So I did a quick scan of that guy’s post history. Nothing I saw was really that objectionable. So what if probably doesn’t really have a gf who wants to move here? Are we so cynical that we can’t talk about a previous subject? As long as the guy doesn’t go around telling us to fuck ourselves, let him post his made up stories
And, of course, we also have the genius who defends the troll.
Letting people post lies is the opposite of the purpose of this message board. And it encourages more of it. It starts drama and often results in bad blood between different people. And all for the amusement of the troll–who doesn’t care about others and will go on to continue trolling and cause more problems if there are no consequences for doing so.
The big problem here is that the mods don’t pull the plug fast enough. We shouldn’t have had time to observe it three times and start a thread about it. That’s what I think makes this an easy place to troll–the slow reaction combined with the inability to call out a troll.
And, yeah, that does work–as long as you don’t act angry about it. It gives a heads up to the people who didn’t realize it, and it diverts the troll into arguing with me, and I don’t take the bait. Hell, I’ve gotten “thanks” posts for it.
We should at least be able to warn people that we don’t think someone’s story is on the up-and-up, so people don’t get invested in it.
First of all, thank you, I didn’t know that you also knew I was a genius. Its nice to finally be recognized.
And second of all, who cares? You take the tagline of the SD like a religious creed. We have plenty of less than cosmic topics and issues of discussion. There are tons of posts where people solicit advice, talk about their pets, or bullshit randomly about stuff that’s happened to them.
This guy may be lying about whether he gives a damn about cats or has a girlfriend or has a job, but the questions themselves aren’t any worse for the asker. What’s he doing that’s so objectionable? Retreading a familiar topic? Well please make a list of all the off-limit topics that people aren’t allowed to talk about anymore because its been settled, I would really like to see that.
I think your primer should begin with some history … start with “Jane, you ignorant slut” …
I’m thinking of giving my 5 year old troll son steroids so he can play sports and I won’t have to pay for college.
You can call out a troll anytime you want. No one is stopping you. But more importantly, you can report someone you think is trolling anytime you want. The mods don’t act quickly enough for your tastes? Well, I pretty much agree with that, but no one is forcing you back into the troll thread.
If it really, really bothers you and you feel you need to keep the topic alive, start an omnibus troll thread in the Pit, and you and your like-minded posters can gripe about all the active trolls to your hearts’ content.
In the Why is Prince considered a Genius? thread, I allowed my buttons to be pushed. It was a case of someone saying “meh, I don’t hear it” and actually trying to take the time to have a discussion about the music, the skills, etc., when the response never wavered from “okay, fine, but I still don’t like him.”
By page 7, I got carbonated. Shame on me.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=791111&page=7
Sure you can. Go call someone a troll in GD and see how fast JC climbs on your ass for it. Same with most other forums where I guaranty you you’ll be modded for it. Some things are a sure bet, and the mods enforcing that rule is one of them.
The mods don’t act because they require more evidence than the members do. They aren’t allowed the luxury using common sense and banning trolls when they are discovered. They wait for proof. And even when they get it, I’ll bet a clown or two will start an ATMB thread about how unfair they were in banning the nice kitten lover.
We therefore are limited to poking them in the pit, a place trolls won’t post, because they know they can be called trolls here.
Great idea for the ombudsman troll thread though. Perhaps we can call it the John Fucking Mace Troll of the Week Honor Society thread. You should get some credit for the suggestion.
Heck, all I know about Prince is that he had something to do with the soundtrack of the 1989 Batman movie.
And Mad Magazine parodied the Purple Rain movie.
And he didn’t participate in We Are the World, which I only know because there was a bit on Saturday Night Live where Billy Crystal played Prince, singing I Am Also the World.
But I can’t imagine posting to a thread about Prince 45 times (!) to describe my lack of interest, though I once did something vaguely similar in a thread about Texas Hold 'Em when somebody said poker was a game of ethics and I thought that was nonsense.
Anyhoo, trolls be trollin’. Peace.
Of course they’re not claims you made, they’re a sarcastic counter to the claim you did make. Crude and possibly off target, sure, but I won, which is what matters.
Actually, you might be wrong here. Our little troll friend has not posted since this thread started. Of course, many are still feeding the little malcontent, but that’s probably just part of the cycle.
Trolling in general leads to drama. That’s a problem. IDing our 3 and a half inch friends earlier is to the good.
I wasn’t a Prince fan before he passed on, but I lurked in that thread. Damn impressive musician and thank you for your posts. That clip monstro posted blew me away.
Thanks for that! Kinda makes getting my feathers ruffled worth it. We - me, monstro,, NAF1138, etc - kept putting up good stuff and trying to Prince’splain things!! 
good to know some folks wanted to listen and reach their own conclusions!
One swallow does not a summer make.
But it does make a man happy. 
The most important rule of trolling is to define any post you don’t like, for any reason, as “trolling” and make a list of them.
We should ban Muslims too! Until we know what’s going on, of course.
Is that so bad? We allow people to post about their real life dramas. So what’s wrong with fake drama? If I wanted to pretend a particularly salacious plot point on TV is my own, what’s the difference between that discussion and a real one?
Well, we do actually bad trolls, so you’re point is…?
Yes, actual trolls who prove themselves to be trolls.
Morgenstern’s standards, with appeals to “common sense” and dismissing “proof” struck me as similar to Trumpthink–especially in the context of his personal definition of “troll” as “anyone whose opinions or style I don’t like.”
Can’t wait for him to call me a troll and prove my point.