# Let's just ban the troll. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 18, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852 "2009-01-18T13:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/41 "2009-01-19T08:19:22Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > There are people who genuinely hold whacky/stupid/unpopular ideas and opinions, and have access to the internet. > > This thing with accusing everybody with whacky/stupid/unpopular opinions of being trolls is pretty stupid and tiresome. THIS. I find it kind of ironic that a web site that has the motto “Fighting ignorance since 1973” seems to have a lot of posters that don’t want to fight ignorance so much as make it all go away. If simply having incomprehensible posts that contribute nothing to the goal of fighting ignorance is the litmus test for trolls, then we should have banned **Scylla** a while ago. IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/42 "2009-01-19T09:18:02Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > THIS. > > I find it kind of ironic that a web site that has the motto “Fighting ignorance since 1973” seems to have a lot of posters that don’t want to fight ignorance so much as make it all go away. > > If simply having incomprehensible posts that contribute nothing to the goal of fighting ignorance is the litmus test for trolls, then we should have banned **Scylla** a while ago. IMO. Oh, _please_. I posited that we ban this fuckhead because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in that thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well - if he’d contributed or even appeared to _read_ to other parts of the forum, I’d have a more varied image of him. It’s been SEVEN YEARS since the attacks - anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that a 757 flew into the Pentagon today is deliberately ignoring the mountain of objective evidence and cherry picking their own out of thin air. And anyone like that won’t _let_ themselves be talked over. About anything. He wants to learn? Banning doesn’t take away his ability to read the forum. We’ve had myriad threads on that topic before; they’ve invariably been locked or died when the polite dopers finally recognize that people like this aren’t _interested_ in facts contradicting their little bubble. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/43 "2009-01-19T10:51:10Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Oh, _please_. I posited that we ban this fuckhead because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in that thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well - if he’d contributed or even appeared to _read_ to other parts of the forum, I’d have a more varied image of him. > > It’s been SEVEN YEARS since the attacks - anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that a 757 flew into the Pentagon today is deliberately ignoring the mountain of objective evidence and cherry picking their own out of thin air. And anyone like that won’t _let_ themselves be talked over. About anything. He wants to learn? Banning doesn’t take away his ability to read the forum. We’ve had myriad threads on that topic before; they’ve invariably been locked or died when the polite dopers finally recognize that people like this aren’t _interested_ in facts contradicting their little bubble. Well, thankfully you won’t lose any more sleep over him posting totally ignorable posts in any forums HERE. Jeez. You sound like this guy posting here caused you irreparable harm. Take some deep breaths. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/44 "2009-01-19T10:56:15Z")
I wonder if I started a tirade against Scylla if I could get him/her banned, “because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in [any] thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well.” Seems like a pretty good description to me. Let the widespread bannination begin! ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/45 "2009-01-19T11:10:46Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I wonder if I started a tirade against Scylla if I could get him/her banned, “because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in [any] thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well.” > > Seems like a pretty good description to me. Let the widespread bannination begin! So you’re calling **Scylla** a troll? Do you care to point out which threads or posts in particular you’re thinking of, as examples? Hey, I showed you mine 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/46 "2009-01-19T11:40:23Z")
Fighting ignorance is always worthwhile – but it’s almost impossible to do anything about _willful_ ignorance. Either Reef Shark doesn’t believe what he’s saying (or rather implying, since he refuses to state any claim or proposition), in which case he’s pure troll, or else he does believe it in spite of all facts and logic, in which case he’s putting a lot of effort into maintaining a particular worldview that doesn’t accord with reality. It’s like the Moon landing hoax people. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/47 "2009-01-19T17:22:00Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I wonder if I started a tirade against Scylla if I could get him/her banned, “because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in [any] thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well.” > > Seems like a pretty good description to me. Let the widespread bannination begin! Back off, Trollslayer!