# Just this side of trolling. Solutions? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 15, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511 "2019-11-15T23:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/61 "2019-11-16T12:59:10Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > What’s the purpose of having more than one moderator in a forum if they’re not going to enforce each other’s instructions or refuse to explain why the instructions were not enforced? Even worse, when they have conflicting rules. I think I’ve mentioned this once or twice in the past (but I’m not going to look for it), but here’s a very recent example. > [@The Economics of Trolling, the SDMB, and Moderator Decisions.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-economics-of-trolling-the-sdmb-and-moderator-decisions/843474/7): > > On another topic, remember this, every time you - or anyone - reports a post it is reviewed by all three of us independently and any of the three of us - Tom, Bone and myself - are empowered to act unilaterally. It’s a good chance that if there no action then the post you reported doesn’t cross the line. Here, JC says that if you report something and the mods don’t act on it, it’s probably okay. That’s how I’ve always operated. I rarely report anything, so when I do and nobody says anything, I work on the assumption that it’s me overreacting. But that directly conflicts with a statement we got from Bone and Colibri in this exchange between them and HD: > [@In which forums is the use of "tard" acceptable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-forums-is-the-use-of-tard-acceptable/813762/5): > > Yes, I reported the post. I received no response. I took that silence to mean the moderators consented with the usage, but I started this thread to have a further discussion around the issue. I wasn’t aware of the intermediate step of “discuss this with the forum moderators by PM”, and am not clear on who the MPSIMS moderators are. > [@In which forums is the use of "tard" acceptable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-forums-is-the-use-of-tard-acceptable/813762/8): > > Asking about rules or clarification is fine, and PM is not required. No response though shouldn’t be taken as affirmative agreement. > [@In which forums is the use of "tard" acceptable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-forums-is-the-use-of-tard-acceptable/813762/9): > > As has often been pointed out in this forum, non-moderation of a post, even a reported one, does not justify the conclusion that it is within the rules. Which is it? If you report a post and nothing happens, then it’s probably not breaking the rules or if you report a post and nothing happens then it doesn’t mean anything? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/62 "2019-11-16T13:17:27Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > You are aware that he’s been suspended for ignoring moderator instructions, yes? > > Just within the past few days, he again ignored those same instructions but was inexplicably only given a note. I’m aware of it now. And thank you. I remain, however, nonplussed. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/63 "2019-11-16T13:47:20Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I’m normally on your side, but I think it is unnecessary to the point of being a jerk that you continue to mention the whistleblower by name in ATMB threads that do not necessitate the mention of that name. > > You could just have easily written “the whistleblower” for an extra two key-presses. I don’t particularly care but when I see you write out the name, it seems like you are asking for trouble, or just un-empathetic. Its quite clearly deliberate, and the sniggeringly antagonistic type of deliberate. And the sort of snide behaviour that prompts threads such as this. > [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > A lot of people, I think, interpret HD’s posts in the _least_ charitable way they can Thats rather how the world works, post in bad faith enough times and people will lose respect for your intentions. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/64 "2019-11-16T14:29:04Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Oh joy, I get to be the star of three simultaneous ATMB threads at once. That’s got to be some sort of record. > > To answer your question, I’ve given you a solution to rid yourselves of this troublesome **HD** right over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21975588#post21975588). All you have to do is help **JohnT** succeed in his campaign to make the financial cost benefit analysis of individual posters the basis for moderation, and I’ll go away. My using financial considerations to get you “kicked off” is exactly the same arguments you use to kick poor people off health insurance: _We can no longer afford your existence_. You don’t like a cost-benefit analysis being run on your worth to this society? Welcome to true conservative principles, properly applied. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/65 "2019-11-16T14:38:52Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > No one can “get a rise out of” ANYONE. Maybe they can in person. With a weapon. On the internet: never. > THIS is the problem. > Wrong. It is the only thing that will work for people who want trolls to stop. If people enjoy engaging with them, well, that’s not a problem for them, and therefore no solution is needed. Not feasible. It is a “solution” in much the same way “Just don’t die” is a solution to those who fear death. Those who you label “troll”(rightfully or not) are merely fellow posters to those who come here-you cannot attach the word “TROLL!” to their names, and you cannot telepathically convey this information to all who post. In fact, at this time you can only label people as trolls in The BBQ Pit, which means that only a pitifully small people will get your message. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/66 "2019-11-16T14:54:12Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > This sounds like the “sticks and stones may break my bones” argument. Of course it is perfectly possible for people to get a rise out of others on the Internet. It’s why 4chan exists, it’s why China pays its wumao trolls, it’s why anyone bothers trolling at all in the first place. Yes, but all you have to do if you are disturbed on the internet is CLOSE THE FUCKING WINDOW. You have that choice. Get a clue. No one has POWER over you unless you give it to them. Holy crap. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > No, you’re wrong and my cite is this Board and its entire history. No, your cite is human nature. Each person chooses how to respond or not. Every mob is made up of individuals-- an internet mob is the easiest one to exit: just hit the “X” on the corner of the window. (IRL you can’t always get away from a physical mob.) Think about who is really driving the bus that is YOU. You have choice. Just like me. I am choosing to leave you with those thoughts to ponder. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/67 "2019-11-16T15:17:02Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > …We can individually and independently decide not to respond… Nothing says “we aren’t going to respond” like three ATMB threads and a 33-page Pitting. