Comments on: Relax — A Statement About Comment Policy

By: sleeper

sleeper — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:17:34 +0000

Your blog is NOT well served by the disgusting level of discourse YOU allow it to sink to by not requiring proper decorum in comments. Your lack of moderation colors the entire blog, not just the “trolls.” Would you frequent an establishment where someone is constantly shouting expletives while the owner sits back and watches? Take more pride in your product.

By: HasItBeen4YearsYet?

HasItBeen4YearsYet? — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:28:09 +0000

NOW CUT THAT OUT! (the cartoon at the bottom)

It’s way TOO close to home.

By: CarbonFever

CarbonFever — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:06:58 +0000

While complaining about trolls, the National Snow and Ice Data Center "found" 500,000 km^2 of Arctic ice ... More Ice Here

By: James Mayeau

James Mayeau — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:03:16 +0000

Avatars are really hard to change.
Take for instance Lubos Molts comments by JS presskit. An individual commenter can change names like underwear, but changing the avatar involves registration logging in uploading an image confirming changes with email accounts. It’s a bitch.
So with the avatar system Jennifer will have the same muppet photo as scientist as she does as psuedo hunter.
It’s discourages sockpuppet shenanigans.

By: Larry Sheldon

Larry Sheldon — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:28:46 +0000

Pigs.

That is a precise summation of the problem.

By: morganovich

morganovich — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:46:26 +0000

somehow, this aphorism is seeming apropos:

“don’t wrestle with pigs. you both get all dirty and the pig just likes it.”

By: manse42

manse42 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:30:57 +0000

Trolls are like the bullies at school.
First you argu with them and you end with your face in the mud or in the principals office. Then you try to ignore them, and they get worse. Finally you avoid them, but you still want to kick them in the goolies or at least wish someone did.

By: hunter

hunter — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:06:45 +0000

I came here as ‘hunter’ and some troll- previously known as ‘Jennifer” or “Scientist”, decided to grab my name because someone made a joke at their expense a few posts back. Why Jennifer picked me, I have no clue. But it has been fun to see how a troll is still a troll, whether they dress up as a chameleon or not.
If there is a way to suppress this stuff, I am all for it. You have been posting some great pieces lately, and it is a shame when the thread becomes filled with trollish distractions- especially when the troll in question is such a bore.

By: Larry Sheldon

Larry Sheldon — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:44:55 +0000

An “account” structure would solve some problems, but it leaves some, and adds some. Not all operators are willing (or knowledgeable) enough to take on the additional workload.

I’m not opposed to it, and I don’t think it is a bad idea, but like the 5-cent can return, success at objectives is not guaranteed.

Operators of most modern software have options to block-by-origin (such as IP address), but anonymisers provide the hard core troll a way around that.

And the traffic from people claiming unfair blocking is a nasty overhead.

By: morganovich

morganovich — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:57:43 +0000

larry-

certainly, the trolls seem to have a distinct writing style (at least here) but the fact that the 2 entries from “hunter” above appear to be from different people and that there is often some sort of ongoing skirmish about “the real one” can get annoying. would be nice to avoid needless complications.

seems like it could be easily handled using a site login with non-duplicatible user names like many online communities do.