😃 **Scylla** can be a lot of fun when the topic is not one that triggers his conservative reactions. His “Evil Nazi Groundhogs” thread is what drew me to the SDMB in the first place and his “Horror of blimps” one is one of the reasons I joined up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/48 "2009-01-19T18:08:11Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I wonder if I started a tirade against Scylla if I could get him/her banned, “because he’s deliberately trying to troll negative responses in [any] thread, insulting members and refusing to acknowledge the answers he’s been given. Not because he has some “wrongheaded ideas” - he knows the truth as full well as we do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t because it pisses people off and he likes watching the fireworks. He’s a single issue nut, as well.” No, since **jessesheeran** wasn’t banned because somebody went on a tirade. > [@](#): > > Let the widespread bannination begin! Good luck with that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/49 "2009-01-19T18:17:59Z")
BAN MARLEY23! If only a moderator could see this blatant trollery… wait… nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/50 "2009-01-19T19:12:01Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > THIS. > > I find it kind of ironic that a web site that has the motto “Fighting ignorance since 1973” seems to have a lot of posters that don’t want to fight ignorance so much as make it all go away.\ You do raise an interesting point - how can we fight the Ignorants if we kick them all out? On the other hand, there’s fighting ignorance and there’s pissing into the wind. On a different note, I nominate you for the custom title of The Banninator! ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/51 "2009-01-19T19:35:06Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > You do raise an interesting point - how can we fight the Ignorants if we kick them all out? On the other hand, there’s fighting ignorance and there’s pissing into the wind. So you’re really trying to get that one person to see your point of view? So if say, Rick Warren came to the Dope and decided to start a thread on God exists, then we’d either have to convince him that God doesn’t exist or he’s a troll that’s pissing in the wind? I was thinking of this example before I read another Pit thread just started about stopping a poster with an intelligent design thread. So it’s already happening, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/52 "2009-01-19T21:45:10Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > You do raise an interesting point - how can we fight the Ignorants if we kick them all out? On the other hand, there’s fighting ignorance and there’s pissing into the wind. > > On a different note, I nominate you for the custom title of The Banninator! I suppose that’s better than being the Pissinator… ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/53 "2009-01-19T21:51:43Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > **reef shark**. > > - Arrived here three days ago > - Cor: Immediately started a thread about “[missing 9/11 wreckage](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502056)” > - Has 55 posts, all in that one thread. > - Simpered and dissembled at first, now not only ignores any opposing evidence and analysis provided, but outright patronises and insults the people who provide evidence. > - Appears to be under the age limit by virtue of displayed intelligence and grammar. > - Founds his entire position on it’s inherant lack of evidence; purports that the burden of proof is on “the other side” and when confronted with the mountain that exists, declares it not good enough. > > The guy is here for the lulz and he’s getting it. > > The discussion doesn’t bring anything new or beneficial to the SDMB - we’ve already hashed this discussion out so many times, there’s not much to be learned. And neither does he. > > So, the sooner he goes away, the less lulz for the troll. Let me get this straight, you don’t have much of a case against him so you claim he is violating board policy by being underage, with no proof? Looks like you’re getting your lulz as well. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/54 "2009-01-19T21:57:16Z")
Is it forbidden to proclaim, in a GD thread, that someone is willfully and obstinately ignorant, and to discourage posters from further responses? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/55 "2009-01-19T22:02:09Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I find it kind of ironic that a web site that has the motto “Fighting ignorance since 1973” seems to have a lot of posters that don’t want to fight ignorance so much as make it all go away. Yeah, it always makes me think of a doctor complaining about all the damn sick people that keep bugging him. