Idiots and Trolls- a Refresher Course

[Tamakeri]

Gather round children- it's time for Uncle Al to tell you a story about idiots and trolls. I actually thought that most of you knew about idiots and trolls because they have been around since the Al Gore invented the internet (laugh it up- that's a joke kids), but it has become apparent over the last few weeks as the lack of moderation on this forum has led to this not being a very happy place from time-to-time, that some of you need to hear the story again.

Ok, so what's an idiot and what's a troll?

- Well an idiot is somebody who can't always discuss things using tools like intelligence, language and rational logic. He may start out with those, but as they start to fail him, he typically feels like he needs to resort to name-calling, personal insults, misquotes, and often downright lies so that he feels like he is "winning" the discussion.

- A troll is somebody who may well be intelligent and rational, but who wants to disrupt an individual poster, a topic, or a whole forum by starting or prolonging an argument. Often times they will start the argument by posting something inflammatory and then just disappear and watch the ensuing havok. Sometimes they stick around and keep fanning the flames.

Both idiots and trolls can make a forum like this a very unhappy place if people don't know what to do about them. Luckily, there are some very easy tools and techniques for dealing with idiots and trolls that work very well. I would encourage each of you to try to understand and use these and I think you'll see how quickly things can be straightened out.

1- Don't argue with an idiot. It doesn't work... you aren't dealing with somebody who thinks like you do, so you have to resort to operating on his level to get through to him. First- he has way more experience at being an idiot than you do, so he is no doubt much better at it. But even worse, people on the outside looking in can't really tell who is the original idiot. So just don't argue. If you don't know he is an idiot and are just debating, defending your views and questioning his- that's fine. The instant he resorts to idiot tactics (name-calling, personal insults, misquotes, and lies), just break it off. If you like you could just leave a final post like "I don't argue with idiots- you have been ignored", add him to your ignore list, and leave it at that. Some people in some forums reduce that to a single word post "plonk" which means the same thing- it's supposed to be the sound of an idiot hitting the bottom of the garbage can. And by the way- leave him in your ignore list forever. Don't give him a second chance. Don't respond to any more of his posts. Don't keep telling him he's an idiot. Don't keep telling other people he's an idiot. That's the interaction that screws up the forum. Don't do it. Ignore him ... forever... and move on. Once an idiot, always an idiot it turns out.

2- Don't feed the trolls. When somebody posts a remark or response that just makes your blood boil- that just makes you want to reach through your cable modem and grab him by the neck and slam his head into the wall... step back and take a deep breath. You are probably dealing with a troll- and that's exactly how he wants you to feel because now he is controlling your feelings and you can't get back at him. Consider that the internet is anonymous- especially a forum like this. It's only personal if you let it be personal. You can't win the argument because there is no argument. He is just trying to get people mad, and the only way you can win against that is to recognize it and just not ... be ... mad. It's just a troll tactic. Your response should be the same as to the idiot, although here it is more important to put in the final post because others may not yet have figured out they are dealing with a troll and you may help them understand. Remember- Do not respond to the troll. Do not try to answer his claims or counter his arguments. Simply post "I don't feed trolls- welcome to my ignore list" (or simply- "plonk"). Then follow through- add him to your ignore list and move on. The problem is over. Don't keep telling him he is a troll. In some cases it's ok down the road to remind somebody else about a known troll if you see a victim being suckered into an argument by the troll. Simply post or PM that "xyz123 is a known troll. Please don't feed the trolls". That's all you need. No need to tell xyz123 that he is a troll again- no need to discuss the issue or recount the time he got YOU mad. That's all unnecessary and only allows the troll to win. And for God sake don't post that he's a troll everytime he posts something trollish. That's exactly the kind of response he wants. Don't give him what he wants. Put him on your ignore list and you will never even know or care about his miserable existance again.,

Ok, got it children? Let's review.

1- Don't argue with an idiot.
2- Don't feed the trolls.

