Don't Respond to Obvious Trollery, Just Alert It

Originally posted by facelift
reply to post by inkyminds

 

I have 'alerted' several posts in the past few days that have been in clear violation of the 'manners and decorum', that still remain

It could be that you are overly sensitive, so your alerts really don't matter...and I doubt that you having little faith in the MODs matters as well.

I have considered that. But after reviewing the TOS I have come to the conclusion that ATS's rules specifically prohibit dismissing someone as a 'shill', and calling them a 'nazi'.

I tend to think those sorts of things prevent educated conversation. Don't you? OR are you just another shill nazi?

reply to post by inkyminds


To be fair here, I think that your style of posting could easily be mistaken for trollery/whiny style of writing.

Just sayin

Originally posted by inkyminds
I have considered that. But after reviewing the TOS I have come to the conclusion that ATS's rules specifically prohibit dismissing someone as a 'shill', and calling them a 'nazi'.

I tend to think those sorts of things prevent educated conversation. Don't you? OR are you just another shill nazi?

I wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen someone called a Nazi. I'd be rich enough to buy everyone online a Tootsie Roll.

Anyways... here's the skinny on what to do if someone resorts to calling you names:

Don't respond.

If you do, your post will be Off Topic and also need removal and a simple edit of the offending post would have sufficed to keep the page clean of deleted post banners.

Show me (in a U2U) where that post is accusing you of being a Nazi shill and it'll be fixed along with any related Off Topic posts (which will also be deleted).

reply to post by masqua


I used to never snitch on a troll or someone using questionable language, but lately the trolling and use of some of the most obscene profanity seems to have proliferated, especially in the political discussions.

But what disturbs me is that there seems to be a double standard and definite preferential treatment of some members and mods.

They can get away with insulting members, trolling and baiting and they are never called to task and they have been reported by me and others.

Oh well, when you have been designated a "people like you" like I have; you can't expect much, and I don't anymore.

reply to post by inkyminds

Originally posted by rigel4
reply to post by inkyminds

 

To be fair here, I think that your style of posting could easily be mistaken for trollery/whiny style of writing.

Just sayin

inkyminds, do you think this was trollery? I think you made a good point.

Originally posted by whaaa
But what disturbs me is that there seems to be a double standard and definite preferential treatment of some members and mods.

They can get away with insulting members, trolling and baiting and they are never called to task and they have been reported by me and others.

That's quite a slam. I suggest you make it quite plain in a Complaint, because they're read not only by forum mods and supers, but also administrators. If such a bias exists within staff, then it needs to be tackled. I can assure you that NOTHING sent in as a complaint gets buried or hidden. That's just not possible.

That you've suggested this publicly now has opened up quite a can of worms so, guess what, I'm going to bring this to the attention of all staff by alerting your post.

reply to post by masqua

I see where your coming from masqua, though I must admit that I might be considered a troll at times, I do lose it and say things that I perhaps shouldn't.
I will say from experiance though, that the moderators do a very good job at removing these when I do slip.
I usually go over board when some one is intentionally ignoring the evidence you bring to a thread and they just keep asking "what's your proof?"
You can provide these people with a number of links that support your point of view, but they either refuse to look at them or just can't comprehend them. They refuse to acknowledge anything other than their own point of view.
So, what can I do if these people keep replying to my post in a thread? I hate to admit it but I have found that a well placed "minor" insult can go a long way sometimes, if you can actually get them to see what they are doing and how they are acting.

reply to post by masqua
I completely agree!!
That was a point I made in my introduction. It can be very entertaining at times, the banter, the back and forth, but ultimately it gives the shills a voice when they don't deserve one. In my humble opinion, there should not be a rule against it but responsible members should recognize the ramifications of engaging in back and forth debates with people who have clearly made of their minds or even worse, have an agenda.

Originally posted by Quadrivium
...They refuse to acknowledge anything other than their own point of view.
So, what can I do if these people keep replying to my post in a thread? I hate to admit it but I have found that a well placed "minor" insult can go a long way sometimes, if you can actually get them to see what they are doing and how they are acting.

It's been my experience that insulting never gets anything resolved. It gets attention, for sure, but never stops the behaviour you'd like to stop.

My advice would be to link to the information they're seeking every time it's asked for right up up until you get tired of similar responses like you're in Groundhog Day or something. I know it's tiresome and bound to irritate the hell out of anyone. Just go to another thread and ignore it for a few hours.

