Appauling company...

[Merlin]

This is mainly a question directed at administrators;

I've been browsing these forums for a while now, and noticed that there are a huge number of banned members.

Is this actually an issue? Are you having problems with these people?

Just wondering, because I've been to many forums where they've had problems with trolling, and since I'm new to this one I'd like to know what to expect.

Thanks,
Merlin.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Actually, I think there are only around seventy banned members. Its not something we have major problems with, although it does seem to come in fits and starts.

Either way though, welcome to MAP, and enjoy yourself.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by LilBunnyRabbit
Actually, I think there are only around seventy banned members. Its not something we have major problems with, although it does seem to come in fits and starts.

Either way though, welcome to MAP, and enjoy yourself.

Excellent, that was all I wanted to know, thankyou.

-Merlin.

[YODA]

Hi Merlin and welcome :D

As LBR said - we have had some problems recently - but on the whole we keep this site cleaner than most I've been on.

70 banned members out of 4000+ is doing ok I feel :D

[Merlin]

Originally posted by YODA
Hi Merlin and welcome :D

As LBR said - we have had some problems recently - but on the whole we keep this site cleaner than most I've been on.

70 banned members out of 4000+ is doing ok I feel :D

Oh good I was hoping for a post from you. Great to hear it! I used to be a moderator on another forum, but gave up because we had a nice handful of idiots that nobody was dealing with. So if you ever need any help dealing with someone, or negotiating with flamers, I'd be more than happy to give you a hand. :)

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks LBR for welcoming me too,

-Merlin.

[Kwajman]

Don't cross KGirl, she eats trolls for breakfast...something about her feet I've been told....

[Combatant]

Trolls should be used like the internets version of a punch bag, i.e give them lots of abuse and they will soon split!

I think that the SFUK forum is getting quite a bit at the moment, which is a shame because it seems like a good forum.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Actually a better way to do it is to leave them to the relevant mods, or report them if none seem to have noticed, at which point they usually get banned.

[Merlin]

The problem is, they come back. Trolls have no life, and therefore they need the forum as a source of things to do. So banning them just makes them go away for a little bit.

[YODA]

There are many ways to "ban" Merlin :D

[Merlin]

Originally posted by YODA
There are many ways to "ban" Merlin :D

And there are many ways to come back again. For instance, you could ban me, alert my service provider, and get me kicked off the net, but I could easily get another ISP.

The only way you can show these guys that trolling has real life consequences, is to get them into trouble with the law.

[YODA]

Trolls crave an audience and attention - remove that and they wither and die.

Like I said - there are many ways - some of which I will not list here.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by YODA
Trolls crave an audience and attention - remove that and they wither and die.

Like I said - there are many ways - some of which I will not list here.

Quite.

My old forum (one I used to run) had lots of problems with one particular user, who kept on coming back. Nobody gave him a fair chance because he messed it up the first time. So I contacted him, and told him that if he came back again, we would let him join our forum, so long as he stops trolling. (just to give him a fair chance of trying again)

Suprise suprise, he kept on doing it. But not deliberately, just because he got really bulshy and pushy in debates of a sensitive nature, and "enforced" his opinon on others. He'd be the cause of every flame war, and would protest his innocence, even though he protested it violently. From his behaviour alone, my staff and I were able to come to the conclusion that he probably had some kind of mental disorder, which affects his social interaction.

I beleive this disorder is known as "Aspergers Syndrome", and has been making money... err I mean, gaining interest in the US recently. (there are lots of books about it by people who are trying to cash in on it)

We managed to finally contact his local social services department, who arranged a meeting with him after we'd provided evidence of his actions on our forum. After about 9 weeks we got a letter back, saying that they had identified some serious issues, and that they were greatful we notified them.

We never saw that guy again until the forum closed, when he emailed me with a few twisted (and quite disturbing) rants.

[Jim]

bulshy?

[Saz]

Originally posted by Merlin
The problem is, they come back. Trolls have no life, and therefore they need the forum as a source of things to do. So banning them just makes them go away for a little bit.

The trolls can keep coming and going. We'll be here the whole time.

We've got ways of handling trolls, and all the mods here are very experienced in spotting them and dealing with them quickly.

[bcullen]

As LBR said - we have had some problems recently - but on the whole we keep this site cleaner than most I've been on.

