A few suggestions for controlling trolls

[BACKCOUNTRY]

High there! I've enjoyed contributing on this site for several years now, ever since the demise of Overgrow.com. I just have a few ideas I'd like to share, concerning new features that could be added to make trolls less of a problem.

Lets face it, public forums like this have been around for almost as long as the net itself, and trolls have been here ever since. In that time many trolls have gone pro, meaning they know how to far they can go without being plainly seen as a troll, and lets face it, the Mods can't just go around banning people anytime they run afoul another member, epecially when evidence of trolling is thin at best.

I got to thinking about it after a recent run in, and I think I have a great solution to the problem! ICmag and many other forums have the ignore feature, where a member can put another offensive member on a list and no longer see the offending members posts.

What if the ignore function was expanded? Basically, when the ignore function is applied to another(non-mod) member, that member can no longer see posts by the member that has placed him on ignore, and how about also making it so the ignored member cannot post in, or if possible even see threads authored by the ignoring party?

It seems to me that this would allow individuals to handle most troll problems on their own, without bogging down the Admin/Mods with constant petty complaints. It would also allow constructive members to keep their threads on track, without ridiculous side tracks.

I can't see a down side to this at all, good for the members, good for the Mods, and bad for trolls

 

[barletta]

(A % of)People would get pissed that they were on ignore, and it would cause more flaming and other trollish activity. I say hit em with a funny picture and move on.

I dunno, just a troll's pov. KIDDING

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

You see, I write threads to be coherent, I'm not just here to chat, I'm here to teach and learn, when a troll decides to smudge my thread it takes away from the quality of it.

I still don't see a downside, if you don't want to be ignored, be polite, simple as that.

 

[TrichyTrichy]

I bet that would be an option some members would pay to get.

 

[barletta]

Of course the simplest solution is usually the best. If you ignore them they go away. I've had trolls in 2 threads that I started, and one time I simply ignored the posts (manually, not through the website), and the other time I released a lil frustration out on the troll with some funny pix. It felt good, and got the point across.

On another board I put someone on ignore, and that was the end of that. I dunno if they trolled me after that...

I wasn't belittling your idea, backcountry, and I apologize if I came across as such. I was simply playing Devil's advocate and providing a possible hang up. I appreciate you taking the time to make life easier for the contributing members.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

barletta- I thankyou for your imput, of course!

I've been a prominent contributor in the outdoor forums of several sites since 2005. In that time I've collected a few "enemies", any poster who has used the same handle for years will pick up these folks, who from time to time take out puppet handles, and use them to troll threads and posts of their targets.

I used to just ignore them, but I'm getting fed up with members who proceed to write LONGGGGGGGGGGGG posts in my threads, using up my space, in my structured thread to handout insults under the guise of "advise", or observation.

Of late there have been countless new members posting here, with join dates in '08/'09, who have very little idea of the proper way to enter and contribute to threads. Some of these folks are not new members, many are puppets used by established members for the purpose of winning arguments, and to use for boosting their established older handles rep.
This is a problem you will have at any site that becomes popular, Overgrow had all the same problems ICmag deals with everyday.

I think my idea eliminates this problem.

 

[Amstel Light]

nice idea BC! will you analyze this thread and tell me if there is a troll here? i am new to this and i am being accused of trollism lol?
ThCx

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=2272309#post2272309

 

[Skip]

There is another method that we have in our tool box that we haven't employed yet. There's an infraction system which we can use to downgrade ppl's status if they are troublesome, eventually leading to banning if enough infractions are issued.

We could try it out, but it would probably take awhile for us to fine tune it so it's not abused. It also relies upon a lot of input from members, so ppl need be proactive in giving the trolls infractions.

I'm thinking it will create more work for everyone though cause then there will be a lot of discussion, questions, complaints etc about the system requiring not just mods, but members to justify their complaints (perhaps then they will understand how mods feel).

All of that drama takes away from what the site is supposed to be about.

So BC, your idea ain't a bad one. Have you seen a hack that does this?

 

[hunterwoundedft]

ive been on forums since 04' w/ over 10,000 posts on a dozen or so forums. the one thing i have found is alot of members of forums r too sensitive to live in a society.
in the words of the great Dale Earnhardt, " tie some gas soaked rags to ur ankles so that the ants wont crawl up and bite ur candy ass."
LOL!!LOL!!

 

[BurmeseDragon]

So what is exactly a Troll? I am sure I do troll around but I don't flame here on IC mag, seem that I can't even go to other sites because of the Trolls......or that on some people make me want to Troll around.

My karma is pretty good here right now, lot's of positive and only one negative and well; that happens.

 

[808kahumai]

Aww, come on....some trollz are cute, fun, and run naked through the grow room! hee hee

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

There is another method that we have in our tool box that we haven't employed yet. There's an infraction system which we can use to downgrade ppl's status if they are troublesome, eventually leading to banning if enough infractions are issued.

We could try it out, but it would probably take awhile for us to fine tune it so it's not abused. It also relies upon a lot of input from members, so ppl need be proactive in giving the trolls infractions.

I'm thinking it will create more work for everyone though cause then there will be a lot of discussion, questions, complaints etc about the system requiring not just mods, but members to justify their complaints (perhaps then they will understand how mods feel).

All of that drama takes away from what the site is supposed to be about.

So BC, your idea ain't a bad one. Have you seen a hack that does this?

Your idea seems interesting, and it may help to remove general trolls, but it won't be effective against personal trolls, who typically target only one person. I mean once a troll has used up a account trolling and gotten it banned, he can just take out another account and go again, and again, and again.......

I just had a troll in my thread, after I alerted a mod, he warned him off, his offending post was deleted, then he posted up on my profile page, I alerted a mod, the comment was deleted, then he did it again, I alerted a mod, this time the Mod told me this was his 2nd strike and that his next offense would result in banning(I counted 3 strikes, but what ever). Now this troll probably won't troll me with this handle, but he will be back with another if he likes(he has dozens of handles here), and he has 3 strikes he can use to troll me before he gets that handle banned, and so on and so forth.........

My idea allows a member to get the peace and quiet he needs, without needing to go to a Mod, or risk getting banned himself by confronting the Troll publicly(like I almost had happen), also the troll himself won't need to be banned, since he probably isn't trolling anyone else.

The same methods that allow us anonymity on the net(proxys) also makes it impossible for the mods to target a member with multiple sockpuppet accounts, I believe my idea would effectively bypass the problem.

I don't know of any other site with this "hack", and its a wonder to me that it has never been done, it seems so obvious.............

As one member said above, I'd probably be willing to pay a membership if I could get this service. I think this would be a advantage for site like this that try to attract members who have things to teach, more good writers would probably stick around rather than taking off to smaller sites with no troll problem, it seems that many of the members here from before the OG shut down were refugees from OG and PG who were fed up with the Trolls and other trash that those sites were hindered with.

Anyways, just my two cents, seems like common sense to me.