Stop Feeding the Trolls

Just as a reminder, it's common among forum communities to have one or more people with intentions (that only they know the reasons/beliefs behind that drive them to do it), to upset others and/or gain an emotional reaction out of those others. They "attack" personally in order to control you remotely - and win when they get any sort of knee-jerk reaction from the intended target(s).

Problem is, when you give them that attention, they've "hooked" you on their fishing expedition, and the only result that will happen by responding to the troll is to have them continue further in their attempts to reel you (and/or others) in with further/deeper reactions. Trolls love the control. Stop giving them what they want.

Stop feeding the forum trolls at BajaNomad.

Report and ignore them.

So you know, from a technical standpoint, I can remove ALL of a users posts with a single mouse-click. If, however, you interact with a troll - and smear (I couldn't think of a better word at the moment) a thread by quoting/replying to them further, that's considerably more work for your humble board admin/mod (meaning me).

Your consideration and help is appreciated.

REMEMBER: report and ignore.



-
Doug

I believe it was quite a few years ago that cartoonist Mike Reed created a site on forum personalities, which he labeled "Flame Warriors".

For your info and humor, here's the link to that site:

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/

Forum Troll

Use the report button that looks like this:





And I'll get out the Troll Spray:

Trolls? What do those critters eat?

I believe that more than anything... they eat up everyones' time.








[Edited on 7-8-2009 by BajaNomad]

Thank you Doug! Much appreciated.

The rules

4. The Service and the Sites include bulletin boards, chat rooms, and travelers' opinion pages which allow you and other users to post information, provide feedback to Q87 International and its affiliates, and interact in real-time. You agree not to post or transmit any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, profane, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable material of any kind, including, but not limited to, any material which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, violate the rights of others, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national or international law.

Obviously there is certain amount of tolerance regarding the rules and those "trolls" you talk about. And yes, replying or even defending to flammatory or untrue comments usually ends up as fodder to same.

Guilty here about engagement tho, why shouldn't I or anyone else defend lies and slandor. Would that really stop their shenanigans? I don't think it's right that people have to tiptoe around these jerks. That in itself is fundamentally wrong imho. I have to shut up or hold back or risk being attacked if I post something unbefitting to them? It goes way beyond adult conversation unfortunately sometimes.

Not everyone can roll that easy with the punches.Body armor and earplugs in place!

So "Adult Conversations" are alright then?

You have conversations?

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck So "Adult Conversations" are alright then?

I thought it was just:

How much?

For what?

How long?

100% correct pointy guy!

Is this thread about trolls? Oh crap, I thought it was tolls, OOPs! I guess it did get a few bites.

btw Dennis u gotta learn to get things in proper context, violence though? I'll be happy to engage you off line. Shame I/we don't live closer. We could toast something.

Now who says u can't be yourself, you???

OK, Doug

Very, Very Nasty TROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back, it would be nice if you stayed, but you would get too carried away. Any friend of Dennis is a friend of mine, except DK.

Tom

How long do you think you have.

Quote:

Originally posted by comitan Welcome back, it would be nice if you stayed, but you would get too carried away. Any friend of Dennis is a friend of mine, except DK.

Can't we all just get along?

Gee Wiz Comitan, what is it going to take to play nice?

Seriously, can't we all agree to love Baja but respect our political opinions without bashing?

I don't want any enemies here... the ones in Washington, the Middle East and North Korea are PLENTY!

Now we're havin' fun.

Sooooo.....Comitan, jus gotta know, does that also mean any enemy of Dennis is an enemy of yours

Oh God not that!!



Yer ok Tom!

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja Now we're havin' fun. Sooooo.....Comitan, jus gotta know, does that also mean any enemy of Dennis is an enemy of yours

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Damn, I must be everyones pal then!

Unless someone tells me otherwise

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja Damn, I must be everyones pal then!

You can be my friend.

Clever boy.

Say do you remember "Donehere"? He was a good one.

I finally get it!!!

[Edited on 7-9-2009 by Sharksbaja]

(comment removed to avoid aggravating the situation)

Consider this a "bump".



[Edited on 7-9-2009 by BajaNomad]

[Edited on 7-9-2009 by ELINVESTI8]

half of dk's post count is due to his being hooked by trolls. like many others here, he can't help but wear his politics on his sleeve (i wear my far left wing politics proudly displayed on my sleeve )

[Edited on 7-9-2009 by mtgoat666]

Quote:

Originally posted by David K Seriously, can't we all ... respect our political opinions without bashing? I don't want any enemies here... the ones in Washington ... are PLENTY!

About wearing our politics on our sleeve....
It's summer now. Time to go sleeveless.

nena

As Oxxo notes, according to the almost unassailable source Wikipedia, a troll is defined as follows:

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion."

Here's more from that entry, for some context:

"The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s, but the earliest known example is from 1991. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling. The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon.

The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU). Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution. One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes, went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.

