My observation has been that when ignored, they resort to posting multiple messages with no content. That, in effect, can jam a board. We have that right now on an audio forum where a troll was completely ignored.
Banning trolls is a good thing, of course. Nowhere do I advocate completely ignoring trolls...multiple posts calling someone a troll is pointless. Just report it to whoever can ban the person, and be done with it. Does that not make sense?
Most people who chime in to "out" a troll, and to humiliate that troll, do it because they despise people who lie to them and attempt to take advantage of the trust of others.
Once a troll is "outed" they are outed for god's sake..mutliple posts don't keep reouting a troll.
I'll tell you what: start one and let us know how it works out. At the Redoubt I follow a ruthless policy of stomping any trolling immediately, and it works. You will find no trolls there, and a great many people who enjoy the casual and friendly atmosphere that results
What is your point here? I asked you if there had ever been a forum where trolls were ignored, because you said it did not work...have you ever seen a forum that just ignored and banned trolls or not? You must have a reason for saying it does not work.
What resources are being wasted, exactly? If that is indeed the case, isn't posting to this thread -- and replying to my reply -- a manifestation of the very waste of resources you decry?
Here is a good point. Bandwidth and server rersources are wasted processing the posts in this thread, and space is wasted storing it...all of which is paid for by someone else, who has explicitly asked people "not to feed the trolls".. A sensible approach to be sure.
But you are right, my responses are also a waste of resources, considering that I pretty much knew it was pointless asking people once again to show some self control and restraint and not feed the trolls.
As Larus has pointed out, this isn't true; a troll can spam a board if he doesn't get the gratification he seeks and is not banned as he should be.
The key word being 'banned'. The "disruptor" part comes about because people cannot refrain from indulging a desire to try to denigrate another person...made all the more ridiculous in that it is on an internet forum.
Is not the time you've spent reading and responding to this thread itself a form of entertainment? Don't you consider this leisure?
No, reading this thread is not leisure..my purpose in responding to it at all was to try to get people to understand that feeding trolls is just what they want, and therefore ensures that more troll threads will surface, all of which makes it more difficult to find something worthwhile to read here.
The only way to eliminate trolling is for the forum's administration to identify and eliminate the trolls when they make their posts.
Finally something we can agree on.
"Heaping scorn" on these individuals is the only way to make their efforts less pleasant for them. It works, too, at least up to a point: TTO now flees in terror whenever he is identified. He pops up again, sure -- but each time he becomes more hesitant and more easily shooed.
I seriously think you are deluding yourself here, thinking someone is going to "flee in terror", on an anyonymous internet forum, for any reason at all. TTO is a TROLL, and it's attention that he wants, which people are more than happy to give, all the while bitching about trolls. If he was terrified, he would not keep resurfacing..
Why not just admit how much fun you have feeling like you have really humilitated another person, and you have the support of those around you while doing it?
A battle of wits with an unarmed person is sad and pointless..
Edited to correct the quotation
