Mods trolling, isn't that against the rules?

[TubaDiva]

@FXMastermind

Rest assured, before starting this topic, I knew full well it will be as wonderful as complaining about the local cops. To the local cops.

What is the context from which these quotes are lifted?

I think you are mistaken about how things work here in About This Message Board, Evil Moderator/Complaint Department.

To simply quote a bunch of times where Colibri used the word “troll,” that tells us nothing without the rest of the thread for meaning.

This is another example of accusation without sufficient evidence of anything to back it up. I’m less and less willing to give your argument much credence because, well …

By trolling, we mean posting of inflammatory comments solely to get a rise out of people.

[TubaDiva]

Wait a minute, Colibri is making these comments as a poster? All in The BBQ Pit?

That kind of language is permitted in the Pit.

Moderators are posters too.

Colibri is not a Moderator in the Pit.

ETA: Not everything a Moderator says is a Mod Note or a Warning. (Which I think is lucky for you.)

[Suburban_Plankton]

[ol]
[li]It’s allowed by the rules to accuse another poster of trolling, as long as you do so in The Pit. So **Colibri **wasn’t breaking any board rule by making his accusations.[/li]
[li]**Colibri **was not posting ‘as a moderator’ when he made those posts. Had he been, his posts would have explicitly indicated that he was doing so. So you were not accused of trolling by ‘a Moderator’; you were accused of trolling by ‘a Poster’.[/li]
There is no Point 3.[/ol]

[Skywatcher]

@FXMastermind

If he really thinks I’m just trolling, that means he is accusing me of a rule violation, since trolling anywhere, even in the Pit, is clearly stated as against the rules.

Since there is no Mod warning, public or otherwise, then he doesn’t actually think I’m trolling, in which case what he is doing is trolling. Posting something false, and inflammatory, just to get a reaction. Which is against the rules.

Already addressed in this very thread.

@Colibri

While trolling is against the rules, as I said in the Pit thread we do accept a certain degree of trolling in that forum. In my judgement as a moderator, FXMastermind is engaged in trolling in his global warming Pit thread. He is posting rubbish of the sort that he is aware has been thoroughly refuted in both GD and the Pit, as far as I can tell purely to annoy people. However, since it’s in the Pit we’ve allowed it to continue, since part of the purpose of the forum is to allow people to be annoying.

(Italics mine.)

[BlankSlate]

The guest gently sharts in his pants.

The term ‘trolling’ is over-used these days. If it’s partly defined by making inflammatory posts designed to get a rise out of people, then every partisan politcal statement is trolling.

[Chronos]

Partisan political statements might get a rise out of people, but that’s not usually their intent.

[FXMastermind]

Somehow I missed the Colibri post itt before I posted. Software glitch, it happens.

@Colibri

While trolling is against the rules, as I said in the Pit thread we do accept a certain degree of trolling in that forum.

This is news to me, as I understood the rules forbid trolling, and by trolling I mean what is considered trolling on the straightdope boards.

On the SDMB, Cecil’s goal of fighting ignorance is generally the guiding principle. If somebody posts misinformation, other users feel obliged to point it out. I’m sure some trolls delight in getting others to respond in this way, but the choice is either that or let a troll’s posts stand unchallenged. Ignoring obvious nonsense has some advantages, but what about naive users who may read the falsehood and, seeing nothing to rebut it, believe it? To prevent that, some advocate responding to trolls once and only once. You refute the misinformation and that’s that. Of course, this is often easier said than done, and many people (myself included) simply cannot sit idly by while the troll gleefully continues to post BS.

The other option is to pounce on every last falsehood and fabrication. This can lead to a classic flame war. We’ve had threads on the SDMB with close to a thousand posts as users attempt to get in the last word with an obstinate troll. These battles can be exhilarating but also exhausting. Inevitably at some point you ask yourself: what’s the point?

In short, you’ve got two possibilities–ignore the troll or argue with him. My recommendation is as follows: If the person is a well-known troll with low credibility, post once to point out the flaws and then ignore him. If there’s a real chance he may fool people who don’t know better, knock him down with facts.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1764/what-is-a-troll

Now what I did not see (obviously) before posting was this.

@Colibri

In my judgement as a moderator, FXMastermind is engaged in trolling in his global warming Pit thread.

So there you have it, as a Mod you are accusing me of violating the board rules.

@Frank

I’ve got to say, I see no indication that Colibri was speaking as a moderator in any of those posts.

Which is why it’s Forum issue. If he claimed “trolling” as a Mod, and Mods shut down the thread, and demanded no other thread ever be opened like it, it wouldn’t be up for discussion.