Very good. Now go out and play and make sure you come home in time for supper.


http://www.calimgfiles.com/images/gkboots.gif

[bcurt]

Well said Tamakeri, well said!

bcurt

[moosh]

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/duelists.htm

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Seriously, the fighting needs to stop. Thanks Tamakeri.

[skipperbob]

Well said - this forum used to be interesting and fun and it can be again!

[Sarah_The_Buster]

this forum used to be interesting and fun and it can be again!
I hope we get it back to where it once was (from what everyone says, it was once really nice)

[ballstothewalls]

Props to Tamakeri. Sadly it seems the trollers have already ruined the captions thread.

[gopballbustеr2]

Seriously, the fighting needs to stop. Thanks Tamakeri.

I agree, gopballbuster. You are right, sir. http://teflon.free.fr/images/cj178.jpg

[Rebecca]

Well, there are just too many things about this board that i actually enjoy. I can't leave it, at least not yet.

But now that I know I can put some people on my "ignore" list, I will definitely do so.

I only hope that someone who once moderated this board will return and delete all the moronic posts by a couple of people here, and hopefully ban them outright from this site. In that I refer to the people who have clearly demonstrated that not only is abortion acceptable, but in some cases, should be mandated.

Rebecca

[gopballbustеr2]

Welcome back, Rebecca. I wish you could bust my balls. http://www.kramtoad.com/images_vote52/swim08-03.jpg

[Rebecca]

For trying to ruin this site, you wouldn't like what I'd do to you.

Rebecca

[gopballbustеr2]

LOL, I thought you would've had me on ignore.

[gopballbustеr2]

I want to make a truse if the "real" gopballbuster stops posting here I will too.

[zetsubou]

Cheers Tamakeri. I've managed to resist temptation thus far, to start saying 'shut up' nastily. Its been getting to the stage that i can't tell which one is the original.

[bcurt]

In that I refer to the people who have clearly demonstrated that not only is abortion acceptable, but in some cases, should be mandated.

Rebecca

Damn Rebecca, you're not only sexy as hell, but Funny too!

Best Regards,
bcurt

[Bremuse0]

Damn Rebecca, you're not only sexy as hell, but Funny too!

Best Regards,
bcurt

God, this is pathetic...

[Princess Kiki]

some people don't have anything better else to do...

[Sarah_The_Buster]

God, this is pathetic...
Is there anyone you don't act like an ass to?

[Bremuse0]

Is there anyone you don't act like an ass to?

Give it a rest gopballbuster.

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Give it a rest gopballbuster.
You are the biggest asshole I have ever seen in my entire life. I've never met you and I already hate you. (You are the only person I hate)

[Bremuse0]

You are the biggest asshole I have ever seen in my entire life. I've never met you and I already hate you. (You are the only person I hate)

gopballbuster...how long do you plan on keeping up this charade? I already exposed you and everyone knows who you are. I'm guessing you were planning to stick around just long enough to save some face before you "leave".

Give it up gopballbuster. You aren't going to win this one ;)

[Sarah_The_Buster]

gopballbuster...how long do you plan on keeping up this charade? I already exposed you and everyone knows who you are. I'm guessing you were planning to stick around just long enough to save some face before you "leave".

Give it up gopballbuster. You aren't going to win this one ;)
Tell that to all the men who have private messaged me. Let's do a poll, if you think I'm a man, say so. If you realize I'm a woman, say that.

[Bremuse0]

Tell that to all the men who have private messaged me. Let's do a poll, if you think I'm a man, say so. If you realize I'm a woman, say that.

Which is why you were pathetic enough to create a female username, to try to get some weight to throw around because noone is listening to your 750+ post annoying ass, and you think it would help your case.

Isn't it time for you to sign off soon and sign on under your gopballbuster name so you can post some more nonsense messages before you go to sleep. That is what happened last night.

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Which is why you were pathetic enough to create a female username, to try to get some weight to throw around because noone is listening to your 750+ post annoying ass, and you think it would help your case.