By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We all know what "controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic" means. The more difficult element of the troll to nail down is whether it is posted "with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion." That sort of intent is hard to gauge with a new (or faux-new) user, based on just a handful of posts. But when someone who has made many "controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic" comments here and has been repeatedly been asked to cool it keeps doing it, one can reasonably infer several things:

1. Their primary intent is to provoke other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion;

2. They are completely self-absorbed and despite paying lip service to having a "dialogue" don't really give a s**t what anyone else thinks;

3. They are narcissists who long to be the center of attention, whether it's positive or negative, and have found the perfect vehicle to get them there; or

4. All of the above.

Hey, it's not like that shoe would fit anyone around here.



[Edited on 7-9-2009 by DanO]

"controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic"

Intent, tone and style

usually determines whether the other person will accept the interchange as a welcome debate.

In an online forum most of us use an avatar. Many of us will reveal our names and where we live.

There are a very few who hide behind their avatars as cowards and flame away with insults. Their agenda is to "troll" until they get an adverse response. Their bait is ugly and it is offensive to most people. It is difficult to ignore them. I have taken the bait on occasion. My attitude is "I can't let them get away with that". It usually contains inflammatory statements that are generally regarded as anti-social. They are Sociopaths and they delight in upsetting people. When someone takes the bait, then they become the target of personal insults. These few violate the rules of the forum administrators and eventually get banned. They they reappear under the guise of a newby with a completely different avatar.

This forum is an enterprise that is set up by an individual (Doug). He has the right to set the rules. To administrate the rules is a difficult job. It involves striking a balance between tolerance and outright rejection of a violator. I hate censorship! I wouldn't like to have to determine what should be censored. Those who eventually get banned establish a pattern of abuse. Often their writing styles are recognizable. They have been here before.

Hot buttons in discussions: politics and religion. Attitudes about politics and religion are formed from early childhood and get validated, tolerated or rejected by life's experience. Proponents of one attitude or another range from people who try to avoid conflict, to moderates to fanatical ideologues.

As citizens of The United States, we are protected by the First Amendment when it comes to "Free Speech". That Right does carry responsibilities; you can't yell fire in a theater as a joke. You can't use hate to inflame other like-minded people to commit crimes. And
it doesn't apply to a forum where the owner gets to make the rules.
People like David K. or Dennis are not Trolls in my opinion. They may be driven by their own demons, but I would draw your attention to my first sentence; " Intent, tone and style usually determines whether the other person will accept the interchange as a welcome debate." I believe that, to some, their tone and or style can be abrasive, but I don't think their intent is malicious.

I don't want to single them out exclusively. I am just using them because they have been discussed in the context of Trolls. They have a lot to offer in this forum and I enjoy their posts, for the most part. Criticism probably won't work. I and others have tried (with David K). I have given up trying to get him to understand why and how his political interjections are unnecessary and unwanted. Now I just ignore those comments and take from him what information I can use. Dennis...he still be cool in my opinion.

In conclusion, we Nomads have a lot of similarities; mostly our affinity for Baja. We are all unique individuals and have different levels of tolerance, education and manner. Most of us belong here in spite of our wide levels of differences.

We're gonna have a rumble, tonight ...

Quote:

Originally posted by David K I don't believe in what you say, but I will defend your RIGHT to speak it... THAT SIR, is the American way!

You go, girl!!

That's fine, Osprey. My perspective is what I have to offer. You don't have to agree. It is not my intention to speak down to you. If you think you speak for everyone on the forum go ahead and tell us how your opinion is superior, which is what I think you just did.

Did someone call for a Troll?

Dan

Thank you!!!!!

WOW
Doug is a troll.

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy WOW Doug is a troll.

Ahem.... that's "Head Troll" to you!





When in Rome...

Trolls keep the pot stirred. They keep "jerking the chain". More power to 'em.

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress Trolls keep the pot stirred. They keep "jerking the chain". More power to 'em.

DENNIS, Thanks!

Hey Doug,

Folks, that's his 18,973rd post !!!



I can't hold my stomach any more.

Keep it nice Sharks

Everybody's posts in this string are funny as hell! So, here's to y'all....and to me too:

Dennis and I are laughing in our iced down Pacificos.

That observation, Skipjack, is the flat-out funniest thing I've read on this board in a long, long time...CLASSIC DK

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe Quote: Originally posted by David K ... So, am I ever allowed to be free to speak my beliefs here... Folks, that's his 18,973rd post !!! I can't hold my stomach any more.

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe Quote: Originally posted by David K ... So, am I ever allowed to be free to speak my beliefs here... Folks, that's his 18,973rd post !!! I can't hold my stomach any more.

CLASSIC!

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy WOW Doug is a troll.

Sure turned out that way.

Just a friendly reminder....

Stop feeding the trolls.



-
Doug

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaNomad Just a friendly reminder.... Stop feeding the trolls. - Doug

With no competition?

Oh Gee.... I should look at dates, someone resurrected a thread that is almost a year old.

The Troll Hunter is a true Viking and is tasked with elimination of all Trolls.