Question: how to deal with trolls? Can't anybody do something about them?

[Buy1Sell2]

Let me give you an analogy to explain in better terms what dbphoenix is trying to say.

It's like three guys standing in a bar talking about football and then another one comes up and says, "Football is such a ridiculous sport. It's dangerous and stupid. That's my opinion."

Then one of the three guys replies, "Yeah, not everybody is into football." And then he goes back to conversing with his friends about last week's game. Within a few seconds, the guy that doesn't like football repeats his sentence, "Football is such a ridiculous sport. It's dangerous and stupid. I have no idea why you guys are even wasting your time talking about it."

Then another one of the three guys says, "Yeah, we got it the first time. Would you mind backing off?" But the guy that doesn't like football just won't shut up, and in fact keeps repeating himself over and over to the point that it's impossible for the 3 buddies to have a normal conversation about something they're really interested in without being interrupted. So what happens next?

The football hater gets his ass knocked out for being a fucking disruptive idiot. Now that's the way it works in the real world, and the way it should work. Unfortunately in the online world we don't have a knockout punch available, so we must do the next best thing which is allow people in a like minded conversation to be able to completely block out trolls who's sole purpose is to disagree with the entire premise of the conversation.

Your analogy is appropriate for private threads, not public ones

 

[JTrades]

Let me give you an analogy...

Like in your analogy, how about a 3 strike requirement, such that only after 3 disruptive posts does an OP have the capability to block a poster?

This could be a safeguard against initial misunderstandings. Sometimes members who generally mean well say silly things or things that could be misinterpreted.

 

[romik]

I can't stand reading S2007S posts, so he is on ignore & it works! The problem with posters like DB is that he can't for some reason click that ignore button, more so he doesn't want anyone else to read opposing views. Stalinism!

 

[justrading]

If there is obsessive behaviour that is nothing more than disruptive, it should be the role of moderators to curb it. What we are heading to is 50 different people applying 50 different standards defining what is acceptable. We can already see some who are all too ready to label dissenters as trolls.

 

[Buy1Sell2]

Like in your analogy, how about a 3 strike requirement, such that only after 3 disruptive posts does an OP have the capability to block a poster?

These threads where people are blocked should not be able to be viewed publicly--They are after all private threads. That's the solution.

 

[dbphoenix]

So you posting an image of a bear in my thread makes you a troll. Congrats!

It was a joke due to the request for wanting to see a picture of the bear, but if you want to put me on Ignore, that's fine. A great many posts would never have had to be made if you and your friend had done so long ago.

 

[JTrades]

So you posting an image of a bear in my thread makes you a troll. Congrats!

It was a joke due to the request for wanting to see a picture of the bear

initial misunderstandings

 

[dbphoenix]

If there is obsessive behaviour that is nothing more than disruptive, it should be the role of moderators to curb it.

Should be, but it doesn't work out that way. But rather than beat that particular dead horse, I suggest we give Baron's suggestion at least a try. I doubt that those who aren't interested in my threads are going to be reading them anyway.

 

[bone]

Two Points:

1. I foresee a gazillion threads with only three or four posts each that reinforce the OP's point. We live in narcissistic, self-centered times where our egos require constant stroking and reinforcement. Lots of thin skins and hair trigger tempers on this site. A possible exception would be some of the more notorious members simply talking to themselves repeatedly ( hyper-posting under the original OP journal-style ) and at great length just for shits and giggles.

2. Any site sponsor, individual or company, who pays to keep Elite Trader going should not be exempted from participation in any thread or forum by any Member other than Baron. If Members want to exempt site sponsors from participating in their threads, then by all rights every Member should be paying to participate on ET and let's get rid of paid sponsorships entirely.

 

[dbphoenix]

initial misunderstandings

I wouldn't call it "initial". But it doesn't matter. I'll be posting the weekly chart just as I have been for months.