Isn't it time for you to sign off soon and sign on under your gopballbuster name so you can post some more nonsense messages before you go to sleep. That is what happened last night.
Why does it take you so long to write three nonsense sentences. I'm generally a pretty good judge of people, and I'm guessing you're bitter at the world because you were turned down for a managerial position at some fast food restaurant or something akin to that. You see most people on this forum are educated people, yourself probably not finishing high school, you lash out at them. You don't like gopballbuster because he's a teacher. You don't like me because I'm a lawyer, you don't like people who don't have to go to McDonalds every day and take orders from someone 1/2 their age. You don't like the fact that you're middle aged and still living with your mother. You don't like the fact that you will never be able to retire. You don't like the fact that no women will talk to you. You don't like the fact that you're probably no taller than me, but weight about 100 pounds more than me. You don't like the fact that your car is a fifteen year-old junker, that you paid $500 for. You hate your life and the internet is the only place you can be an asshole without running the risk of getting the crap kicked out of you my some man or woman who won't put up with your crap. If you want to better your life, don't make stupid accusations about me, get you GED, start out at a community college, then go to a four-year college. Get a good job, get your own apartment, or house. Lose some weight, and be nice when talking to women. I must assume this is the way you talk to all the women you talk to, which I can say, as a woman, is not the way we want to be spoken to. Try to make your life better, don't act like a big man with a small penis on some internet message board.

[Bremuse0]

Why does it take you so long to write three nonsense sentences. I'm generally a pretty good judge of people, and I'm guessing you're bitter at the world because you were turned down for a managerial position at some fast food restaurant or something akin to that. You see most people on this forum are educated people, yourself probably not finishing college, you lash out at them. You don't like gopballbuster because he's a teacher. You don't like me because I'm a lawyer, you don't like people who don't have to go to McDonalds every day and take orders from someone 1/2 their age. You don't like the fact that you're middle aged and still living with your mother. You don't like the fact that you will never be able to retire. You don't like the fact that no women will talk to you. You don't like the fact that you're probably no taller than me, but weight about 100 pounds more than me. You don't like the fact that your car is a fifteen year-old junker, that you paid $500 for. You hate your life and the internet is the only place you can be an asshole without running the risk of getting the crap kicked out of you my some man or woman who won't put up with your crap. If you want to better your life, don't make stupid accusations about me, get you GED, start out at a community college, then go to a four-year college. Get a good job, get your own apartment, or house. Lose some weight, and be nice when talking to women. I must assume this is the way you talk to all the women you talk to, which I can say, as a woman, is not the way we want to be spoken to. Try to make your life better, don't act like a big man with a small penis on some internet message board.

Geeze. Who does this post remind me of. gopballbuster perhaps? :Baahaha:

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Geeze. Who does this post remind me of. gopballbuster perhaps? :Baahaha:
I hit the nail right on the head. You won't argue with my last post becasue I'm 100% right.

[frostbyte252252]

I want to wring your neck. Squeeze the life right out of you. But I can't because this is over the internet like Tam said so I will now just ignore you. Thanks tam! (can you not talk down to all of us non-trolls and idiots please though?)

[Sarah_The_Buster]

I want to wring your neck. Squeeze the life right out of you. But I can't because this is over the internet like Tam said so I will now just ignore you. Thanks tam! (can you not talk down to all of us non-trolls and idiots please though?)


Umm, who do you want to kill?

[Bremuse0]

I hit the nail right on the head. You won't argue with my last post becasue I'm 100% right.

Why would I want to argue with you? I'd rather just continue exposing you for being gopballbuster and then humiliating you when you post under that name :D

Also, please proofread your posts before submitting!

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Why would I want to argue with you? I'd rather just continue exposing you for being gopballbuster and then humiliating you when you post under that name :D

Also, please proofread your posts before submitting!
You really think you're witty, don't you?

[frostbyte252252]

Umm, who do you want to kill?

Every troll on this forum. Including you.

[Sarah_The_Buster]

Every troll on this forum. Including you.
You really need to calm down.

