The forum troll phenomenon

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  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited November 2013 Posts: 13,355
    DarthDimi wrote:
    Isnt there some way we can make a members only section or something where you only get in once youve been vetted and hit at least 100 posts?

    Its a tad unfair on genuine new members but they seem to be very few and far between anyway. I'm afraid these days I treat all new members with extreme suspicion until they have proved themselves.

    I wish it were easier than this but perhaps the system you suggest might work, Wiz. Some sort of probation, no? Could work. Again though... sad it must happen this way.

    That way, at least you know you're able to truely welcome new members with open arms. Only the best get through, as it were. I hope someone higher up looks into the idea.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    How about needing a password to post and
    Isnt there some way we can make a members only section or something where you only get in once youve been vetted and hit at least 100 posts?

    Problem with that is that trolls build up posts quickly and it sometimes takes a while for them to get banned. I'm pretty sure Buttons had over 100 posts on at least two of his accounts. I suppose you could make the minimum higher but then that really would be unfair on new members.

    So raise it then. Call me Israel if you like but I'm prepared to accept the collateral damage of the odd genuine new member being screwed over if it means the rest of us can be spared this annoyance.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,258
    Samuel001 wrote:
    DarthDimi wrote:
    Isnt there some way we can make a members only section or something where you only get in once youve been vetted and hit at least 100 posts?

    Its a tad unfair on genuine new members but they seem to be very few and far between anyway. I'm afraid these days I treat all new members with extreme suspicion until they have proved themselves.

    I wish it were easier than this but perhaps the system you suggest might work, Wiz. Some sort of probation, no? Could work. Again though... sad it must happen this way.

    That way, at least you know you're able to truely welcome new members with open arms. Only the best get through, as it were. I hope someone higher up looks into the idea.

    Seconded. Something needs to be done pronto.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited November 2013 Posts: 13,355
    Why this forum? Why do they always gather here? Is it because this is the most popular of the Bond forums or is it because they know they'll be able to have some fun before finally getting banned?

    If it's the former, that's life, I suppose we have to get on with it, however if it's the latter, perhaps it's time to look at the forums rules as has been said.

    Just food for thought, on my part.
  • Isnt there some way we can make a members only section or something where you only get in once youve been vetted and hit at least 100 posts?

    Problem with that is that trolls build up posts quickly and it sometimes takes a while for them to get banned. I'm pretty sure Buttons had over 100 posts on at least two of his accounts. I suppose you could make the minimum higher but then that really would be unfair on new members.

    So raise it then. Call me Israel if you like but I'm prepared to accept the collateral damage of the odd genuine new member being screwed over if it means the rest of us can be spared this annoyance.

    I think that might be a bit drastic though, is there no other way of sorting things? Could the mods not just be given insta ban powers rather than have to try for days, sometimes even weeks to get members banned?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Freedom of speech. But I do also favour the freedom of the mods to rule their own domain. These trolls amuse me from time to time, but there is a time for everything.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Isnt there some way we can make a members only section or something where you only get in once youve been vetted and hit at least 100 posts?

    Problem with that is that trolls build up posts quickly and it sometimes takes a while for them to get banned. I'm pretty sure Buttons had over 100 posts on at least two of his accounts. I suppose you could make the minimum higher but then that really would be unfair on new members.

    So raise it then. Call me Israel if you like but I'm prepared to accept the collateral damage of the odd genuine new member being screwed over if it means the rest of us can be spared this annoyance.

    I think that might be a bit drastic though, is there no other way of sorting things? Could the mods not just be given insta ban powers rather than have to try for days, sometimes even weeks to get members banned?

    I heartily agree. It still bemuses me this week long delay we have to endure while due process is seen to be followed to the letter of the law.

    Why cant the Mods just take them out the back Gestapo style and put a Luger behind their right ear? Its not like theyre going to take you to the European Court of Human Rights now is it? Whats wrong with one warning then next offence 'bang' and feed them to the pigs like Brick Top?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    Yeah, I think there should be harsher limits on banning. It's still surprising seeing trolls that will stay here for weeks at a time. If they arrive and you can decipher that their only intention is to stir things up and cause trouble, ban them right there on the spot.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 3,494
    I've said it before and will say it again-

    1. Divert all new members first posts to a holding bin before releasing them. That way you are sure to catch all the spammers of the model # x5p4q7 type right away before they even hit the pages and then their IP can be banned so they cannot return. They likely know nothing about James Bond- they are just looking for a large website to spam for maximum results. They don't deserve to be warned- just eliminated.

