A simple request to all.

poppy12345

bspm1 wrote: »

I can only speak for myself when I say I HAVE reported many posts by a particular poster that I believe are only posted to cause trouble and give wrong advice.

Haven't seen any of them disappear, I have noticed many well written posts go though. Posts that question the aforementioned posters lies.

I have also reported more posts from a certain member then i can remember. These posts remain but why?

All of this is just ridiculous because of one persistent poster and their many accounts that's causing all the trouble here. I have never seen so many lies and contradictions from one person.

More than 24 hours ago we were told it would be back to normal ASAP, yet today we're told the exact same thing :mad:

huckster

This problem is not unique to MSE and is something you have to live with. Moderators or board guides can only do their best. Report any issues, rather than get into arguments on the threads.

If a poster is regularly making posts that MSE deem unhelpful, then MSE will no doubt consider whether to act or not. My experience is that if you ban or restrict a poster, they often just add a different user name and start making posts under a new name. You will never stop them that way. Board guides probably best to just PM any poster and delete individual posts where felt necessary.

I can't see the point in arguing about moderators or what are troll posts etc. The only thing that is important, is the public receiving help, which they have not found elsewhere. This can be a frustrating exercise and some posts will be more helpful than others. But that is just the way it is and will never change.

poppy12345

huckster wrote: »

This problem is not unique to MSE and is something you have to live with. Moderators or board guides can only do their best. Report any issues, rather than get into arguments on the threads.

If a poster is regularly making posts that MSE deem unhelpful, then MSE will no doubt consider whether to act or not. My experience is that if you ban or restrict a poster, they often just add a different user name and start making posts under a new name. You will never stop them that way. Board guides probably best to just PM any poster and delete individual posts where felt necessary.

I can't see the point in arguing about moderators or what are troll posts etc. The only thing that is important, is the public receiving help, which they have not found elsewhere. This can be a frustrating exercise and some posts will be more helpful than others. But that is just the way it is and will never change.

When the troll is constantly given incorrect advise i can't see how that possibly helps those that need it.

John-K_3

huckster wrote: »

I can't see the point in arguing about moderators or what are troll posts etc./QUOTE]
And yet here you are, doing exactly that.

Valid, polite, correct posts are being deleted, reams of troll posts remain, and it seems to be happening with an agenda behind it. Why would anyone remove a post pointing out, with quotes, when a troll has been caught out in a set of lies, yet leave in the posts that have been shown not only to be untrue, but to be misleading people who are here for help?

huckster

Because MSE board monitors don't want argument posts between members.

You can add a post to correct advice offered by another poster, as well as report posts, without making it personal.

Trolls are never defeated if you make them feel important. They seek attention and try to make it difficult to ignore them. As soon as you show signs of frustration, they love it and will keep trying to annoy.

NeilCr

huckster wrote: »

Because MSE board monitors don't want argument posts between members.

You can add a post to correct advice offered by another poster, as well as report posts, without making it personal.

Trolls are never defeated if you make them feel important. They seek attention and try to make it difficult to ignore them. As soon as you show signs of frustration, they love it and will keep trying to annoy.

Of course you can correct the advice by a poster. However, that still leaves the OP, who may well have alighted here a) in a distressed and worried state and b) attracted by the name and reputation of Martin Lewis to decide which piece of advice to follow. Posting links helps but, also, pointing out the inconsistencies in the troll posts adds extra evidence to try to get them going in the right direction.

This troll has been banned before - it is possible. I moderate elsewhere and I understand the difficulties and am fully aware that trolls like the oxygen of attention. But many of us have been following the advice of MSE and reporting posts for some time now - with no discernible impact other than perfectly good posts being deleted and very good and knowledgable posters being warned. The frustration comes from the inaction and, it would appear, couldn't care less attitude emanating from MSE Towers.

Personally, I don't think MSE can get away with the 'we don't moderate" argument. As said they ban posters, delete and edit posts and are quite happy to start threads. In addition - and I feel strongly about this - people come here, at least partly, because of Martin Lewis (I know he doesn't own the site any more but his name is prominent). I think it is very sad that a forum bearing his name is so open to incorrect advice and trolling - particularly on boards like benefits and disability where many posters are very vulnerable and come here at a bad time in their life.

TELLIT01

There is a valid argument that it's easier to monitor a nuisance poster than to try to ban them. It's so easy to create a new ID and start all over again. I do agree that there seems to be an inability to remove some problem posts but no such inability to remove others which, whilst possibly being provocative at times, are providing useful and accurate information.
I have seen one user, and all their posts, disappear after I and probably others reported them for abusing anybody they didn't agree with.

NeilCr

TELLIT01 wrote: »

There is a valid argument that it's easier to monitor a nuisance poster than to try to ban them. It's so easy to create a new ID and start all over again. I do agree that there seems to be an inability to remove some problem posts but no such inability to remove others which, whilst possibly being provocative at times, are providing useful and accurate information.
I have seen one user, and all their posts, disappear after I and probably others reported them for abusing anybody they didn't agree with.

There is such a valid argument. I've done it myself as a moderator

But that requires that, while monitoring such a poster, you deal with the incorrect etc posts that they are making. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

BorisThomson

huckster wrote: »

This problem is not unique to MSE and is something you have to live with. Moderators or board guides can only do their best. Report any issues, rather than get into arguments on the threads.

If a poster is regularly making posts that MSE deem unhelpful, then MSE will no doubt consider whether to act or not. My experience is that if you ban or restrict a poster, they often just add a different user name and start making posts under a new name. You will never stop them that way. Board guides probably best to just PM any poster and delete individual posts where felt necessary.

I can't see the point in arguing about moderators or what are troll posts etc. The only thing that is important, is the public receiving help, which they have not found elsewhere. This can be a frustrating exercise and some posts will be more helpful than others. But that is just the way it is and will never change.

There are busier forums, without the resources of MSE, that manage to deal with trolls far more effectively. But that means the forum team actively engaging with forum members, which simply doesn't happen here. I can't say I've ever had a reply asking for more information about a report, although others may have had replies?

Also, where there is uncertainty, the forum team can ask the alleged troll for more information to back up their claims. Yes it takes a bit more work, but it also takes more effort from the troll, and when you do this they tend to then drift away. If they then return under a different guise then you ask the question again, they get 24 hours and if they don't reply then they're banned until they do.

Tommo1980

Ok wizardly18/wizardy18....


Edit: Damn I should have quoted!