# Regarding the 'Best SDMB Trolls' Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 28, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950 "2004-11-28T03:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ninetypercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@ninetypercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninetypercent)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/1 "2004-11-28T03:14:00Z")
This is not a complaint. I was just wondering if there were some restrictions I could have defined in my OP that might have allowed the thread to remain open. Suppose I asked for the community’s opinion the The Best Trolls Ever, without specifically mentioning the SDMB… would that be acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/2 "2004-11-28T03:15:34Z")
There is nothing to gain from that. Trolls want attention; your idea gives it to them. Sorry, bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/3 "2004-11-28T03:16:16Z")
just a guess but maybe this would be better by email? I mean if you just got the thread locked and all… ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/4 "2004-11-28T03:18:59Z")
That, and you’re not supposed to call people trolls. Listing them would be doing exactly that. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/5 "2004-11-28T03:20:43Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > That, and you’re not supposed to call people trolls. Listing them would be doing exactly that. But if, for instance, someone has been banned for trolling, we can call them a troll, right? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/6 "2004-11-28T03:32:08Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > But if, for instance, someone has been banned for trolling, we can call them a troll, right? It is extremely rate for someone to be banned with a public announcemnt that they were banned for trolling. Therefore, any mention of a banned poster that refers to them as trolls would amount to an attack on a poster who was no longer able to defend himself or herself–an action that is also frowned upon. As noted aove, talking about trolls feeds their attention needs (while providing, at best, a little bit of gossipy tittilation for the rest of us), so such threads are never going to be popular with the administration. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/7 "2004-11-28T03:33:48Z")
You’re better off going to one of the SDMB mailing lists or LJ communities for this kind of thing-discussing the old board trolls-even if they were at times entertaining-only encourages others. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/8 "2004-11-28T05:49:32Z")
“Best SDMB Trolls” doesn’t feed the trolls; it takes them in and adopts them as a pet. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-best-sdmb-trolls-thread/276950/9 "2004-11-28T07:06:25Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > “Best SDMB Trolls” doesn’t feed the trolls; it takes them in and adopts them as a pet. Yep, that’s about it. We’re not trying to tromp on you, **ninetypercent**. As you might have gathered from the previous replies, flagrant shit-flingers are best left under their bridges to fester in their moss and trench foot. The _deliberate_ shit-flingers want the shock and attention. It’s why they do it in the first place, lacking insight other resources. _Others_–the particularly stubbornly misbehaved or misguided and occasional total loons–can’t post so it’s a cheap shot to make them subjects of discussion. The object isn’t secrecy. The old threads are searchable by members. Yeah, it’s hard if you don’t know what or whom to search for, but there are plenty of spin-offs that thrive on stale “scandals”. (Lord knows why, because they weren’t all that riveting the first time around, but to each his own.) We just don’t grant them room here, for the reasons explained. Hope this makes the actions more understandable. This is locked too, without prejudice. TVeblen Pit mod