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/56 "2009-01-20T09:57:28Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > In my opinion, the difference between reef shark and that jesse-whatever that just got kicked out is that reef shark is sticking nicely to his one idiotic thread instead of spraying his shit everywhere. When they remain that easily ignored, I say let 'em stick around for a while. Not that my vote matters. Agreed. I never heard of this guy until I saw this thread. Of course, with a name like “Let’s just ban the troll”, it drew my attention. If anything, this thread is just feeding him–assuming attention is what he wants in the first place. Me, I think he’s just an idiot, and again, that it doesn’t matter anyway since he’s not polluting the rest of the Board–just that one thread. > [@askeptic](#): > > Instead of banning trolls I wish we had some way to send a shock to the people who feed them. Of course one persons troll is another persons entertainment so I guess we just have to let posters post what they want and let the mods sort it out. You’re right; since fascism is technologically inconvenient for now, we’ll have to settle for controlled sanity. > [@Cuckoorex](#): > > If simply having incomprehensible posts that contribute nothing to the goal of fighting ignorance is the litmus test for trolls, then we should have banned Scylla a while ago. IMO. That’s good and fine, but the troll thing is **Revtim** ’s pet peeve; he shows up in every thread where the word “troll” is mentioned and practically insists that there is no such thing as a troll. At this point, he can’t be caught admitting someone is actually a troll. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/57 "2009-01-20T13:10:19Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > That’s good and fine, but the troll thing is **Revtim** ’s pet peeve; he shows up in every thread where the word “troll” is mentioned and practically insists that there is no such thing as a troll. At this point, he can’t be caught admitting someone is actually a troll. And on the other hand, you have some people who will immediately shout “TROLL!” whenever they encounter a poster that annoys them for whatever reason. That’s kind of what I was getting at regarding Scylla; I think his/her reasoning and arguments are silly at best and annoyingly narrow-minded at worst, but generally speaking, I don’t think he’s a “troll.” To me, a troll is one whose sole purpose is to rile other people up with the intention of causing disruption and gaining attention for attention’s sake. Now, there are posters who sometimes drift into troll territory but it’s not like they came to troll on the boards. I don’t think that **jesseheeran** was here to troll; he might have drifted into troll territory. Maybe he’s guilty of a binge of drunk/high/stoned posting. But at no point did I think to myself, “ah, another troll! Off with his head!” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/58 "2009-01-20T13:38:01Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > And on the other hand, you have some people who will immediately shout “TROLL!” whenever they encounter a poster that annoys them for whatever reason. That’s kind of what I was getting at regarding Scylla; I think his/her reasoning and arguments are silly at best and annoyingly narrow-minded at worst, but generally speaking, I don’t think he’s a “troll.” To me, a troll is one whose sole purpose is to rile other people up with the intention of causing disruption and gaining attention for attention’s sake. Now, there are posters who sometimes drift into troll territory but it’s not like they came to troll on the boards. I don’t think that **jesseheeran** was here to troll; he might have drifted into troll territory. Maybe he’s guilty of a binge of drunk/high/stoned posting. But at no point did I think to myself, “ah, another troll! Off with his head!” I’m a little confused. Wasn’t this thread about reef shark? As I participated in that thread I came to feel that he was a classic troll, baiting people for his own amusement. Jesseheeran is a completly different case. I think that was just a whole lot of crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/59 "2009-01-20T13:41:00Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m a little confused. Wasn’t this thread about reef shark? As I participated in that thread I came to feel that he was a classic troll, baiting people for his own amusement. Jesseheeran is a completly different case. I think that was just a whole lot of crazy. I was trying to use the **jesseheeran** situation as another example of someone I believe is falsely accused of trolling. You’re right, I shouldn’t further confuse the issue by dragging that situation into this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852/60 "2009-01-20T22:24:30Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > That’s good and fine, but the troll thing is **Revtim** ’s pet peeve; he shows up in every thread where the word “troll” is mentioned and practically insists that there is no such thing as a troll. At this point, he can’t be caught admitting someone is actually a troll. I admit it’s my pet peeve that every wingnut and/or unpopular new (and sometimes not so new) poster is accused of being a troll. I think I’d admit a troll is a troll though, if there was actually reason to believe so. I guess I’m not blessed with this telepathy-like power so many posters seem to have that allows them to somehow know when the idiot/nut doesn’t _really_ mean what they are posting and just getting getting their lulz. Handicapped as I am without this Heroes-like ability, I have to simply take them at their word, and take a couple minutes to realize that, since lots of people _really_ do hold those views, probability-wise it’s at least as likely they are genuine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-just-ban-the-troll/481852.md?page=4)