##Members Please Read##: Ending the Political Trolling

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
I alert all the time...if I do respond to the post in question, I don't respond to the T&C violation portion of it and will leave it out of any quoted text.

Then that's the best you can do and that's appreciated.

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe


Maybe I am just misunderstanding some earlier posts here.

I thought it was stated that those terms are given a pass unless they look like they are used in a way to start a fight.

If the policy is that they always get removed if used and alerted, then that is good enough for me.

Great, if nothing else it should help to weed out the 'software' members and their one liner taunts and so on.

I'd like to see this policy extended to the ET and UFO forum too, it's WAAAAYY overdue there.

(Tin foil hat LOONY is trolling i take it?)

Plenty to keep you lot busy on that forum alone, never mind the political forum.

reply to post by bekod


As has been said before, if in doubt don't and
Reaffirming Our Desire For Productive Political Debate (REVISED)

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe
well that took all the fun out of it, I will refrain from using such terms on here, if i should slip and put foot in mouth, just pass the salt.

reply to post by spikey

Great, if nothing else it should help to weed out the 'software' members and their one liner taunts and so on.

Those people are already breaking the T&C and if people bothered to report it instead of responding to it, it wouldn't be an issue.

That said, directing terms like "tin foil hat loonie" at a poster would be against the T&C.

Personally I don't consider "tin foil hat" to be an insult, it's a term of endearment for me.

Originally posted by intrepid
Are they T&C infractions or just an opinion that doesn't fit your politics? Right. Nuff said.

So what is considered snarky? I am offended by the very snarky attitude presented by a "Super Mod" yet we are getting the "Mod-finger" wagged at us to not be snarky.

Understandably we are guest on the forum to present our ideas and discuss other ideas in a moderated free exchange of ideas and such measures do from time to time, need to be handled.

I think that is the major point a few have made here. Now the obvious trolling -- cut it off at the head -- I am with you. But if threads are going to be combed over and groomed to be this snob-nosed version of civil debate where we are all ladies and gentlemen -- good luck is all I have to say.

reply to post by ownbestenemy

So what is considered snarky? I am offended by the very snarky attitude presented by a "Super Mod" yet we are getting the "Mod-finger" wagged at us to not be snarky.

don't attempt to use the Alert system to silence those you don't like, and you won't have a problem. I didn't find that snarky at all.

Please post a comprehensive list of inflammatory and/or derogatory terms that may be under scrutiny or cause someone to be sanctioned in the political discussions, so I can use them at my local bar.

Originally posted by phishyblankwaters
don't attempt to use the Alert system to silence those you don't like, and you won't have a problem. I didn't find that snarky at all.

You didn't -- I did, considering the person presenting the statement. For me that is a problem with cracking down on "moderation" in an internet forum. The happy medium is impossible to achieve (unless we are fairly like-minded, etc.)

But hey -- you didn't find it snarky and considering the amount of defense you put into the thread one can infer and guess the angle attempted. Right. Nuff said.

The way you said it and what I quoted were completely different. You agree with the massive crack-down, I do not and especially with subjective overseers being the gatekeepers to the "free" exchange of ideas.

ETA: I guess as much you find my middle paragraph to be "personal" when it was just an observation I have made. You have been chearleading this thread and the respectable intent of what the owners/mods are attempting to accomplish. I merely pointed out and questioned why.

Eh, I am sure I will be the "troll" here.

Years ago my Mom first encountered trolling on her little forum and was quite dismayed by it. I showed her this website where she could read up on the different types of trolls, and she became quite confident in reporting trouble makers.

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Originally posted by ownbestenemy

Originally posted by intrepid
Are they T&C infractions or just an opinion that doesn't fit your politics? Right. Nuff said.

So what is considered snarky? I am offended by the very snarky attitude presented by a "Super Mod" yet we are getting the "Mod-finger" wagged at us to not be snarky.

That's not snarky my friend, that is the truth. I am offended by the less than 1% of the membership dragging down this great website. The other 99% probably feel the same way. Just because I have a title here doesn't negate the fact that I am a contributing member as well and care about the board. Unlike those that I've mentioned.

reply to post by seagull


I don't know how y'all will sort out the

'one man's troll is another person's champion'

issue.

I suppose it might help to have a reference page of typical troll language with acceptable alternate language in a column to the right.

Given the differences in perceptions as well as values and taste . . . civility, like beauty, can be somewhat in the eye of the beholder . . . or the burr in their saddle . . . or the chip on their shoulder . . . or the gas in their digestive tract.

Interesting responses..

Look, here's my take on it. Every single member, whose ever had a post removed for Political Trolling, knew it was trolling before they typed the post.

You know when you are trying to pick a fight with somebody. You know that when you write, "Ohh all these liberal fools are at it again." Is going to cause inflammatory remarks and an overall poo flinging contests.

So just don't do it. You know it will happen before you hit submit. You will always be held responsible for your posts and it's really easy to get by here by NEVER having anything removed by staff. There are quite a few great members here who have done just that.

When in doubt, don't post it, or contact one of us to see what we think. This is not to say that we are the end all be all, but in most cases Mods have a better understanding of the T&C, as we deal with it every day, from the moment I log in, to the moment I log out.

This isn't a difficult thing to understand and I personally won't tolerate ignorance of the rules by members when these posts are actioned.

Most importantly of all, use the alert feature. I know some of you are tired of hearing us parrot that remark, but it's not done often enough and unfortunately there aren't enough of us mods to go around in order to cover every thread on every board.

We rely on you to help us with this. Don't respond, alert it.

~Keeper

reply to post by BO XIAN


Not possible to have a comprehensive list of trollery. You can post something without any swearing or overt language that isn't acceptable. For example I could have responded as such, "Are you out of your mind? What leads you to such inane conclusions?" Nothing wrong with any of those words, they sure as hell are trolling though. Common sense and a little respect for the board. That's all that's needed.

For Whom The Bell Trolls

Of course, with a subject like this, I can't resist plugging this thread yet again:

Trolling, And What To Do About It

Of course, that's just one mod's opinion, and each of us is encouraged by the owners to use our best discretion in all cases. But trolling is as trolling does, and disruption is always the name of the game.

Another way to look at it is this: if a post is on topic, doesn't contain personal commentary and doesn't violate the T&C, it isn't trolling.

On a more practical level, if someone convinces us they're trolling, politically or otherwise, they're trolling.

I'm glad this thread was created. We all need to be reminded from time to time.

Question: Would this post on the first page of this thread be considered trolling/baiting?

Should be an interesting election cycle. The 2008 election brought me to ATS and maybe the 2012 cycle will cause me to hang up my hat. Got my first public death threat the other day. I was threatened to be "flayed alive" (skinned) and that poster is still here and creating threads. Let's hope the mods actually crack down when alerted to small problems in the threads that certainly don't promote harmony on the boards

16) Behavior: You will not behave in an abusive, libelous, defamatory, hateful, intolerant, bigoted and/or racist manner, and will not harass, threaten, nor attack anyone.

23) Violation: Violation of any aspect of these Terms and Conditions of Use and the Terms and Conditions of Membership are subject to our Actions for general abuse and violations, or in extreme cases, immediate banning of your username/IP from the domains and/or the removal of your email/password from the database. You agree that, all disputes, of any type, regarding any transgression or disagreement with the policies of TAN, or the decisions of one of TAN or administrative staff are final.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by jibeho
Got my first public death threat the other day. I was threatened to be "flayed alive" (skinned) and that poster is still here and creating threads.

Why didn't you alert that? That's frickin serious. PM me if you don't feel like using the Complaints function.