Game Over for Trump

[LastPoet]

Even when it's blaringly obvious that there is trolling going on to the extent that it's even called out by a mod or two?

It is hard to make stick a charge of trolling, plus she is probably bored and an age discount may apply. At least till one day. I dunno if the staff operating rules have changed, but 2 mods wasn't enough to get an official warning off. A verbal perhaps. It was designed by the staff at the time to avoid emotional urges or any other individual staff member from taking decisions alone. When I left staff it was an unfinished job. I know they know what they are doing.

In old times, it was easier to just ban someone you didn't like. Errors might still occur, but the procedure and the quality of the staff, keep those at a minimum.

[Whateverist]

It might sound like trolling, but I see people like this IRL every day. A friend of mine's significant other has a huge number of LGBT friends and has had to take advantage of our social welfare programs (not something I mind at all), yet loves the fuck out of Trump and denounces social welfare programs. I have an aunt who is gay all the way, dirt broke and disabled. She loves Donald Trump. These people aren't kidding. They actually think his hate speech is just tough guy rhetoric and that he is some figurative messiah come to save America. Mind you, none of them can present a good argument for it, either.

My point is, while I'll never take trolling off the table, I don't think Bella's beliefs are enough to say he or she is trolling, but then again, I have no idea what's going on around here lately.

^This.

Trump's core is 35 to 40 percent of the electorate.  My sister is one of them.  I only wish she were trolling.  But no, she is totally sucked into the whole right-wing hate world and one of Trump's dedicated core.  I assume Bella is one too.  Self hatred seems to be one element in my sister's case.  Don't know about Bella.  Could be.

As to snuffing out trolls, can anyone tell me what the official policy of the mod team is toward trolls?  I think Bella has non-troll moments too so I have no idea what you're supposed to do about trollish behavior when it happens.

[Alex K]

Even when it's blaringly obvious that there is trolling going on to the extent that it's even called out by a mod or two?

It may seem blaringly obvious to you, but that doesn't mean the staff will think it's serious enough to take action against a member in good standing.

We don't want to stifle controversial opinions as staff. Again, if you feel like there's a good example of a pattern of trolling, please report it.

I agree. I should stress that when I say "I think now you're trolling" that's just my personal impression in that moment and not verbally waving the banhammer to threaten that person to shut up. Only official (private) verbal warnings count, and those are not issued by an individual anyway. In any case, you can piss me off all you want or personally insult me, I'd rather take that than have a forum where everyone is afraid to voice unpopular opinions.

[Joods]

Even when it's blaringly obvious that there is trolling going on to the extent that it's even called out by a mod or two?

It may seem blaringly obvious to you, but that doesn't mean the staff will think it's serious enough to take action against a member in good standing.

We don't want to stifle controversial opinions as staff. Again, if you feel like there's a good example of a pattern of trolling, please report it.

Fair enough.

[SteelCurtain]

As to snuffing out trolls, can anyone tell me what the official policy of the mod team is toward trolls?  I think Bella has non-troll moments too so I have no idea what you're supposed to do about trollish behavior when it happens.

It has to be a significant portion of a users posts, and it has to be a clear pattern of behavior. One or two posts will not cut it. Also, if you are an established member, you are going to get a lot more consideration than a new member trolling right out the gate.

[abaris]

I agree. I should stress that when I say "I think now you're trolling" that's just my personal impression in that moment and not verbally waving the banhammer to threaten that person to shut up.

Sometimes it's kinda obvious. Such as the repeated mention of Thatcher, only the name as the only content of the post in the favorite historical persons thread.

That's trolling at it's purest, just to gain some attention, desperately in hope for someone picking up on the bait. I chalk that up as a kid stomping it's feet, but it is rather obvious.

[Iroscato]

To be fair, who here doesn't want to slap their 17yo selves about a bit, for whatever reason?
I'm still hoping they crack time travel in my lifetime, so I can go back and give my younger self a face-five.
It would neatly explain the time an old, bearded, crazy guy shuffled up to me and starting babbling about vortexes and MI5 and phantoms as well...

[Alex K]

To be fair, who here doesn't want to slap their 17yo selves about a bit, for whatever reason?

Oh yes.
Mostly for falling for that girl Heidi in my dance lesson who only went on to date me for two weeks to fend off a stalker guy, and for not asking Chrissie out. Bygones...

[Shell B]

Such as the repeated mention of Thatcher, only the name as the only content of the post

I'm no longer staff, and haven't been for a long time, but if someone is just saying someone's name repeatedly in a thread with no other content, it sounds like disruptive behavior. That doesn't mean she or he is a troll, but it's trolly.

[Pat Mustard]

It might sound like trolling, but I see people like this IRL every day. A friend of mine's significant other has a huge number of LGBT friends and has had to take advantage of our social welfare programs (not something I mind at all), yet loves the fuck out of Trump and denounces social welfare programs.

I've met people who think like that. I was living with a guy once, back when I was working in Tesco's to save money to get back into uni who had no job, never had an intention of getting a job (in fact the only time he even went near a place of employment was when the social would threaten to cut him off for not looking), seriously propositioned to the rest of us that because he was unemployed we should pay his share of the bills (despite getting the whole of his rent paid in housing benefit), and mooched off his hard working sister for his dinner every day. But the sheer river of bile that would flow out of his mouth if you ever mentioned about foreigners or travellers or even people from the wrong estate who were collecting the dole too (and often cases even if you mentioned that they were working, they were stealing "his" job) was unbelievable.

Some people are so self centred that they cannot stand anyone getting the same go in life that they have.