    2. There are people not here to spam, but to create disharmony and stay within the rules while doing so. They are undesirables that continually return somehow or other, or just new idiots with nothing better to do. Sticking rigidly to a set of rules only prolongs the obvious problem these wastes of flesh create. Upsetting the general population should be considered reason enough to circumvent three warnings. One warning should be plenty, if you don't get it, then you are gone. If you made an honest mistake with good intentions, you have a chance to redeem yourself. Many good members have been warned in the past. The rest, like Wiz says more or less, what are they gonna do, sue?

    2. The administrators need to place one particular moderator in charge of the "trash bin", and give them the power to delete offensive users. It's obvious they can't keep up with the levels of spam and idiocy with all this red tape and judicial-like processing. It gives these people the clear advantage in their mission to spam and disrupt the general good.

  • @SirHenry I like the "holding bin" idea. I was on another forum before where if you were a new member, your first few posts had to be approved by a mod before they were visible. Something along the lines of that would work wonders
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited November 2013 Posts: 40,957
    I think one warning is enough. There's enough on the right-hand side under 'Announcements' in terms of what you should or shouldn't do, and I guarantee 99% of the people who join don't bother reading it. If you get an official warning, that's it: you're either going to take the time to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them, or you'll keep goofing off, and then there should be a ban. That would make the process a lot faster, and combined with a "holding bin" idea, would most certainly ease the amount of spam/troll topics around here.

    Or hell, someone concoct a mandatory quiz/statement for new members that they have to complete/read before joining. That way, they are confirming that they have read and understood the forum's guidelines and rules.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited November 2013 Posts: 9,117
    They don't deserve to be warned- just eliminated.

    Hardly democratic but you get my vote Sir Henry.

    Now who could we get in to be a problem eliminator....

    http://cdn3.whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/timothy-dalton.png
  • Posts: 6,601
    I don't believe this. All or most of the last posters have had the chance to stand by Sandy and me, when we tried to change those rules. But what happened? All turned their backs, when a certain incident happened and now suggest the same things, that we tried. I wish you better luck, then we had back then. ;)
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Germanlady wrote:
    I don't believe this. All or most of the last posters have had the chance to stand by Sandy and me, when we tried to change those rules. But what happened? All turned their backs, when a certain incident happened and now suggest the same things, that we tried. I wish you better luck, then we had back then. ;)

    Unfortunately true.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Sandy wrote:
    Germanlady wrote:
    I don't believe this. All or most of the last posters have had the chance to stand by Sandy and me, when we tried to change those rules. But what happened? All turned their backs, when a certain incident happened and now suggest the same things, that we tried. I wish you better luck, then we had back then. ;)

    Unfortunately true.

    I concur; we have not yet had any official response from the letter of suggestions made months ago. Yet I think some things have changed; trolls are eliminated quicker. But it would be good if we would get info from the admins.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Freedom of speech. But I do also favour the freedom of the mods to rule their own domain. These trolls amuse me from time to time, but there is a time for everything.

    *WARNING* severe sarcasm ahead *WARNING*

    *WARNING* please have head protection from this far in *WARNING*

    Yes, it's so amusing to see sickening human beings post pictures of dead bodies, mutilated animals, pornographic images and swastikas as trolls have done before on this forum. Where do we all get off having a problem with that?! :|
    Germanlady wrote:
    I don't believe this. All or most of the last posters have had the chance to stand by Sandy and me, when we tried to change those rules. But what happened? All turned their backs, when a certain incident happened and now suggest the same things, that we tried. I wish you better luck, then we had back then. ;)

    Well, brining it up again won't solve anything either.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Well, brining it up again won't solve anything either.

    Sure, lets not talk about it. Moaning about it without taking action is so much more useful.

  • edited November 2013 Posts: 6,601
    I concur; we have not yet had any official response from the letter of suggestions made months ago. Yet I think some things have changed; trolls are eliminated quicker. But it would be good if we would get info from the admins.

    There will be no answer, because after what happened it was clear, it wouldn't be taken serious anymore. Neither was there any wish to change rules from the Mods/Admin department. There still isn't.Back then, it was more important for everyody to play good buddy and rest the case. What came out of this is, that the trolls are all over the place and even the most obvious ones get their time to piss off everybody and the chance to come back again and again. (How much you can do to figure them out by IP adresses I don't know though.) Maybe that is not possible, but you could shorten their life considerably.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Germanlady wrote:
    Well, brining it up again won't solve anything either.

    Sure, lets not talk about it. Moaning about it without taking action is so much more useful.

    I don't recall any letter being sent GL but I'll happily sign anything that brings down a Stalinist oppression on trolls as currently they are laughing at the impotency of our civilised 'laws'.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Germanlady wrote:
    Well, brining it up again won't solve anything either.

    Sure, lets not talk about it. Moaning about it without taking action is so much more useful.

    I don't recall any letter being sent GL but I'll happily sign anything that brings down a Stalinist oppression on trolls as currently they are laughing at the impotency of our civilised 'laws'.

