# An Open Letter **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 28, 2000, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725 "2000-01-28T15:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/41 "2000-01-31T19:21:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **\CKDextHavn\** : > **It’s always a fine line, innit? At what point are you trying to fight ignorance and at what point are you simply being baited?** Or, at what point are you closing your own mind? It’s not always so obvious to me that the other person is wrong. \rocks\ ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2000, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/42 "2000-01-31T19:27:00Z")
Pah! You’re wrong about that. And it’s obvious! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/43 "2000-02-14T14:00:00Z")
Bounce, for relevance of the OP. But actually, we’re doing pretty well in this regard this time, I think! - Rick ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/44 "2000-02-14T14:22:00Z")
Good bounce Rick, I had forgotten about this topic. Its not always easy to deduce who’s a troll or not. I’ll argue until they start displaying an apparent lack of rational brain cells, and then sit back and enjoy the warmth of a good flaming. There are some posters that you look forward to joining in. Trolls come and trolls go. In the end normalcy will win out and they do get tired and leave. * * * J Krusty Opinionated told me to use American Swear words. so I will. “Bite Me” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/45 "2000-02-14T16:19:00Z")
I’m coming in late here I know, but I do frequent the Pit regularly. I think a big factor is how you respond to the trolls. My assumption is that they want to provoke a direct response. So I don’t write to them, I write about them. For example, PitBullDawg wrote his infamous farewell post. It was clearly his intent that everyone respond to him saying how angry they were at his insults. He could then laugh to himself and give himself credit for annoying people. Instead he was mercilessly ridiculed. People posted about how much his presence had meant to him, held a wake in his honor, and wished him the best of luck in his new profession as a male prostitute. PitBullDawg (who was surely reading all of it, despite his denials) must have been unhappy to see that no one took him seriously enough to be insulted by him. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/46 "2000-02-14T16:22:00Z")
Dammit, this is two days in a row I’ve done it. “I do frequent the Pit regularly” should have been “I do not frequent the Pit regularly”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/47 "2000-02-14T21:49:00Z")
But is Coventry actually a solution? We say to ourselves that, if ignored, a troll will merely disappear, off to look for greener pastures where the food of attention is more quickly and easily bestowed. I kindly suggest people take a look at the “John Lennon’s Legacy” thread in GD; Phaedrus needed little feedback in order to continually post messages to it. Was he trolling, just rude, or mentally imbalanced? I bring this question up in response to some of the new trolls which have infested MPSIMS, and a little of GD. They were roundly ignored, for which much kudos should be given. And then they were banned. And now they return, as one other, full of even more bile and hatred than before. I speculate that this new poster will be ignored. And banned again. And then return again, and the cycle continues. So what’s best to do? Scream and shout, possibly giving the trolls the negative attention they desire, but at the same time producing an uncomftorable atmosphere for them? Or roundly ignoring the trolls, starving them for attention, which only leads them to even more brutal and nasty activities in desperation for acknowledgement? Is a violent but caged troll better or worse than a less violent troll loosed? Personally, I am trying Coventry at this point, no matter how much I desire to post specific statements about their juvenile behavior. And maybe Coventry will work. But I don’t expect it to. * * * JMCJ This is not a sig. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/48 "2000-02-14T21:57:00Z")
Studies suggest that the best response to graffiti is to eliminate it as quickly as possible. After awhile the taggers get tired of doing their thing, only to have it taken quickly down. Once we’ve identified someone who is trolling (like some of these idiots we’ve seen in the last couple of days, especially in MPSIMS), seems like the most effective thing would be for one of the administrators to keep their hands on the “Magic Begone” button – immediately mass-deleting their posts and their names. I know it CAN be done. Perhaps judicious – and I stress judicious, because we all know that there will be some complaints about its use – use of that power would be beneficial here. -Melin ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/49 "2000-02-14T23:00:00Z")
[[Originally posted by JillGat: The way I handle lunatics? I email em until they block my mail. Jill You want crazy? I’ll show you crazy.]] [[Now that’s nice “moderate” behavior for a moderator fer ya.]] That was a _joke_. I have never done it, and I currently have no one blocked from emailing me. Back to the main topic, if you see anything truly insane or offensive on the board, please notify an administrator via email. Sometimes they can get to it sooner than the moderator can. Also remember that if you continue to respond to a thread that is infuriating you, you will continue to bring that thread to the top of the list where others will see it and keep it going. Jill (maturely ignoring other accusations against me in this thread) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/50 "2000-02-14T23:37:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Jill > (maturely ignoring other accusations against me in this thread) . . . .because you know I have the logs of the IMs to prove it. -Melin ---
