Message boards always have divisive opinions, people who don't like each other, and so on. However, as we all know, there are a few posters on ET who go way beyond being a bit irritating, divisive, or not your cup of tea.
I propose that it would be useful to have a thread where the worst of the worst are named, so that anyone wanting a more relaxing, pleasant ET experience can quickly add everyone on the Group Ignore List to their own ignore list. Also, by grouping up to agree to ignore the same lunatics, assholes, or gratuitous trolls, we would discourage lunatic, assholish, or gratuitous trolling behaviour. These people thrive on attention, so knowing that they are publicly being ignored by half of ET would prove a strong incentive for them to get in line.
The question then is how to decide the criteria for Ignore List membership. I would suggest we reserve this dishonour only for those who are truly beyond the pale. So, it would be people who almost always post worthless, objectionable, or incredibly annoying garbage. People should not get on the list just because you dislike, or even loathe them or their posts - it needs to be more objective than that.
Here are a few of the factors I'd propose taking into account:
1) Posts virtually nothing trading related
2) Repeated gratuitous trolling
3) Repeated rudeness, obnoxious manners, continual unnecessary personal insults etc.
4) Known serial-liar, deceiver (one offence insufficient - must be a repeated behaviour)
5) Snake oil salesmen
6) Close-minded dogmatists (i.e. people who refuse to engage in any kind of debate with people who have different views, who ignore any evidence that contradicts them no matter how compelling)
7) Permabulls/permabears (people whose views are immune to any facts, logic, reasoning, or gigantic multi-year price moves against their supposed positions)
The idea would be to discourage this behaviour - actually putting someone on the ET group Ignore List should be a last resort, and only used when someone repeatedly indulges in the bad behaviours listed above. It should be used only against the most excessive, sociopathic, unreformable scum of ET.
So, I thought I would put this to a vote - who thinks a group ignore list would be a good idea? Just vote on the principle - if it's popular we can decide the details later.
I propose that it would be useful to have a thread where the worst of the worst are named, so that anyone wanting a more relaxing, pleasant ET experience can quickly add everyone on the Group Ignore List to their own ignore list. Also, by grouping up to agree to ignore the same lunatics, assholes, or gratuitous trolls, we would discourage lunatic, assholish, or gratuitous trolling behaviour. These people thrive on attention, so knowing that they are publicly being ignored by half of ET would prove a strong incentive for them to get in line.
The question then is how to decide the criteria for Ignore List membership. I would suggest we reserve this dishonour only for those who are truly beyond the pale. So, it would be people who almost always post worthless, objectionable, or incredibly annoying garbage. People should not get on the list just because you dislike, or even loathe them or their posts - it needs to be more objective than that.
Here are a few of the factors I'd propose taking into account:
1) Posts virtually nothing trading related
2) Repeated gratuitous trolling
3) Repeated rudeness, obnoxious manners, continual unnecessary personal insults etc.
4) Known serial-liar, deceiver (one offence insufficient - must be a repeated behaviour)
5) Snake oil salesmen
6) Close-minded dogmatists (i.e. people who refuse to engage in any kind of debate with people who have different views, who ignore any evidence that contradicts them no matter how compelling)
7) Permabulls/permabears (people whose views are immune to any facts, logic, reasoning, or gigantic multi-year price moves against their supposed positions)
The idea would be to discourage this behaviour - actually putting someone on the ET group Ignore List should be a last resort, and only used when someone repeatedly indulges in the bad behaviours listed above. It should be used only against the most excessive, sociopathic, unreformable scum of ET.
So, I thought I would put this to a vote - who thinks a group ignore list would be a good idea? Just vote on the principle - if it's popular we can decide the details later.