<Cough><Cough THECLONE>uhum. Ah, Ah, Montannnrooo. Sorry guess I should see a doctor about that.

BTW: Alright, whose kid beat up the ugly fat child on the playground last week? I know it's easy, but it's not right, you beat them up and then they get on Internet forums and annoy the moderators.

Nice job moderators.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Jim
bulshy?

Yeah. Get a dictionary.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Only equivalent I can think of is bolshy, British slang (and so not in any pocket sized dictionaries) meaning obstreperous or stroppy. Easily annoyed, awkward, that type of thing.

[Saz]

Originally posted by Merlin
Yeah. Get a dictionary.

Hows this one? http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bulshy

I've got a degree in English, and I can tell you that word doesn't exist.

[Trent Tiemeyer]

Trolls aren't like punching bags as much as they are like plants. Don't pay enough attention to them and they wither.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Kgirl
Hows this one? http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bulshy

I've got a degree in English, and I can tell you that word doesn't exist.

Oh yes, you are that bitchy one the other guy told me to watch out for. (while he was basically accidentally implying that I was a troll)

The word I mean't was bolshy, and it seems you're demonstrating its meaning perfectly.

Oh and by the way, you better watch out for me, I take people who show off their credentials and eat them for breakfast.

EDIT: BTW so that others can avoid confusion, having a degree in English doesn't make you suddenly able to confirm the existance of any new word, right away. As Kgirl has proven, you need to go look it up on google first, so I'd assume that they just teach you a few URLs then ask for the assignment to be in by next wednesday. :D

[YODA]

Merlin - tearing a chunk out of staff is not a good plan.

Jim corrected your initial usage - YOU responded with "Yeah. Get a dictionary" - YOU are the one who seems to have issues here.

Looks like I may have been right after all.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by YODA
Merlin - tearing a chunk out of staff is not a good plan.

Jim corrected your initial usage - YOU responded with "Yeah. Get a dictionary" - YOU are the one who seems to have issues here.

Looks like I may have been right after all.

No, Jim didn't correct my initial usage, he questioned it. And my exact response was "Yeah. Geat a dictionary" because that was exactly what I wanted him to do, so that he could look the word up. I wasn't prepared to do oxford university's job.

I don't have any damn issues thankyou, I just happen to HATE people who flash credentials around like they have some kind of superiority complex.

And what is all this "Looks like I may have been right after all." stuff? Right about what?

[Paratus]

I suggest you drop it Merlin. You talked about your expirence of dealing with trolls, don't become one.

[YODA]

Nobody is flashing credentials - Kgirl merely qualified her position by demonstrating that she knows the language very well.

As for issues and me being right - time will tell. Your writing style and confontational nature are very familiar.

One thing for sure - talk like that once more to ANY member of this forum, Staff or not, and you're stay here will be brief.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Paratus
I suggest you drop it Merlin. You talked about your expirence of dealing with trolls, don't become one.

There is nothing to drop! I didn't do anything wrong, everyone else just assumed I meant it in a bad way.

And all over a damn spelling error.

I didn't know that Bolshy was spelt with an O, and not a U. You didn't need to slice me to bits when I suggested someone look it up in a dictionary though.

God if you're this tetchy over something as simple as this I might as well leave before I get kicked out.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

No, Jim didn't correct my initial usage, he questioned it. And my exact response was "Yeah. Geat a dictionary" because that was exactly what I wanted him to do, so that he could look the word up. I wasn't prepared to do oxford university's job.

It would have taken you less effort to say 'irritable' or a similar word than to type get a dictionary, plus not everyone recognises British slang.


I don't have any damn issues thankyou, I just happen to HATE people who flash credentials around like they have some kind of superiority complex.

That's what is technically known as an issue. I believe the term is inferiority complex. Do you also dislike it when people work harder than you, or earn more money?


And what is all this "Looks like I may have been right after all." stuff? Right about what?

Well, you're being rude and offensive to people who merely questioned a word, or corrected you. You've also decided to attack staff. Take a wild guess.

[YODA]

Well - lets try to go forward from here shall we?

Yes - we are VERY tetchy at the moment - with good reason. I appologise for that but it has to be that way right now.

Subject dropped / thread locked.