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/68 "2019-11-16T15:17:09Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Yes, but all you have to do if you are disturbed on the internet is CLOSE THE FUCKING WINDOW. You have that choice. Get a clue. No one has POWER over you unless you give it to them. Holy crap. If this is so easy for you to figure out, so obvious to you, why do you think it is that so many millions upon millions of people struggle to do the same? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/69 "2019-11-16T15:32:08Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > No one can _compel_ anyone to respond. Period. > > Ignore these people and they will go away. The main attraction of a message board is that it’s interactive. If you see something you disagree with, it’s sometimes hard to resist the urge to interact, even if it’s sort of trollish. I have almost no one on “ignore”, except a couple of posters that are a total waste of time. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/70 "2019-11-16T15:38:39Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Ignore these people and they will go away. Really? Show me anywhere on the internet where this has happened. You don’t have a solution-you have an untested pet theory. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/71 "2019-11-16T16:04:14Z")
The problem with ignoring trolls is that _ **trolls don’t notice those who fail to respond, they only notice those who do respond.** _ There are, say, 100 active daily posters here on the Straight Dope. Even if fully half of them decide to ignore a troll, that still leaves 50 who might respond or do respond to the troll, and that’s all that troll sees - the replies to his posts. What you are proposing, **ThelmaLou** , only works if, say, _98-100% of people all individually decide to ignore a troll,_ and such unanimity is virtually impossible to achieve. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/72 "2019-11-16T16:40:36Z")
(Didn’t see these pists until after I posted my previous quote of TL) > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > No one can _compel_ anyone to respond. Period. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > No one can “get a rise out of” ANYONE. Maybe they can in person. With a weapon. On the internet: never. Au contraire mon frere! Nowhere has there been a more extreme weaponization of “being a dick” than on the internet. Anonymity and connectivity breeds assholes faster than a pair of cousins drinkin’ moonshine in the fields of Missoura ---
**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:** [November 16, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/73 "2019-11-16T16:47:51Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > You are aware that he’s been suspended for ignoring moderator instructions, yes? > > Just within the past few days, he again ignored those same instructions but was inexplicably only given a note. That’s the thing, tho. Years ago, a suspension meant that the poster in question had better shape up, because just one more infraction meant bye-bye, gonzo, see ya, zero tolerance. At some point the mods started giving them SECOND suspensions, instead of permabans. I have zero idea why that practice started, what the rationale was for all of a sudden giving them a lot more rope than previous. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/74 "2019-11-16T17:01:34Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > If this is so easy for you to figure out, so obvious to you, why do you think it is that so many millions upon millions of people struggle to do the same? Lack of self-awareness and self-control. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/75 "2019-11-16T17:09:33Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Lack of self-awareness and self-control. Thanks for this input. The question was for TL but ok. Why do you think so many millions of people, many of whom are incredibly smart and accomplished in their own right, seem to lack such basic life tools? Or do you think those who develop issues of one sort or another with internet-related activities all share a similar character flaw? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/76 "2019-11-16T17:20:28Z")
Because the human urge to correct is so strong. When you see something inaccurate or wrong, you have this burning desire to correct it, even if it’s trolling. Plus, it’s a Prisoner’s Dilemma. Even if you don’t respond to the troll, it is very likely that one or more of the other 3,000 Dopers will respond. And the moment they do, the troll has gotten his attention, so you might as well not hold back any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/77 "2019-11-16T17:39:52Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Because the human urge to correct is so strong. When you see something inaccurate or wrong, you have this burning desire to correct it, even if it’s trolling. So us here Dopers are a special bunch then, huh? We are super-pedants so we have the superpower to correct nitpicks, but we’re also super-ignorers, so we feel nothing from the trolls’ puny attempts at manipulation! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/78 "2019-11-16T18:11:14Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’m aware of it now. And thank you. I remain, however, nonplussed. As noted in posts #59 & 73, he’s part of one side of a coin; the other side is that TPTB are increasingly falling down on the job. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/79 "2019-11-16T18:27:18Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > As noted in posts #59 & 73, he’s part of one side of a coin; the other side is that TPTB are increasingly falling down on the job. On which side do you place more of the blame? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511/80 "2019-11-16T18:35:48Z")
I cut them slack that it is a hard job and some segment will always have something to complain about when judgements are made. For the nothing it is worth I think the tendency to err on cutting the hard Right trolls (and no they are not just on this side) extra slack is appropriate. Rooms full of posters agreeing with each other is boring. I do wish they did a better job keeping threads from getting derailed though, whether by trolling or not. A recent example is how **Damuri Ajashi** was able (with the help of really only one poster taking the bait) take a thread on [one subject](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=884149) iand make it one in which anyone interested in discussing the subject was driven out by mostly two posters yammering on in the derailment. Yes request for some mod direction was made. No response from them and from mod comments this thread who knows what that means. Now maybe that discussion had run its course or not, but multiple off topic posts in a row made finding out impossible. It’s the back and forth off the actual subject of the discussion by an intentional derailer and a willing chump that kills the utility, not the trolls per se. Mod direction to open a separate thread for those derailments (not shutting them off) would be appreciated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-this-side-of-trolling-solutions/843511.md?page=5)