    It was done behind the curtains - thankfully. I am not going to get into any details about what went wrong, but wrong it went. Very...we tried our best and I have no idea, what must happen, that things change more drastically. If all those, who moaned about it on just this one page don't start to stand their ground, it never will.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    I remember this letter happening, I have absolutely no idea what my input was on it, though. Apologies, GL, if I upset you when it took place. Not sure why I would've declined signing something like that.
  • I was also never in on it and found out about it after it happened. Why don't we concentrate on the positive now rather than dwell on the past, as surely there are many more people aside from the original writers who support faster action and a new look at some policies that clearly aren't working for the greater good.
  • Yeah have to give props to @Germanlady here. I signed the letter she put together and I've complained when it suits me but her (and @Sandy) were campaigning non stop to get things changed months ago (when we had the likes of Judi and HappiestInTheSaddle). I probably should've helped more at the time, and maybe things would've changed by now.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    Well, with the high majority of us in agreement, perhaps something will be done about it. Time will tell. I'm sure they have a lot on their plates focusing on all of the trolls and spambots, but a site-wide change could make things a lot easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
  • JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
    Posts: 1,380
    Hi guys,
    We have this on our list, but there are a couple of projects in crunch right now that are ahead of it. There is some quiet time coming up which will give us an opportunity to get this addressed.
    Thanks
  • I always say there's different types of troll variations who register (on these pages) and go about their business. You got some benign unorthodox types who have a propensity for light mischief and say some stupid things but aren't really warranting of termination, and more heavy handed individuals who may release the odd insult here and there and present some questionable behavior, right through to outright sick bastards who post graphic material and other pornographic images as some will have witnessed in past participation. Add to that, the odd ones that simply post one link to something in advertisement, and never return, and you've got a bit of everything there

    I still believe one or two genuine spam types and 'up to no good' individuals, were former participants that left under a cloud and were banned at some stage in the past, especially the graphic material oddities. I'm usually skeptical now whenever a new name appears on the pages that you don't recognize, but say 95 per cent of those have good intentions and aren't intent on anything nefarious or questionable

    Furthermore, I myself are more concerned maybe with one or two regular participants and recognized threads on the pages, than some sporadic nonsense or incomprehensible garbage from newbies that I don't really take offense with, even if most others take umbrage or see discontent with their endeavors. After all, they only last for a short time - some other problems and irritations on these pages last a lot longer and can't be terminated quite so easily, regrettably
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2013 Posts: 18,258
    DarthDimi wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    What is happening to ourr community?

    Let's not get too dramatic, @Dragonpol. ;-) We have hundreds of great members. A few idiots won't make too much of a difference, unless we allow them the satisfaction of getting us worked up over it. ;-)

    Yes, sorry. I'll leave this in your capable hands, @DarthDimi. Sorry for being over-dramatic there.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Freedom of speech. But I do also favour the freedom of the mods to rule their own domain. These trolls amuse me from time to time, but there is a time for everything.

    *WARNING* severe sarcasm ahead *WARNING*

    *WARNING* please have head protection from this far in *WARNING*

    Yes, it's so amusing to see sickening human beings post pictures of dead bodies, mutilated animals, pornographic images and swastikas as trolls have done before on this forum. Where do we all get off having a problem with that?! :|


    I had no idea it had been that bad. I agree, that is disgusting. People like that will show up anywhere, just to get some immature thrill out of shocking or annoying people.
    Putting further restrictions on the anonymity might help. What if people had to give a phone number to sign up, only for the mods to see, of course. It would hardly eradicate the problem, but might discourage some of the worst offenses.
    Anyway, the mods are doing a fine job.
  • edited November 2013 Posts: 3,494
    People would routinely give the wrong number, I know I do and would have done so upon joining. It isn't anyone's business to know unless the person paying the bill thinks the request is legitimate.

    Yes the mods are doing a fine job for what they CAN do, which is to eliminate posts (but not the actual poster), lock them down, and issue warnings when terms of use have been violated. Again, this is at best a Band-Aid on the problem until admin gets the chance to address the incident. It appears that JP is finally going to address our grievances when the "more important" projects have been taken care of, and I can only hope like everyone else that this time we're going to see some real change instead of getting lip service.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    People would routinely give the wrong number, I know I do and would have done so upon joining. It isn't anyone's business to know unless the person paying the bill thinks the request is legitimate.

    Yes the mods are doing a fine job for what they CAN do, which is to eliminate posts (but not the actual poster), lock them down, and issue warnings when terms of use have been violated. Again, this is at best a Band-Aid on the problem until admin gets the chance to address the incident. It appears that JP is finally going to address our grievances when the "more important" projects have been taken care of, and I can only hope like everyone else that this time we're going to see some real change instead of getting lip service.

    I guess you are right. In Mods we trust.
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