Conduct on the Parking Tickets Board

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone

Can we remind you we’re a friendly forum and we ask you all to be nice to everyone, whether you agree with them or not, including anyone you consider trolls.

If you feel someone’s breaking our rules please click the report button, explaining why you’re reporting, without replying on the thread.

If you simply don't like their posts add them to your ignore list by clicking their username then the bottom option in the dropdown menu.

Unfortunately failing to do this may mean we have to take action on your user accounts if reported.

We’re spending so much time dealing with arguments on here that it’s detracting from the purpose so we're going to call this an amnesty.

From this point on, any arguing (not debating - that’s ok), may result in a temporary or permanent ban.

MSE Forum Team

peter_the_piper

Problem with putting this up front is that the trolls may take this as being ok to wind up the normal posters in the hope of getting them banned.

malkyh

The other problem is when I was constantly reporting posts made by a 'troll' I was 'told off' for using the button too much.

In defense of the Admin, maybe I was confusing spam with report.

AltheHibby

Happened to me too. I think I got too excited with the spam button. At least admin told me off nicely!

malkyh

AltheHibby wrote: »

Happened to me too. I think I got too excited with the spam button. At least admin told me off nicely!

You were listed as one of the PM recipients in my message so they will read exactly the same

Being a Hibby, I would have just banned your !!! there and then

Stephen_Leak

We do have a particular problem on this board, and with one person in particular.

OK. One "Spam" (but only if the comment is promoting a business position not a short retort) and/or one report per ID from now on.

If the "red mist has descended" and you must make a comment, refer to them in the third person.

Don't quote them. When their posts are deleted, your quotes are still there to potentially misinform vulnerable new victims.

And don't forget to remind them of ...

http://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/Documents/AOS/Online Blog and Chat Room Guidelines.pdf

... which says that PPCs shouldn't post under aliases.

give_them_FA

The PPC trolls come on here with only one purpose in mind. To negate our advice by either causing distraction through argument, or by suggesting it is bad advice.

Now, if it really were bad advice, they wouldn't bother to do this. They would leave us to give it.

The reason they try to undermine us is because they know it is actually very good advice and will prevent people from paying their unjustified and unlawful (as determined by Courts!) charges.

If they said "I am a PPC owner" up front, there would be less objection to them because at least those who come to us for help would know who they were and decide whether what they were saying was helpful.

Instead they (or should I say HE) adopt a variety of false identities and pose as ordinary posters, in order to cause confusion.

That is the nature of the problem. And this is why the "regulars" feel duty bound to warn the unwary that certain posters are not here to assist the victims of these Companies.

I agree with Stephen- it was indeed my own policy- that they should not be replied to directly, merely in the third person; and should not be quoted. Engaging in conversation creates the illusion they are legitimate.

ripped_off_driver

You will now see loads of private parking trolls on here trying to wind up respected members to try to get them banned.

PPC trolls who are obvious by the content they post who do not declare an affiliation should be banned straight away. That would save the inevitable arguments when these people try to peddle lies and wind other posters up.

I am happy to give the "don't argue, just report" technique a go and hope that MSE is robust in dealing with the PPC trolls when it has received the reports.

pogofish

Can MSE not give limited Mod powers to one or two of the senior members of this forum so thay can just ban/suspend the trolls in this forum the moment they show?

Seems to me that lately they have been taking advantage of the delay in getting one of the MSE team in here to deal with them.

give_them_FA

Yes, I am surprised that there are no delegated powers to respected and experienced members like (for example) Crabman or Coupon Mad, to at least suspend the offender from posting pending a final decision.

As a moderator on another (completely unrelated) forum, I can do this pending the decision by the forum owner.

No criticism of the forum team, they do take the proper action, but our "usual" troll seems to try and pick times when he thinks the cats are away and he can therefore last more than a few minutes.

pogofish

Yes I fully agree - and I don't think they quite appreciate how much our usual troll differs from those on other boards, nor how single minded and commercially self-interested their purpose is.