@BigT

If someone actually thinks you are trolling, they are inherently not “posting of inflammatory comments solely to get a rise out of people.” Their purpose is to call you out for trolling, not solely to piss you off.

As is explained above, trolling involves deliberate posting of false information, solely to get a rise out of somebody, or a group of people. If he thinks I am doing that, then explain what you think is false. Just calling “troll troll” is not an acceptable response, if you think the information is false.

That he is doing it as a Mod, labeling somebody a troll, accusing somebody of something that is clearly a board violation (unless you change the user
agreement), but with out any evidence, that is itself trolling. Posting something false, even if her believes it, that isn’t going to cut it. It’s still trolling.

[FXMastermind]

@BlankSlate

If it’s partly defined by making inflammatory posts designed to get a rise out of people, then every partisan politcal statement is trolling.

That is not considered trolling. Trolling involves some falsehood or deception, a deliberate effort to get a rise of somebody, by making a false statement. If it’s sincere, or a true statement, it’s not called trolling. It’s certainly annoying, but trolling is the wrong term.

Of course now you see the word used as a weapon, an insult, a label to try and avoid an honest argument.

But that doesn’t mean “trolling” is somehow now something else.

[Skywatcher]

@Frank

I’ve got to say, I see no indication that Colibri was speaking as a moderator in any of those posts.

@FXMastermind

That he is doing it as a Mod

Pardon me, but your train of thought has derailed.

[Fear_Itself]

@FXMastermind

That he is doing it as a Mod, labeling somebody a troll, accusing somebody of something that is clearly a board violation (unless you change the user agreement), but with out any evidence, that is itself trolling.

Can you present evidence that Colibri was trolling? Because, if you can’t… so meta…

[FXMastermind]

@Fear_Itself

Can you present evidence that Colibri was trolling?

I know you are being funny, but that is the essence of part of the charge of trolling.

Intent. For somebody to be trolling they have to intentionally post something they know is false, to get a reaction from somebody. Some idioat who actually doesn’t know anything isn’t really trolling, they are just clueless.

For it to be trolling, it has to be deliberate.

Second, it must involve some trickery, falsehood, deception, something that isn’t true, just to cause stress to the target, or to hook them into an argument, outrage, something.

If it’s true, or truly their view, it isn’t trolling, it’s just something you disagree with. Of course all of this can be argued over. Hell, anything can be labeled trolling by somebody.

[Skywatcher]

One can be honest and still be a troll. I take it FXM wasn’t around when those skinheads deliberately came here to troll us? Even said so on their own board.

[FXMastermind]

@BigT

Someone calling you a troll in the Pit is not necessarily accusing you of the infraction of trolling. A mod most certainly isn’t, unless it’s accompanied by an Official Warning.

@Colibri

In my judgement as a moderator, FXMastermind is engaged in trolling in his global warming Pit thread.

I’m betting you can’t see the problem.

[Fear_Itself]

@FXMastermind

Of course all of this can be argued over. Hell, anything can be labeled trolling by somebody.

I think we are done here.

[cochrane]

@FXMastermind

I’m betting you can’t see the problem.

Of course we can’t. There is no problem.

[FXMastermind]

@Skywatcher

One can be honest and still be a troll. I take it FXM wasn’t around when those skinheads deliberately came here to troll us? Even said so on their own board.

I missed that, but I’ve seen that sort of thing before. People even plan raids and such.

But if somebody is deliberately posting something false, and just to get a reaction, that is trolling. If they believe their own bullshit, it still appears as trolling, but at that point, well, fuck. Skinheads? Really?

[Colibri]

@Fear_Itself

Can you present evidence that Colibri was trolling? Because, if you can’t… so meta…

Yes, it does get very meta, doesn’t it? By FXMastermind’s own reasoning, if I believe that he is trolling, then I can’t be trolling myself.

[Skywatcher]

@FXMastermind

Skinheads? Really?

Stormed us from a cold front.

[FXMastermind]

The thing about accusing somebody on the Dope, you need to provide evidence, unless you are just trying to get a reaction from them.

As a Mod, the standard is higher. Right?

[AClockworkMelon]

@FXMastermind

If he really thinks I’m just trolling, that means he is accusing me of a rule violation, since trolling anywhere, even in the Pit, is clearly stated as against the rules.

Colibri isn’t a Pit moderator so I guess what he’s really guilty of is junior modding!

Edit: Oops, I see you’ve already said this elsewhere in the thread.