Want better newbies? (I do) Then, when they do something good, like a rational post with a cite, PRAISE them (or the post), even if you disagree with them. 
Want less trolls? Then starve them. Do not respond to their flames. Do not post on their threads. Do not discuss them or flame them here. Ignore them
NTM: some backing on this, please? 
I personally feel that it’s better to treat all posters about the same. After a while some stick out, and I get to love their little quirks, but I try to respond more to the post than the poster. I know that when I was new, I appreciated that my posts seemed to be taken at face value for what they were worth.
Going by your advice, the wrong thing to do would be to say start a whole thread in the Pit about the “damn newbies over in GD”, as far as I can tell.
Oh mighty established posters… will you be so kind as to let me in on the secrets of being a wonderful poster??
Now, water, if you read that thread, it was not attacking newbies per se, it was attacking newbies who went into GD unprepared. The thread turned into a very edcational thread, for ALL, including me.
Dear Mr. or Ms. Dumbbitch,
I don’t know what your idea of an established poster is, but I’ll try to help you out a bit.
You might start by losing that name , just e-mail TubaDiva and tell her you want to change it. She will tell you how to do this.
I suppose everyone has their own idea of what makes a poster wonderful so I will leave that up to some of the others help you out with.
well said ayesha, been wondering what idiot’s been using that name.
definitely not a newbie, and i sort of suspect it’s actually the Great Bodoni herself. but i make no actual accusations.
Thank you, and I really doubt that Lynn would call herself a dumb bitch. Besides that would mean she had a sock puppet which is against the rules.
I’d like to see some less-condescending middlebies. (You aren’t an oldbie, by a long shot, but I’m sure the real oldbies will put you in your place on that score. Who says with post count comes insight? It doesn’t.)
Uh, Lynn, does the name change to hopelessIdjt mean you have discovered who the person is ? Oh and I hope you know that my posts to and about that person make no sense whatsoever now.
Oh well my posts never make much sense anyway. 
Ayesha
Oh yes they do!
well, looks like i may have been wrong about the Goddess, but i still think whoever it is aughtta stop.
Nope, isn’t me. I have a sneaking suspicion of who it is, but I have no proof. Yet. However, I’ve sent out a few inquiries…
No, I won’t use another handle. It’s against the rules, and it would be cause for ME to be banned, just like anyone else.
Newbies, middlebies, oldsters? Daniel I don’t even look at the number of posts that a person has. I don’t even look at the name most of the time. What I look at is topic and content. If I open a thread and feel that I can add to it then I do. If I can’t then I read what other posters have to say and let it go.
We need to get off the newbie, etc. kick and just concentrate on subject matter. As far at trolls go, you gonna have people post to them no matter how much you discourage it, sometimes somebody is bored and just doesn’t have anything better to do. Sooner or later they get eliminated, either by the mods or eventually by the posters on the board (which rarely happens).
Nice thread you got going on the newbies in GD.
Yes, you’re right, BUT. Why have the newcomer flounder around, wanting to be a good guy, but still making mistakes? I am suggesting that we (and especially those more “senior” than I), give praise where it is due, to encourage good behavior. What is wrong with that?
And, maybe, GENTLY, point out their errors.
And what do trolls want? To get attention, right? So flaming them is like whipping a masochist. Like pouring oil on a fire.
And, on the chance “hopeless” is not a returning banned, and really wants help-- see my thread, here in the PIT, “damn Newbies over at GD”, which started out as a rant, but got helpful later.
Oh please, this is an intellectually oriented message board not fucking Romper Room. Anyone who needs PRAISE to continue posting here needs help with their self-esteem.
Let’s see some examples of innocent newbies getting hammered for errors. Some people think that giving a link to a SD column that answers the OP’s question is considered rude.
I have been impressed with the posts of more than a few new posters to this board. Since I started reading this MB, I have noticed that “welcome aboard” has been said many times to new posters. But to pin a rose on every relatively new poster who isn’t a troll is a tad excessive, IMO.
Trolls have always been here, people. Many of you may think that the presence of trolls is on a dramatic rise. Hardly. And I strongly doubt that trollish behavior is inversely correlated to good manners.
There should just be a general rule that says something like “Don’t be a jerk”. Oh, wait. There is.
Fine, then, don’t do it. I will be the first to admit it might not work, all the time. I am resonably sure it WILL help, some. But if you don’t try some reasonable idea to wipe out a problem, then you lose your right to bitch with any integrity. Do you have a better plan, ALPHA? I am not being sarcastic, you have more posts than I, maybe you have a better (and more specific than “don’t be a jerk”) idea. But, please, until you do, don’t attack mine. This is a very nicely worded request, and not another “challenge”. 
Dan
I think your Idea is a good one.
And if anyone doesn’t think so just look what happened to probably the most helpful of all.Arnold.
Thanks, JW, but who is/was “Arnold”?
Arnold was the pig on Green Acres.
So you remember that one too, UncleBeer?