forum enhancement suggestions

Posted by Dr Andus
Sep 13, 2012 at 08:33 AM

Dr Andus wrote:
>I would suggest we develop a protocol for dealing with trolls. 1) How to identify a
>troll; 2) How to deal with trolls; 3) how to protect freedom of speech; 4) how to protect
>members against accusations of trolling.
> >The wikipedia entry does a reasonable
>job of defining trolling:
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29

For those who don’t have the time to read it or haven’t had experience with trolls, here are some key quotes:

a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

“Trolls aspire to violence, to the level of trouble they can cause in an environment. They want it to kick off. They want to promote antipathetic emotions of disgust and outrage, which morbidly gives them a sense of pleasure.”

The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group’s common interests and concerns.

Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community.