Over in this thread started by **Milum ** regarding Bill Clinton’s book “My Life”, I quickly followed up his substanceless and debate free OP with “Dnftt”. I was then (correctly) reprimanded by Gaudere:
I admit that my troll accusations were misplaced in Great Debates.
But now that we’re in the Pit, how exactly can **Milum ** not be defined as a troll? He crapped out a particularly worthless OP in the middle of Great Debates, offered no discussion points, has ignored any attempt at rational discussion on multiple occasions, misrepresents viewpoints, and generally looks to stir shit up.
Not everyone on the Dope contributes a massively positive amount - most are lucky to just break even (myself included). But it seems to me that **Milum ** offers nothing to the larger picture, other than as a major source of annoyance, misinformation and bullshit. Is he the Amtrak of the Straight Dope, destined to be subsidized forever by an administration too reluctant to pull the plug?
The guy’s an attention slut. You all just keep responding to his nonsense and he’ll continue to hang around because of the little thrill he gets from annoying people. Threads like this one just feed his ego.
Yeah, he (and his Little Sir Echo Starving_Artist) are pretty obnoxious, but I’d say it’s probaly better to stay clear and just let him hang himself, as he has already been warned more than once about his posting habits, as recently as a couple of days ago.
Sometimes it’s necessary, to refute factual points made by posters who behave like jerks, but in this case, it’s probably not worth the effort. His posts to GD have little more content than “if it ain’t Republican, it’s CRAP!” and responses just give him the unwarranted impression that someone takes his nonsense seriously.
Huh? I clicked the link, and he states his debate topic in bold. With color. Just because it isn’t a debate that interests you, or just because he holds a point of view that annoys you, why is there a problem with him rather than with you? Meanwhile, you break the rules twice in two different forums and open a thread for no purpose other than to break a rule. And your complaint is about him?
Sorry, Lib, but "And the debate is… Have scales fallen from the eyes of the New YorkTimes or do they have advanced notice of the second comming? " simply isn’t a debate. If he was serious about the topic, why include a smilie? If he wants discourse, why not include an actual position? No, this was just another in a series of shittings.
Did I break the rules? Yes - and both* times I acknowledged my misstep. The day Milum does the same is the day someone’s cracked his password.
*And not calling someone a troll outside of GD is merely a guideline, AFAIK. (cite)
So: you can’t accuse someone of trolling at the SDMB.
Oddly enough, though, you can say that another poster should be banned, which I found out by being on the receiving end of such an accusation. So you can say that someone ought to be kicked off the boards, but you can’t say why, if the reason is that they’re trolling.
Sometimes the rules here need a Talmudic scholar to thread through the seemingly conflicting details.
He’s had a few warning in the last week or so, for some pretty egregious infractions, including the disgusting quip “Now be a good little Arab and apologize”.
WTF?? If someone had said, “Now be a good little Jew…”, they’d be gone. Especially after all the other steaming bullshit he seems to spread everywhere.
Oh well. I suppose he’s a fun playtoy for the liberals in GD…
Well, the title of the thread is “FAQ - guidelines for posting at the SDMB”. In any event, I’ll refrain from the practice from here on out. Though you do raise a good point - hopefully if a mod comes by to post here they might offer some insight, or add an addendum to that thread in ATMB.
So you can say that you think someone should be banned? Can you start a “petition” thread in the Pit collecting votes for a person’s banning? Would the mods ban the guy assuming he had enough people saying he should be? Would the thread be ignored or shut down? Should I be asking these questions in ATMB?
Personally, I don’t wish for anyone to be banned. Or band. Or banded.
I do, however, think some people need a swift kick in the ass – preferably in the form of a clear explanation as to why their behavior is intolerable, and what they need to do to change.
Quite often this is precisely what the mods do. (applause) Other times, though, it seems a bit vague and simplistic – e.g., “shape up or ship out” – which might remedy the current problem, but does less to help folks become better members of the community.
I think you’re being generous. I would describe him as Milumesque. Besides, can’t one be earnest and obtuse or ignorant?
If nothing else, he certainly likes to proclaim himself a “winner.” Not a trait I equate with many positive qualities. For some reason, I see his room very much like the young man’s room in About Schmidt, lined with “Participant” ribbons.
" simply isn’t a debate. If he was serious about the topic, why include a smilie? If he wants discourse, why not include an actual position? No, this was just another in a series of shittings.