Please don't feed the trolls

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
IMO the proper solution to Gens Ace Ruby and the very few others who post ads in the wrong places is not to bump the threads by posting on them but to simply report the threads using the report button and let our moderators deal with it.

By replying to these threads all we do is bump it to the top of the queue and encourage some marketing department to do more of the same.

http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?33360-how-long-this-battery-lasts-in-flight

Don't feed the trolls. Let FlyingMonkey deal with them with the ruthless humor we love and rely on. :)
 

JimCR120

Got Lobstah?
Site Moderator
We are all against spam and trolls. The challenge is identifying them so they can be handled properly without mishandling an actual guest. No one likes friendly fire. I think we all agree with that.

Until they are identified, they will get fed. What's at stake? On one side we risk entertaining and possibly inviting unwanted posting. On the other side we risk being rude and losing a real community member and potential customer. To me, erring on the side of caution means we will need to give posts the benefit of the doubt until we know for sure.

So again, the challenge is to identify them smartly and efficiently. Balu pointed out the IP. If there is a reliable way we can do this I am for it. How certain is this though? Normally I check new members other posts and check their "About Me" tab. This can help but often not so much. People are reasonably reluctant to share about themselves. A warm welcome from us can be revealing, but this is going to inadvertantly feed some spam posts.

I'm open to ideas that reliably target spammers while preserving authentic rc hobbyists.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
My apologies guys. I was the last one to do this which probably initiated this thread. I don't do it as feeding them its more like poking a stick at them to get them to squirm and figure out they are not wanted in a quick manor.

I do this mostly because I was taught as young child to not be a tattle tale and when contacting a mod it makes me feel like I am 4 years old again. I shall endeavor not to pester them any more but I am not comfortable with doing things behind the scenes so I probably will just ignore them altogether.
 

Epitaph

Ebil Filleh Pega-Bat ^.^
Mentor
You can use this to identify them...

Troll Comments.jpg
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
My suggestion is to let the mods decide.

This way I'm not being disagreeable but we don't spend a ton of time answering nonsense like 'how long this lipo last?'.

It's not tattling. It's pointing it out so the mods can make a decision. It's why they get paid the big $$$. IMO it's part of the price of having such an open forum. Over on KSP forums, my first few posts were reviewed by moderators in a probation period. We don't do that here and I like that. This puts the onus on us to be friendly but vigilant.

If the mods leave it alone, either they don't know or I'm wrong. I'm cool with that.

If Balu or Dan lock a thread by Gens Ace Ruby, they usually do it with one post. I think that's better than a trail of flame (which I know I have left in the past) on our forums. If it turns out to be a honest mistake, a quick PM to the mod who locked the thread can get it unlocked. Mods may simply move the post to the proper area of the forum.

I don't flag many posts. I suspect few of us do. Gens Ace Ruby is well known and the only true miscreant I have seen on our forums. IMO that one deserves special attention. I suspect eyebrows would raise and report buttons would be clicked if TimeCop opened an account here too. :)
 
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Craftydan

Hostage Taker of Quads
Staff member
Moderator
Mentor
It's why they get paid the big $$$.

<wipes away tear> CR, thanks for the laugh.

I agree with your assessment. When in doubt or sure of a troll, report. You get a chance to comment in the report, so if you're not sure, tell us why you reported it and why you're not sure.

At the same time, I don't disagree with Jim either, that engaging new members that look fishy isn't a bad policy -- Part of being a welcoming forum is welcoming people who MIGHT have ill intentions but haven't shown their hand yet. New members that smell like trolls aren't always trolls -- In some cases it's a misunderstanding (language barriers or poor choice of words), in some it's posturing because the rest of the Net isn't friendly, in some they're seeking trouble or spamming. It's sound to deal with them as it becomes clear.

My recommendation is down the line between the two . . . Report the suspects, with the evidence -- just because we haven't acted yet, doesn't mean we disagree -- and if you feel willing, draw them in. Friendlies will become apparent, as will hostiles. If you see a friend engaging a potential troll, PM them so at least you can compare notes.


IMO, fratricide is worse than letting a troll take a pot shot before the banhammer squashes anything they've built, so when in doubt, report with evidence and if you choose to do anything openly, engage as if they're a friendly . . . who knows, they may very well be a new long term friend.
 

JimCR120

Got Lobstah?
Site Moderator
I can't remember a single post when whatever I was thinking wasn't articulated better by Dan.

Dan, you're the man. I'll be forwarding you my Moderator pay for this month.:eek:
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
FWIW, I don't really spam the Trolls, but when I do, it looks like this:
SpamCan.jpg


(no trolls were actually spammed by me on this BBS)


Cheers!
LitterBug
(troll spammer)