# Is trolling against the rules in the pit? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 23, 2017, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532 "2017-02-23T06:05:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/1 "2017-02-23T06:05:37Z")
So, currently in the pit we have at least one poster who is clearly a troll. Someone who has nothing of value to offer any conversation, and is merely disruptive and annoying in very obvious ways. They’ve been around for a quite frankly _shocking_ amount of time. > [@](#): > > Trolling - that is, posting inflammatory remarks in order to provoke an angry response - is against our rules. Last I checked, this still applied to some degree in the pit. Right? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering this. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/2 "2017-02-23T07:04:01Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > So, currently in the pit we have at least one poster who is clearly a troll. Someone who has nothing of value to offer any conversation, and is merely disruptive and annoying in very obvious ways. > > They’ve been around for a quite frankly _shocking_ amount of time. > > Last I checked, this still applied to some degree in the pit. Right? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering this. ☹ The pit is slowly turning into 8chan or /pol/ because the moderators are adhering to rules that made sense in 1999 but are obsolete now. The best thing, sadly, is to distance yourself from a once interesting board as it turns into yet another alt-right forum. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/3 "2017-02-23T07:26:25Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Last I checked, this still applied to some degree in the pit. Right? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering this. ☹ You quote from the [general FAQ here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384745). [The Pit rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=507985) are slightly different and read as follows (my bold): > [@](#): > > By trolling, we mean posting of inflammatory comments \*\*solely \*\*to get a rise out of people. If we feel your primary goal as a poster is to make people mad, you’ll quickly find yourself on the road to banning. On the flip side, the fact that a poster consistently makes you mad doesn’t automatically make them a troll. Is your intention to restriction your inquiry to activity in the Pit? If it is, what Miller has previously posted may be helpful for context: > [@What are the restrictions on trolling in the Pit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-restrictions-on-trolling-in-the-pit/740485/9): > > I have modded people for trolling in the Pit, but it’s got to be pretty exceptional instance. The usual definition of “posting just to make people angry” doesn’t quite work, because the Pit is specifically intended as a place you can got to get in fights with people - which generally involves making them angry. If we determine that a person is taking positions that they don’t actually hold just to start fights, that can draw a warning, but I usually will only do that for an explicit admission that a poster’s been lying about their positions - and by “explicit admission,” I don’t mean posting something like, “I love watching you libs/pubs get all wound up!” I mean something like, “Yeah, I was just making that stuff up to see how people would react.” > [@Mod Miller, the Pit, warnings, and trolling](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-miller-the-pit-warnings-and-trolling/775480/24): > > Pretty straightforward for most of the board. In the Pit, though? The Pit was created specifically so that posters could have a place to go to get in fights with each other. The basic function of the forum necessitates a looser enforcement of the rule against trolling, else every third post in there would be drawing a warning. > > That’s not the same as saying that trolling is “allowed.” It’s just that it’s a higher bar to clear. If you’re misrepresenting yourself in someway, for example, then you can still be banned for trolling. One poster was banned for claiming (in a Pit thread, I’m pretty sure) that his parents had died at the WTC, but someone turned up an older (but still post-9/11) thread where he’d talked about them being alive. We’ve had the occasional poster take, say, a hard-line anti-gay stance for three or four pages, then turn around and say he didn’t really believe any of it, he just wanted to see how people react. That’s still trolling. So you are right that this rule still applies to some degree in the Pit. It is different there than the rest of the forums on the board and Miller has been herculean in his consistency of application. I’ll let him elaborate further if he desires. If you wanted to have a broader discussion about the board’s application of the rule against trolling then feel free to expand your inquiry. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/4 "2017-02-23T07:59:28Z")