**Author:** ![SINsApple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SINsApple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SINsApple)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/51 "2000-02-17T07:10:00Z")
Okay, I lurked for many months before becoming a somewhat regular poster. But despite the many, many threads I read, I have no idea what you mean when you say you will put trolls in coventry. Someone please explain the call to coventry thing. And I do so apologize for my ignorance on this subject. * * * “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” --Whitman ---
**Author:** ![NightGirl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e68b1a/32.png) [@NightGirl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightGirl44)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/52 "2000-02-17T07:28:00Z")
Ah hell, fuck them all! Just ignore the bastards instead of feeding fuel to the fires and they’ll go away. Shit, that’s what I do, even if I’m brought up in some stupid bit of crap, like the Byzantine post accusing me, Sentinel and several others of being one person. I just ignored it because trying to argue with certain people only feeds their egos and draws in other assholes. Besides, I’ve read enough of Byz’s posts to know she just likes to hassle people. ## Besides, I don’t really give a shit what board posters think of me. I doubt if I’ll ever meet any of them in person and there are some I would not want to and others I would love to, but only with my trusty cattle prod in one hand. ‘I like me but I sure as shit aint so positive about you.’ ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/53 "2000-02-17T07:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by NightSkeeze: > \*\* I doubt if I’ll ever meet any of them in person and there are some I would not want to and others I would love to, but only with my trusty cattle prod in one hand. > \*\* Aww, My heart bleeds. No NightSkeeze, I wanna meet **you** , especially since I know how much you love Mexicans, and I look like I am Mexican! Please, hold me back guys, yeah, that’s it. * * * It’s worth the risk of burning, to have a second chance… ---
**Author:** ![el\_eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e99b99/32.png) [@el\_eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/el_eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/54 "2000-02-17T07:54:00Z")
Well it is fun to read a dumb comment that provokes a typical BBQ pit response. It just is…its called entertainment! I think we have a great mixture of intelligence and bullshit. I will continue to respect the witty posters and get a good laugh at the ones who I think arent too witty. What’s so wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![Minxsmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/55 "2000-02-17T21:00:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by SINsApple: > \*\*Okay, I lurked for many months before becoming a somewhat regular poster. But despite the many, many threads I read, I have no idea what you mean when you say you will put trolls in coventry. > > Someone please explain the call to coventry thing. And I do so apologize for my ignorance on this subject. > \*\* Main Entry: Cov·en·try Pronunciation: 'k&-v&n-trE also 'kä- Function: noun Etymology: Coventry, England Date: 1765 : a state of ostracism or exclusion \ * * * Princess of the Time and Space Continuum since 1969 (upgraded to Goddess 01/07/00) _Senior S.S.D.A., SDMB Self-Righteous Clique_ **=^…^=** ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/56 "2000-02-17T21:11:00Z")
Tried to find Dr. Fidelius’ wonderful link to the site that explained the history and meaning of the phrase “send him to Coventry.” Failed. So, in general and less eloquent terms, to send someone to Coventry is to ignore and ostracize that person. On this message board, when PersonX declares that “I am sending ‘badposter’ to Coventry”, that means that PersonX will ignore any postings made by badposter; he/she will not respond to any postings made by badposter, and he/she will not reference things said by badposter in future posts. The idea is to starve the troll for attention. Take a look at the postings of OJSimpson. Incoherent, sometimes particularly nasty or insulting messages thrown into the middle of other conversations. But because people recognized him as a troll and sent him to Coventry relatively quickly, you’ll notice that for the most part, the conversation he attempted to derail went on with no notice of his antics. ## The hope is, that with no attention given to the troll, the troll gets bored and finds fresher fields to play. I don’t necessarily agree with this idea; I think that by ignoring the troll, it encourages the troll to become even more violent and disruptive in order to gain the attention he/she so desperately needs; or, even worse, it leads the troll to come back and try to pretend to be a ‘good poster’ before suddenly lashing out- I know _you_ remember DannyBoy. JMCJ Winner of the _Mr. & Mrs. Polycarp Award for Literalizing Cliches_ for knowing an actual atheist in a foxhole. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/57 "2000-02-17T21:27:00Z")
Here’s the great Dr. F’s link which explains [coventry](http://www.m-w.com/textonly/wftw/97nov/112197.htm) in great detail. * * * _Here’s mud in yer eye,_ UncleBeer ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/58 "2000-03-09T03:23:00Z")
1. Bounce. 2. Jayburner. That is all. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/59 "2000-03-09T17:15:00Z")
Good bounce, Rick. This is a useful thread. Once we’ve been around awhile, we (most of us, anyway) reach the conclusion that starving trolls is best. But we have a steady influx of worthwhile newbies, and I think most of us go through a period of arguing with trolls 'til we’re blue in the face, before we realize how dumb that is. Hopefully, threads like this being visible will help newbies get the right idea more quickly, thus starving trolls faster. * * * Enough of voting for the _lesser_ of evils - vote Cthulhu 2000! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725/60 "2000-03-17T16:10:00Z")
_sigh_ Please. - Rick [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-open-letter/4725.md?page=2)