# PUNY HUMANS! I AM AN UNKILLABLE THREAD! BWA HA HA! Rule on troll-calling changed! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 7, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811 "2006-06-07T22:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/21 "2006-06-08T01:55:53Z")
Here, troll! Here, troll! Come to poppa, baby! Soooooo-eeeeee! Trolltrolltrolltrolltroll! 😃 ---
**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:** [June 8, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/22 "2006-06-08T02:11:55Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > What do you want, she’s probably drunk. Damn troll moderators. Isn’t being drunk is the best way to moderate trolls? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/23 "2006-06-08T02:19:59Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Isn’t being drunk is the best way to moderate trolls? :dubious: Or is it the best way to trollerate mods? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/24 "2006-06-08T02:49:33Z")
Now, I have to go read all the BBQ Pit threads so I can find a troll and throw it right in their faces…HA! (Fantastic song, **Crow** , but shouldn’t it be "Rope, throw, and BAN 'em? 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/25 "2006-06-08T03:06:02Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Isn’t being drunk is the best way to moderate trolls? Being completely shitfaced is the best way to moderate the Pit, period, but unfortunately I’m sober way too often anyway. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/26 "2006-06-08T03:31:09Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > Being completely shitfaced That expression never sounded quite right to me… sounds like someone should offer you a napkin, or a baby wipe. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/27 "2006-06-08T03:51:13Z")
- plays chorus of “Under the Bridge” in honor of the Pit Mods \* 😛 ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/28 "2006-06-08T03:56:06Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > Being completely shitfaced is the best way to moderate the Pit, period, but unfortunately I’m sober way too often anyway. You can take comfort from the fact that you hide your sobriety well. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/29 "2006-06-08T04:03:11Z")
I think this is a good idea. How about “DNFTT” and “trollhunters”? IIRC, their (over)use was part of the reason calling people a troll was banished. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/30 "2006-06-08T04:24:08Z")
Last week as we were driving all over hell, I kept reading the big yellow signs over the booths (out loud): “STOP AHEAD PAY TROLL” Hee hee. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/31 "2006-06-08T04:36:01Z")
Point of order: Are accusations of hosiery also permitted, or is the rules amendment limited to bridge burrowers? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/32 "2006-06-08T04:38:49Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > How about “DNFTT” and “trollhunters”? IIRC, their (over)use was part of the reason calling people a troll was banished. Can someone elaborate on this for us new’uns? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/33 "2006-06-08T05:13:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Last week as we were driving all over hell… Impossible. [Hell](http://www.hell2u.com/) has fewer than 300 people and fewer than four miles of road. “Driving all over hell” consists of about fifteen to twenty minutes of roaming a couple of small rural lanes in South central Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/34 "2006-06-08T05:18:35Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > How about “DNFTT” and “trollhunters”? IIRC, their (over)use was part of the reason calling people a troll was banished. Neither are expressly forbidden. Note that in the case of a real-life “hay guys l00ka t me!!1!” troll, we would certainly prefer people simply report the post and move on rather than filling a troll’s thread with DNFTT admonishments to their fellow posters. As for troll-hunting, if people start chasing all the guests away with too much junior modding, we’ll probably have to amend the rules to deal with it. Hopefully that won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/35 "2006-06-08T05:19:39Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Can someone elaborate on this for us new’uns? DNFTT = Do Not Feed The Troll: posted by people who actually believe that warning others that a particular poster is a troll will cause them to refrain from engaging said poster. causing the troll to get bored and leave. The reality, of course, is that identifying a poster as a troll validates the troll’s existence while proving to be an irresistable bait to people who actually enjoy engaging trolls as though they had the power to drive forth the troll using facts, logic, and sense. Trollhunters are persons who wander the board seeking trolls. When they cannot find an actual troll, they are quite willing to “out” any unpopular poster (or cranky yet popular poster) as a troll in an attempt to demonstrate how perceptive they are that they spotted a troll before anyone else did. Good times are then had by all. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/36 "2006-06-08T05:21:47Z")
DNFTT means “do not feed the troll”. People would post it ostensibly to suggest to others that they not respond to a post they considered a troll. A frustrating part of the recently changed policy is that people would post away apparently unaware that they were responding to a troll or careless to the fact that trolls get off on negative attention. Whilst you could report a post, it was often there long enough for the troll to get plenty of feeding. The advantage of being able to post DNFTT is that it puts part of the responsiblity for starving trolls of attention on the membership. The disadvantage is that people post it when they just strongly disagree with a post (or dislike a poster) but can’t be bothered to put their case. Trollhunting is an accusation that a poster is going around looking for posters to call trolls. It can be used to suggest that a poster is junior modding or just creating division for its own sake (ie making specious accusations of trolling can be a form of trolling). It can also be a diversionary tactic of trolls. So I’m hoping for some guidelines on the use of these terms or at least an indication that the moderators have a plan in dealing with it. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/37 "2006-06-08T05:24:11Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Point of order: Are accusations of hosiery also permitted, or is the rules amendment limited to bridge burrowers? Good question. I’d say right now it is strongly discouraged, as it could easily lead to the junior mod troll hunts that lead to the “no trolling accusations” rule in the first place. We’d much rather such suspicions were handled via email or reported posts. At the same time, though, sock is not a forbidden word, so if you want to insult someone by calling them a **december** / **Reeder** sock, go right ahead. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/38 "2006-06-08T05:25:13Z")
I for one welcome our new [troll overlords.](http://www.jonballard.com/images/places/picsSeattle/fremont%20troll%20car.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/39 "2006-06-08T05:25:23Z")
I see an answer’s come in before my explanation. So DNFTT is allowed but to be used sparingly. Sounds OK. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811/40 "2006-06-08T05:27:23Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > So I’m hoping for some guidelines on the use of these terms or at least an indication that the moderators have a plan in dealing with it. Basically, in the **Pit** , where insults are a common coin, “troll” and related expressions have been removed from a list of forbidden epithets. If you believe that a poster is actually a troll, your best bet is to report it just as you would in any other Forum. In the **Pit** , however, one may hurl the term “troll” at another poster and it is up to the rest of the Teeming Millions to decide whether your claim was an actual accusation–and whether the accusation has merit–or simply one more insult. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puny-humans-i-am-an-unkillable-thread-bwa-ha-ha-rule-on-troll-calling-changed/359811.md?page=3)