It is specifically about the pit, yes. What I am referring to is users who seem to exist solely for the purpose of pissing other people off. I feel like this is something of a loophole, which drags the pit down significantly in quality. Obviously some posts are going to make people angry. But if literally the only thing any post someone ever makes does is piss people off, if 99/100 posts they make are just inflammatory bullshit, why should it matter that it’s in the pit? The poster is contributing nothing of value to the board, other than making it a slightly worse place to be. We shouldn’t have to wait for them to cross lines which are absurdly easy to not cross (say, hate speech) to make that call. This is particularly disappointing when I note that there are quite a few posters who are considerably less dickish and who actually contribute a great deal to the board’s culture who still nonetheless manage to get banned. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/5 "2017-02-23T09:02:59Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > The pit is slowly turning into 8chan or /pol/ because the moderators are adhering to rules that made sense in 1999 but are obsolete now. Something to keep a close eye on. > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > The best thing, sadly, is to distance yourself from a once interesting board as it turns into yet another alt-right forum. Hopefully the mods should be on top of that kind of thing - a board full Blinkheads would indeed kill it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/6 "2017-02-23T10:03:48Z")
Since it’s only in rare, extreme cases that posters are mod’ed for trolling in the Pit, I think you’re going to have to tell us specifically which poster you are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/7 "2017-02-23T11:31:07Z")
I dunno, I’ve picked up a few really good recipes. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/8 "2017-02-23T11:37:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Since it’s only in rare, extreme cases that posters are mod’ed for trolling in the Pit, I think you’re going to have to tell us specifically which poster you are talking about. I bet its blinkypinky or whatever he is called, and I also bet a lot of other people immediately thought this thread was about that poster, which rather illustrates how obvious his trolling has been. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/9 "2017-02-23T11:50:21Z")
**Moderator Note** Accusations of trolling are not permitted in ATMB, so please do not mention specific posters in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/10 "2017-02-23T12:05:14Z")
If you find a post by some poster that you think makes it clear that that poster’s purpose, not simply effect, is to rile people up, then please report that post. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/11 "2017-02-23T12:13:16Z")
I think there’s a clear distinction to be made between a regular poster in other forums who also posts in the Pit to get a rise out of people he can’t tweak elsewhere, and someone who _only_ posts in the Pit to troll (someone who only posts in the Pit, but Pits outsiders/his life/the government is not trolling). The Pit is supposed to be the safety valve that keeps the rest of the Board more-or-less civil, not a honey-trap designed to attract free-roaming trolls in-and-of-itself. Or at least, that’s my feeling. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/12 "2017-02-23T13:21:27Z")
Note we recently banned [a long term poster](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=791464) for trolling in the pit, when, up to that point, he hadn’t seemed like much of a troublemaker (to me at least). No suspension 1st, just more or less instantly deep-sixed. Likewise with [another one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=772840) from 15 months ago… I had thought that, with that example being clearly made for all to see, that others would soon follow as the rules were tightened and enforced more strictly and evenly. I just wish I knew what the distinction is, exactly, between the above two bannees and the ones who still are allowed to go and feed at the trough…are mods supposed to be mind-readers or such? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/13 "2017-02-23T13:22:08Z")
I think these situations occur because the Mods have to attempt to find the line between trolling and someone who legitimately has strong but unpopular opinions. Not as easy of a task as it may seem. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/14 "2017-02-23T14:09:17Z")
In general, I tend to favor letting them run under the assumption that such beliefs are strongly held and defended. It takes some work to convince me that someone is just posting to elicit a response. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/15 "2017-02-23T14:23:34Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I think these situations occur because the Mods have to attempt to find the line between trolling and someone who legitimately has strong but unpopular opinions. > > Not as easy of a task as it may seem. The line between “dead” and “alive” is vague, but when faced with a 200-million-year-old fossil, clearly we are past a line. I would not have started this thread if we did not have an example more clear than any comparable I have seen since I joined this forum. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/16 "2017-02-23T14:45:10Z")
If no one feeds it, it will go away. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/17 "2017-02-23T15:17:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If no one feeds it, it will go away. I hear this alot…but is it true? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/18 "2017-02-23T15:34:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I hear this alot…but is it true? Good point. Not in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/19 "2017-02-23T16:40:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I hear this alot…but is it true? In all the history of the internet, it has yet to be tried. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532/20 "2017-02-23T16:44:39Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > In all the history of the internet, it has yet to be tried. Really? In all the history of the internet, no one has given trolls free rein to do what they want without opposition? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trolling-against-the-rules-in-the-pit/780532.md?page=2)