[frostbyte252252]

No, not really. I just hate stupid people. I hate idiots with a passion. It's my problem. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against retarded people but I hate people who have a brain but choose not to use it. Like you, GOP. You deserve to have your eye's slit out of your head.

[Bremuse0]

You really need to calm down.

No. You need to calm down and stop being so pathetic. You aren't fooling anyone gopballbuster.

[Tamakeri]

I want to wring your neck. Squeeze the life right out of you. But I can't because this is over the internet like Tam said so I will now just ignore you. Thanks tam! (can you not talk down to all of us non-trolls and idiots please though?)





Ha-ha- If you don't like how I talk, just ignore me. (That's a joke). Seriously- it's clear to me that many many people on this forum don't understand how this troll and idiot shit works. And if you count it all up, the non-trolls and non-idiots actually provide over half of the worthless posts albeit with no malice, and become just as big a part of the problem as the trolls and idiots. In terms of the tone I took with the article, it was tongue in cheek, but you have to realize that I am an old(er) fart than most anybody around her (SkipperBob excluded of course) and just felt like passing along some of the old-school knowledge in a humorous way but with an absolutely serious message. Stop listening to them, stop talking to them and the problem is solved.

And you probably are young enough to be my kid (perish the thought).

[frostbyte252252]

Probably true. How old are you?

[Richter]

you have to realize that I am an old(er) fart than most anybody around her (SkipperBob excluded of course) and just felt like passing along some of the old-school knowledge

And you probably are young enough to be my kid (perish the thought).


I've been wondering: Who the hell is that old guy in all the videos? Now I know.


Nothing kills a hard on faster than a naked old man with the camera focused on his balls.

Now excuse me while I pluck my gray hairs.

[Tamakeri]

Probably true. How old are you?



My age is not for public consumption, but yes, it's true.

Seriously though- you (and a couple others that come to mind) are neither a troll nor an idiot. But count up the number of bullshit (by that I mean ones that don't have anything to do with the topic of this forum) posts you have made the rest of us skip over or endure in the last day. You are rapidly becoming part of the problem. Just ignore those people and move on.

[frostbyte252252]

Ugh this is just getting stupid. Most of the threads on the front page are not even about BB anymore. /sigh time to hang out on the steam forums for a bit.

[Jedi]

It's a nice thought Tamakeri. Unfortunately I think you are over estimating some peoples intelligence on here.

[gopballbustеr2]

It's a nice thought Tamakeri. Unfortunately I think you are over estimating some peoples intelligence on here.

Could you make a list of reasons and include it in the next update on your site?

[Tamakeri]

It's a nice thought Tamakeri. Unfortunately I think you are over estimating some peoples intelligence on here.

I don't know if it's a lack of intelligence or an overabundance of ego, but yes, obviously some people have trouble with ignoring the idiot or troll- perhaps somehow feeling their manhood is being threatened if they do so. Thus they become an even bigger share of the problem than the original perpetrators. Unfortunately there's only one thing you or I can do about that. Warn them they have become a part of the problem, then add THEM to the ignore list if they continue arguing or baiting. At that point, of course, it no longer matters to me who is right or wrong, or who is a troll or an idiot. It's all about the garbage posts that are wasting my time and taking up my screen, so if I have to block somebody that has actually been a reasonable contributor in the past, I will.

[jaguarpeople2]

I don't know if it's a lack of intelligence or an overabundance of ego, but yes, obviously some people have trouble with ignoring the idiot or troll- perhaps somehow feeling their manhood is being threatened if they do so. Thus they become an even bigger share of the problem than the original perpetrators. Unfortunately there's only one thing you or I can do about that. Warn them they have become a part of the problem, then add THEM to the ignore list if they continue arguing or baiting. At that point, of course, it no longer matters to me who is right or wrong, or who is a troll or an idiot. It's all about the garbage posts that are wasting my time and taking up my screen, so if I have to block somebody that has actually been a reasonable contributor in the past, I will.

hopefully your well thought out posts on this will help people actually deal with this infestation, im bumping this to refresh peoples memories, i have never responded to a troll on this forum and never will,