Tuba,
Is there any way a short “message” could be posted at the top of the main page of each message forum about trolls? Perhaps a quick reference about what “troll” means, and that IGNORING them will work better then antagonizing/responding to them. Everytime there is a DNFTT post in MPSIMS, a few people chime in with “what does that mean? what’s a troll? Why shouldn’t I post?”
I’m thinking it might help spread the word, and these ridiculous threads will die a quicker death.
Thanks for your consideration,
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?
Just to be clear, I’m talking about a message for regular members to make them aware of the problem and the right thing to do. I hardly expect a message to scare away any trolls. Also, I wonder if a little blurb could be included in the e-mail that gets sent to new users with their password.
I guess I’m thinking that if the SDMB gives an official/unofficial “position” on dealing with trolls (officially asking people NOT to post to the threads) it may get the point across for people who are every other day readers, or otherwise miss the DNFTT threads.
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?
Zette, I sympathize, but I think you are hopelessly optimistic. There are far too many people, here, who enjoy playing with the trolls. (I think the compulsion is related to picking at scabs.)
Oh, dear Zette, nice idea but I’m not sure it will do us any good.
It’s very difficult to have the mental strength and moral fortitude to walk away from somebody that needs to be beaten like a drum.
So it is with trolls. There’s something about them that makes normally reasonable people take up the cudgel and commence to flailing.
I’ve done it myself. When you’re in that avenging place, you’re oblivious to everything except removing that pimple on the ass of humanity that is the troll before you.
Of course it does no good. Trolls are still dumb as ever at the end of it, and maybe even happy; see the troll maxim “I’d rather be hated than ignored.”
We just all need to get a grip, take a breath . . . and strive to do better. I’m not sure any sort of sign would make a difference.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
The Straight Dope
Zette, I’m with TubaDiva on this one. There have been plenty of DNFTT threads in MPSIMS, and although it has forestalled some from posting to the troll threads (some like me), others have decided to ignore it.
In fact, doing that would probably encourage the trolls. I think the best thing to do is do our best to ignore them and let the mods handle the flare-ups when they get a chance.
Ah- always the optimist, that Zette. I guess the idea was to at least give newbies a heads up, and an official procedure for dealing with the problem. I fail to see the harm in trying (even just including something in the password e-mail), but if no one wants to try then so be it.
I’m of the opinion that you don’t know until you try, as opposed to “that won’t work, forget about it”.
Thanks for your consideration anyway,
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?
I’m with Zette here. Maybe there are some longtime posters who can’t leave off going 15 rounds with the trolls, but most of us get past that stage, once we realize why they do what they do.
I’d bet that it’s mostly people who’ve been here a couple months or less who give the trolls the bulk of the attention they get. If that’s so, then Zette’s suggestion has a lot of merit.
The mark of a truly great mind isn’t whether you’re right or wrong. It’s how well you can weasel out of a jam. - Unca Cecil
Maybe we should start by educating the moderators. The moderator of MPSIMS specifically asked a few weeks ago for people NOT to “hijack” troll threads with other topics. He asked that we just let them die.
Talk about taking longer then we thought.
I think this will be the last post I make about trolls. My suggestion still stands, but I believe I’ll start searching for another home on the net. This one is too infested with bugs. Not much fun anymore really.
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?
Hey, Zette–Esprix is right. Stick around. See, I learned something because you were here–I learned that MPSIMS must be where all the really interesting people hang out. Thanks for the tip, Zette.
It’s a good idea about the Official Troll Warning, but I agree with the others, too, that it would mostly just be ignored. There are two kinds of people in the world–those who enjoy doing a Wishbone and barking up into the ugly face of a humongous troll, and those who don’t. The ones who enjoy it will ignore any warnings or instructions, and will continue to get their jollies going into single combat with Norge, Borge, Inga, and Fred, and the ones who don’t enjoy it–hey, we may be newbies on the MB, but we all learned a LONG time ago what trolls look like and how to deal with them: (1) Ignore them. If that doesn’t work, (2) Run away.
But it’s nice to know there is an Official Policy somewhere for dealing with trolls, i.e. “Don’t talk to them.” OK, got it.
And, like I said, stick around. Hey, if you’re having a picnic and you discover there are ants in the potato salad, you don’t pack up and go home, do ya?
Actually, I like my potato salad with extra ants
I guess I’m over the whole troll thing. I have fought the good fight, but it’s like trying to convince an UL forwarder to stop. It just doesn’t work. I do stand by my assertion that we need an “official” stance on the issue, though.
I’m sticking around- I wish I never posted that stuff about finding a new home on the net. Makes me sound like a crybaby.
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?
WB Zette! ( whew!- longest damn 6 hours of my life.) I say, just ignore the trolls. They’re not worth your time and efort. It’s like seeing a guy picking his nose on a street corner.- just walk on by. ( cuz it’s probobly me )
Nah. It just made you sound like each of the rest of us six months ago or two years ago or some time prior to that when we hit the end of out ropes watching good bandwidth sucked into the black holes of stupidity.
Think of morning traffic. When you first started driving you didn’t mind too much. You figured that there was some anomaly that was taking the express out of the expressways. Later, you couldn’t figure out why some idiot was causing the hold-up every single morning and you wanted to hunt that individual down and run them off the road into a bridge abutment. At some later date you simply sighed with experience and worried about something else on the way to work.
