Why some should think before posting

[Sentinel]

Originally Posted by kragster

I think a better system would be the ability to flag someone as a troll . And then if more than 10 users have flagged someone as a troll then that person should have limited posting ability!

Although trolls can keep creating new accounts, getting a new account is still a hassle. At some point even the best of trolls will give up or at least slow down.

Flagging posts requires a change in the software, and that could slow the system down too. Not sure it would really have an impact, I've heard of other communities like (can't remember) where large groups of people having some political agenda would swoop down on some posts and threads and downvote them into oblivion, or upvote their own agenda.

Also, I don't think banning really works. if you don't ban a known troll, he is likely to stay with his one account, and we all then know him and can ignore him. Once you start banning, he keeps coming back and getting smarter, and wishes to hit back even more. We would go nuts ignoring so many people. That's what is happening with so many accounts for bullzie.

That is why I think the mods don't immediately ban someone who comes in with a dupe IP. They wait for him to tire out a bit, and then ban him (if they do). That's what I feel. Also I think they don't want a "police state". They want to give people a chance to improve/sort out.

I don't think creating a new account is a hassle for a troll. I think some of them have already created a dozen accounts and keep switching. Thus, you find these "sleeper" accounts suddenly coming back when one person is banned.

I really haven;t figured out what kick it gives people to spend their day annoying others, or hating on others. Maybe they've never had the joy of being friends or helping others.

[6-1 6-3 6-0]

Spot-on. It's really irritating to have to wade through vast amounts of trolling and player-hatred just to access some good tennis facts and figures.

[Fedalfan]

Originally Posted by El Diablo

If people followed your advice, there could be an increase in the murder rate. One of the social purposes of such forums is to allow for a safe way to neutralize aggression, e.g. by trashing Andy Murray. Video games and action films also offer outlets for such aggression. No, people should think LESS before posting.

LOL! Although I do feel bad for Murray...he'll get flamed both ways - if he wins or loses!

[Swissv2]

Telling people to think before they post is like telling water not to be wet.

It's impossible, the posts are inevitable; so we just have to deal with them like naive kids who believe they understand string theory like they do pooping in their diapers.

[jukka1970]

Originally Posted by frinton

Maybe you are asking a bit too much of some active in this forum ?
On a more serious note, I think the very aggressive trolls around here do think about what they post, but it is not their goal to say something thoughtful, but something hurtful. I don't know why moderators are not taking care of such trolls a bit more often

It probably is to much to ask. It just kind of sucks that as some others have said that we have to wade through garbage. I'm not sure what constitutes a moderator being involved, and quite honestly some of the worst offenders just keep getting new accounts after the moderator has blocked them.

I'm not sure whether limiting the amount of posts in a day would really work. As some have said there are days when they have more time to write and like to be real active, and some just have a little time here and there, like myself. It's one of the reasons I have to go through a couple of pages to answer people in one of my posts, because there are a lot of posters on here.

The other piece is I just don't get why someone would be dumb enough to be radical on a post just to have it blow up in their face, or to post something so absurd that it's never going to happen. I mean there's a difference between a realistic chance vs, Person X winning the next 24 straight slams. I mean yes anything is possible in life, but there seems that some just don't get the difference. And when people do talk about things that are possibilities then you get the "kids" who make stupid answers that are of a fourth grader mentality. Personally those are the ones I'd like to see go. I mean if they're just going to type something like, "you're stupid" why is it left up by moderators. I mean yes it can be ignored, but the posts are so quick that it keeps garbage at the beginning of the board, and then you have to wade through everything to find the posts that are intellectual, or at least fun in some way.

[Numenor]

Originally Posted by kragster

At some point even the best of trolls will give up or at least slow down.

You would think. But the GOAT of trolling, ********* and his billion accounts, has been at it since at least August 2008 (and maybe earlier, I wasn't lurking before then). You have to admire him for his persistence.

[jaggy]

It's my right not to think before posting and my posting history confirms this!

[jigar]

Don't feed trolls to start with..
Rather than making as flag, have system to vote up on a post. This way we know whose post to read and whose to ignore. This way you can not demote anyone but only promote. It would be hard for trolls to get very high + votes hence making their post really insignificant and TT users can simply skip their post.

[Hood_Man]

Best thing to do is just not respond to it. You can try to be King Canute and command the tide all you want, but that tide of trolls is never going to go away unless you stop giving them what they crave; attention.

There's not much the mods can really do either, they can't monitor every post and they can only really act when people tell them what's happening. Reporting someone for trolling is the only real option, arguing back will only drag things out even further.

Now, if you enjoy arguing with them then by all means carry on, but that's a different matter altogether.