Trolls

[Boozy]

The moderation team considers the term "troll" to be name-calling. Personal attacks, as everyone should know, are against the rules.

Calling someone a troll will result in an infraction, as will saying someone is displaying "trolling behaviour", "coming off as a troll", and any other sneaky way you care to word it.

If you are concerned that someone is trolling, please address those concerns to a moderator via PM. Do not raise your concerns in the public forum.

Don't be surprised if the moderators do not agree with your assessment. This is a debate forum, so the traditional definition of a troll (someone looking to pick a fight) doesn't apply here. Everyone is looking for an argument, or they shouldn't be here.

Some people hold unpopular views that may seem completely unjustified or insane to you. It still doesn't mean they're a troll.

Once in a while, someone will come around and post some provocative opinions and then leave the thread without defending them. Even this is not necessarily trolling. Sometimes someone is too busy to respond, too embarrassed that their opinions have been disproven so easily, or simply not that good at debate. It doesn't necessarily mean they're a troll.

If you find yourself becoming frustrated by someone's style of debate, I'd recommend putting that particular member on "ignore", or simply participating in other threads.

[HYHYBT]

"...and any other sneaky way you care to word it."

That those are equivalent to calling someone a troll, much less just a "sneaky way" to do it, is a totally unfair assumption. Your site, your rules and all that, but still. They *might* be meant that way, but they AT LEAST as easily might not.

As for the other... one of the many perfectly good reasons someone might not come back to a thread is that they might simply forget about it. Even if they've checked it since their views were questioned, they might not be ready or have time *right then* to answer, and not remember to come back later, especially if they don't subscribe or there are no new posts after.

[Rapscallion]

That those are equivalent to calling someone a troll, much less just a "sneaky way" to do it, is a totally unfair assumption. Your site, your rules and all that, but still. They *might* be meant that way, but they AT LEAST as easily might not.

It's usually pretty easy to see intent based on context. The problem is that there's been an increase in activity on here recently, which is a good thing in my books. However, from more than one quarter there's been an increase in the amount of things taken personally.

The golden rule here for me is to debate the point, not the person. If you find yourself working out what sort of insult you could use on a fellow member, step back a minute and think. I've had to do the same in times past.

Rapscallion

[Gravekeeper]

It's usually pretty easy to see intent based on context. The problem is that there's been an increase in activity on here recently, which is a good thing in my books. However, from more than one quarter there's been an increase in the amount of things taken personally.

This site is uniquely suited to trolling by its very nature, for better or worse. ( In some ways we might be kind of lucky the site isn't main stream and hasn't been noticed by the dredges of the interwebs ) But it is not a matter of taking things personally. The Fine Art of Trolling(tm) is about provoking a general response ( getting as many bites as possible. Hence "Don't feed the trolls". ). Not picking a fight with any one person nor really arguing for a position.

But as HYHYBT said: Your site, your rules.

[LexiaFira]

As for the other... one of the many perfectly good reasons someone might not come back to a thread is that they might simply forget about it. Even if they've checked it since their views were questioned, they might not be ready or have time *right then* to answer, and not remember to come back later, especially if they don't subscribe or there are no new posts after.

and fratching is slightly different from CS in that you have to subscribe to your own threads (not complaining) so that when signing on unless you subscribed to your own threads you have to go look for them or try and remember. or forgot about them. Which i can attest to for having posted and forgotten.

[HYHYBT]

If you find yourself working out what sort of insult you could use on a fellow member, step back a minute and think.

And if you start from the opposite intent: "How can I suggest X without it being mistaken for an insult?"

[Rapscallion]

If you think someone is trolling, hit the report button and we'll try and work out if they're trolling or if they're just daft.

I'm going to regret typing that, aren't I?

Rapscallion

[Gravekeeper]

I'm going to regret typing that, aren't I?

Oh yes. >.>

[Nyoibo]

And if you start from the opposite intent: "How can I suggest X without it being mistaken for an insult?"

Usually if you have to stop and think that, it's better not to post it.

[Canarr]

I'm going to regret typing that, aren't I?

Rapscallion

Usually if you have to stop and think that, it's better not to post it.