Chances are, someone else will pick up right where you left off saying; "look... here's what you're asking about. Can't you please read the whole thread?"

reply to post by masqua

My advice would be to link to the information they're seeking every time it's asked for right up up until you get tired of similar responses like you're in Groundhog Day or something. I know it's tiresome and bound to irritate the hell out of anyone. Just go to another thread and ignore it for a few hours.

Chances are, someone else will pick up right where you left off saying; "look... here's what you're asking about. Can't you please read the whole thread?"

I'm sorry but I disagree..
Many times I have seen good threads totally derailed to the point that no "good" members can be bothered posting anymore..
If they do they are instantly set upon by the same few trolls..

It's a shame and obviously all IMHO..

reply to post by backinblack


Send in a complaint on it. Staff can't read every thread or post because it's impossible. The only way it's going to get resolved is if members alert the ones who do these things.

Originally posted by rigel4
reply to post by inkyminds

 

To be fair here, I think that your style of posting could easily be mistaken for trollery/whiny style of writing.

Just sayin

Just to clarify, are you saying I am a whiny troll, or that people reporting posts are whiny trolls?

Or are you just meta-trolling in a thread to prove my point that off-topic personal attacks derail threads?

Originally posted by masqua
If you do, your post will be Off Topic and also need removal and a simple edit of the offending post would have sufficed to keep the page clean of deleted post banners.

Yup 100% I saw that happen recently three pages of troll and counter attack. I alerted and made a post to ask people to stop feeding the troll and get on with it...

Now that thread has three pages of violation banners from off topic to extreme THREE PAGES would be nice if those posts could just be deleted altogether


Then a second Mod came in and tagged my post too

reply to post by inkyminds


When I first joined ATS, a long time member gave me some usefull advise. Don't poke tbe badger and don't wear your emotions on your sleeve. I would like to pass that on to you inkyminds.

Originally posted by inkyminds
I think there are some GREAT examples of trolling in this thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

where, even after being asked for specific evidence to support their arguments, I am dismissed as a "Nazi government sock puppet"


Whether you agree with my opinion stated in the thread, i hope one can recognize that the kind of dismissive belittling in that thread is a DETRIMENT to ATS and that whole 'fighting ignorance' thing.

On the other hand people have provided direct answers to your questions which you then ignore and claim them to be irrelevant. Breaching the 4th amendment does affect me directly. An attack on freedom is an attack on me directly.
Your refusal to accept direct answers led myself and others to believe you were acting as a shill. For calling a spade a spade, I received a T&C violation. I do take issue with that since you were not attempting any form of honest debate imo.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776



Actually, no, sir. If anyone reviews the thread in question they will see that every direct query of mine in relation to the topic was ignored in favor of calling me a 'shill', and implying I am a "Nazi". It was not until i started a direct conversation with the Mod who started this thread that your posts attacking me were removed.

If you would wish to revisit the thread and have an informed debate about the actual issue, I would be more than happy, but I suspect that expecting such capabilities may be a foolish expectation on my part.

It wouldn't be a bad idea if mods could use a single "A number of off topic posts/T&C violations have been removed" banner so that the thread isn't ruined by loads of violation banners. Just a thought...

Originally posted by Pimander
It wouldn't be a bad idea if mods could use a single "A number of off topic posts/T&C violations have been removed" banner so that the thread isn't ruined by loads of violation banners. Just a thought...

I think it would likely be better to just remove the whole damn post, since even 'removed' posts bury reasoned debate.

reply to post by inkyminds
Definitely on topic but from a little different perspective.
I have recently joined this site, I recommend you check out my introduction in the introduction forum, but have followed this site for years prior. I have simply come up with a validity scale as to determine if it is worth my time to open a thread and read it. It is as follows;
From 10 replies to 150 replies a 20% flag ratio means it's probably worth your time.
Anything less than 10 is hard to gauge because sometimes after an inital post there are flags.
Anything over 150 may not take into account multiple replies from ATS members who have flaged the post.
What do you think of this analysis?

Originally posted by inkyminds

Originally posted by Pimander
It wouldn't be a bad idea if mods could use a single "A number of off topic posts/T&C violations have been removed" banner so that the thread isn't ruined by loads of violation banners. Just a thought...

I think it would likely be better to just remove the whole damn post, since even 'removed' posts bury reasoned debate.

That is what I meant. Remove them all and then ad one banner to indicate it has happened.