Reminder: We're a friendly Forum. Calling other people trolls isn't friendly

panagia

hazyjo wrote: »

I've reported lots of troll posts but the majority remain. You can usually spot them a mile off as one troll comes along to defend another troll (despite not posting on anything/much else on any other thread/board). It's SO obvious sometimes. And when they start their thread basically saying 'don't you dare report me for being a troll, I'm not and will report you instead' and all that b'llox. What genuine new poster ever says that.

Absolutely, and that is exactly what happened recently. I counted at least 3 AE accounts this person was using. I put them all on ignore and reported them, including the post where they said "I only started this thread because.." and forgetting that it was actually their other user-name that started the thread!

One troll account was briefly banned then reinstated, and the other two remain active...

BorisThomson wrote: »

One of their threads has been put in the newsletter! I'd be interested in the thought process behind that decision.

What..???!!

seashore22

The cynical part of me says that many providers of forums aren't that bothered about trolls. In fact they may even like them. They spice up the forums, drive traffic their way and add to the post count (a troll thread always has loads of posts because we can't help ourselves). I don't agree with it, but it's the only conclusion I can come to after being on various websites.

Sadly, it seems that people who report trolls are seen as Great Big Party Poopers and largely dismissed.

eschaton

hazyjo wrote: »

Don't know why we can't have part of the IP address of users on show. Is there a way of doing that without giving away too much info?


I've reported lots of troll posts but the majority remain. You can usually spot them a mile off as one troll comes along to defend another troll (despite not posting on anything/much else on any other thread/board). It's SO obvious sometimes. And when they start their thread basically saying 'don't you dare report me for being a troll, I'm nota and will report you instead' and all that b'llox. What genuine new poster ever says that.


Not trying to be obstructive, but if the reporting gets ignored, of if 'the powers that be' aren't sure enough to treat them as a troll, how can it hurt for some others to effectively say 'tread with caution, highly probable this person is a troll - feel free to participate, but you're probably wasting your breath'. I VERY rarely see it said on posts where I think the posters are wrong.

And when you post to say a troll isn't quite right you end up getting a yellow card from the forum team with no name.

The forum team certainly know how to ruin a forum.

waamo

seashore22 wrote: »

The cynical part of me says that many providers of forums aren't that bothered about trolls. In fact they may even like them. They spice up the forums, drive traffic their way and add to the post count (a troll thread always has loads of posts because we can't help ourselves). I don't agree with it, but it's the only conclusion I can come to after being on various websites.

Sadly, it seems that people who report trolls are seen as Great Big Party Poopers and largely dismissed.

I don't think that is cynical. I think you have hit the nail on the head.

panagia

eschaton wrote: »

And when you post to say a troll isn't quite right you end up getting a yellow card from the forum team with no name.

That is ridiculous! So someone signs up with multiple accounts, uses them to troll and bait, and then reports anyone who warns others that they are trolling and gets them yellow carded. While the multiple AE just carries on posting.

I think I'm going to stop posting on here.. it's just not worth it. My ignore list is growing by the day because the forum attracts (and retains!!) so many walter mitty types and WUMs.

Shame, as it is quite a good site in a lot of ways. It was based on a brilliant premise - consumer power and saving people money, and the founder put so much work into creating it and keeping it going.

suki1964

You want to be in my shoes

Ive been reported so many times and been banned more times then enough that I am effectively silenced

Yet the person who orchestrated the report campaign against me, is back on an AE and all Im told is they don't have proof its an AE and so she stays, pming her poison.

Pollycat

suki1964 wrote: »

You want to be in my shoes

Ive been reported so many times and been banned more times then enough that I am effectively silenced

Yet the person who orchestrated the report campaign against me, is back on an AE and all Im told is they don't have proof its an AE and so she stays, pming her poison.

I think if someone is sending private messages that are not friendly, they should be reported to MSE and MSE should take action and PPR the sender (if the content is so bad).

If MSE doesn't act, it should be OK to post those PMs on the open forum (I know it says it's against the rules to do it) so everybody can see what sort of person and who is doing this.

TBH, I can't recall any nasty PMs I've been sent.

It would be really helpful if MSE Andrea could return to this thread and comment on the issues that have been raised.

getmore4less

seashore22 wrote: »

The cynical part of me says that many providers of forums aren't that bothered about trolls. In fact they may even like them. They spice up the forums, drive traffic their way and add to the post count (a troll thread always has loads of posts because we can't help ourselves). I don't agree with it, but it's the only conclusion I can come to after being on various websites.

Sadly, it seems that people who report trolls are seen as Great Big Party Poopers and largely dismissed.

I know of a long running forum that does not delete any user(even spammers that register then never post anything) it now has over 100,000 members, a brief analysis suggested there were never more than 2000 active(viewing or posting) at any one time

Wonder what the analysis of this site would show?

peachyprice

panagia wrote: »

That is ridiculous! So someone signs up with multiple accounts, uses them to troll and bait, and then reports anyone who warns others that they are trolling and gets them yellow carded. While the multiple AE just carries on posting.

Indeed. There was a disgruntled user who vowed to come back and take down long time users one by one and TBH they have managed to be quite successful because nobody at MSE Towers has bothered to put a stop to it.

How difficult can it really be for a forum to stop multiple sign-ups from the same ISP?

And now they don't want us to call trolls out? Makes you wonder what type of poster they want to be left with.

Pollycat

peachyprice wrote: »

And now they don't want us to call trolls out? Makes you wonder what type of poster they want to be left with.

I think the point MSE Andrea is making is to report anyone you believe to be a troll rather than stating on the open forum that they are trolling.

I guess if they get inundated with reports that a particular poster is a troll, they may do something about banning them.
(and if they're not going to do that, I really don't see the point of MSE Andrea's thread).

As another poster has said up-thread:

hazyjo wrote: »

I've reported lots of troll posts but the majority remain. You can usually spot them a mile off as one troll comes along to defend another troll (despite not posting on anything/much else on any other thread/board). It's SO obvious sometimes. And when they start their thread basically saying 'don't you dare report me for being a troll, I'm nota and will report you instead' and all that b'llox. What genuine new poster ever says that.

And then it will be up to MSE to do their bit.