User 4621

While I don't pretend to be any sort of Internet authority, I have been wasting precious hours of my life in various newsgroups and online discussion forums since accessing usenet on darpanet with rn on a pdp-11, before it was even called the "internet".

There always have been and always will be some people that love to post inflammatory comments. We've had a rash of those here recently. These people do this for one simple reason, they get off on the responses. The more angry they think they made you, the more they get off on it. Strange I know, but there it is.

There is one foolproof way to make it stop...just ignore it. Don't respond, and eventually after some period of time they get bored and go away. It works EVERY time. I realize how difficult this can be, and how tempting it is to fire back and point out what an idiot the person is, but this is precisely the reaction that is desired. Every time you do it, you are a sucker being played like a fiddle.

My suggestion is that we try it, otherwise we will clutter this fine forum up with multiple high volume threads of useless crap.

IMO,

Mark in Baltimore

Peter,

You're right, I know, but I had one last round in the clip and had to empty it somewhere.

Okay, I'll be quiet.

Thanks,

Mike in Chi

lol

Robert Henriksen

Thanks, Peter. I've tried posting similar advice without success; hopefully w. enough voices repeating the same message, people will overcome the urge to reply!

When I see trolls, I get angry not with them but with the dolts falling for it and prolonging the threads. The most satisfying thing to see a troll talking to himself.

Mike in Chi

Peter and Robert,

I know you're right. Absolutely. But some of them are such fools. And it's so easy to skewer them, or even more fun, to let them skewer themselves...

Alright, alright, I'll try to be strong.

Jim Michaels

I agree with Peter and Robert. Often people are just baiting us, and we know it. Sometimes I come across those origional posts and no one has responded yet. I think, good, he's getting what he deserves. But then I'll check back in a few hours and there are two pages of fussing. It just seems so easy to zing back that some people apparently just can't resist the temptation. But then, here's the other side. A few people may be just waiting for a chance to jump on something, or somebody. Actually, I think the regular forums are fairly civil, but the Off Topic area has been a real battle ground since Gulf II started. We should all know by now that no one can win such an argument, so I can only conclude that some people just like to argue for its own sake. If we could just keep such battles on the Off Topic forum (should really be in Rants and Raves), it would all be ok with me, but the other day two people who had been at one another over the war there, also got into it in a regular car thread. So the bickering that has become the norm in the Off Topic forum had poured over into a serious car-help thread, spoiling it for others. On the other hand, I'd be embarrassed if we added a Bickering and Fighting forum.

Robert Henriksen

'Bickering and Fighting' forum -- the image that comes to my mind is 'two-year olds in a sandbox'. Actually, what *really* comes to mind is a bratty two-year old in a sandbox, and three grown men (the ones who rose to the troll) sitting in the sandbox bickering with a two-year old.

The next time anyone is tempted to respond to a troll, please picture yourself that way -- a grown man sitting in a sandbox on a playground attempting to engage in verbal repartee with a bratty two year old. It's undignified, and you'll look ridiculous.

For an even richer image, picture a couple of hotties nearby looking over at you with a blend of pity and disgust.

Paul M

"Who's that trip-tropping on my bridge...?"

Jim Michaels

After my post above I went directly to a thread entitled "AXIOM". Maybe that was the stimulus for this thread. Go there only if you want to see a fight. Did you know that people on the 964 forum are talking about the incivility on the 993 forum and patting themselves on the back that they're so civil. Please, don't anybody go there and start something.

cmoss

Who? What? Where!?! Let's go get'em.
No one calls me uncivil without a fight.
Cheers,
Chris

Chris C.

Here here. Trolls need to go to the Roadfly boards where they can find their buddies.

scupper

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"> Did you know that people on the 964 forum are talking about the incivility on the 993 forum and patting themselves on the back that they're so civil. Please, don't anybody go there and start something. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">There are two documented, but hidden requirements for joining the 964 board:

One is we are required to spend 30 days on the 993 board to learn about the dark side. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

And second, we are required to sing, solo, from memory all five stanzas of Kumbaya. <img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" />

Chuck
93 C2

Robert Henriksen

And violators are placed on Double Secret Probation?

Ruairidh

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by scupper:
<strong>[QUOTE]

And second, we are required to sing, solo, from memory all five stanzas of Kumbaya. <img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" />

</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">....which was a requirement your very own Mike-in-Chi introduced.........

adsc4s

I am a member of both boards and think highly of each. Now if we can only get the 996 flamer (DCFLAT6) to stop flaming...