apologise for it, don't pretend you never said it.

GUESTS who start threads about music should get helpful responses, normally they are just curious newcomers; GUESTS who start threads about other things should have those threads ignored, because more often than not (almost invariably I'd say), they are trolling. It might be unfair in particular cases, but on balance I think it improves things.

I'm reminded of the crack which is attached to quite a number of names of famous people: "Why do people take an instant dislike to Peter Mandelson" (Just for example.) "It saves time."