Trolls and A Request for Moderators

[TotallyOz]

In Internet Slang a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an our Forum with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

 

In the last few days we have had to deal with one individual that we as a moderator team decided that we had to moderate. When we moderate someone that simply means that we make sure that the person's posts are read by one of the moderators before we allow them to be public.

 

After we put the member on moderated status he registered a new name. We moderated that name (number2). Then, he did it again. Again, we moderated the negative post and put that member on Moderated Status (member3). At this point, I knew we were dealing with someone who had way too much time on his hands for us to deal with so we have initiated a new membership rule.

 

The new policy is to require a certain number of posts that are approved by moderators before any person is able to post without moderation. This does not affect any current members who have posted in the past. It only affects new members who have never posted here before. In other words, a new member must post and those posts be approved by a moderator before we remove the moderated status from them. It only takes a few posts to determine a troll and we assure we will be on top of the new member posts.

 

Also, we are asking for help with Moderating. It is a hard job and does not pay well (nothing other than the gratitude of our members). If you are interested in being part of the Moderating Team, please PM me and let me know. GB, TLP and I will discuss those interested. Unlike other boards, we don't require you to send us your passport or other personal information. We only ask that you have been a member here and contributed to the site. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Gaybutton]

And, by the way, for the person who has been sending me PMs, finding his recent posts deleted, and finding himself placed on moderated mode, once again I'll tell you I have deleted nothing and I am not the one who placed you on moderated mode.

 

You're complaining to the wrong person.

[Guest]

I'll post in support of the board policy of effective moderation. It's required to keep the debate civilised and interesting.

 

Some of these Trolls actually think other people want to read the rubbish they post.

 

Those who disagree can go and find a forum with a more laissez faire attitude to moderation (unless of course they have already been banned from there).

[Guest TOQ]

Is it too late to nominate "Geezer"

[Guest]

I'll post in support of the board policy of effective moderation. It's required to keep the debate civilised and interesting.

 

Those who disagree can go and find a forum with a more laissez faire attitude to moderation

 

I could not agree more.

 

Is it too late to nominate "Geezer"

 

Never to late to volunteer. But, it needs to come from him and not someone else.

[Guest jomtien]

I'd like to volunteer as a Troll.

[Guest]

I'd like to volunteer as a Troll.

 

Volunteer? Doesn't that imply you need to change positions?

[Guest jomtien]

Doesn't that imply you need to change positions?

 

 

Impossible. I've been a top my whole life and I'm far too old to change.

 

 

Oh.....that wasn't what you meant.......

[Gaybutton]

[Guest HeyGay]

Some Guys call them Trolls and I must admit there are very few around these days, but these are not to be confused with a guy who has a strong opinion and some of them can be very good fun and Interesting at times, turning a boring post into great fun with many readers, I have even heard people call Gay Button a TROLL, when someone stokes his fire up and get's him in a Corner, he comes out fighting, I think the real problem is others, who can not stand to be out witted by their humor, and amusing quick witted intellect, don't worry about the spelling or the grammar, you don't have to be a Floridian Professor to write coherently, on these boards, even though some will try to use it asgainst you if all else fails,

Feed the TROLLS.bmp

[Guest HeyGay]

Some Guys call them Trolls and I must admit there are very few around these days, but these are not to be confused with a guy who has a strong opinion and some of them can be very good fun and Interesting at times, turning a boring post into great fun with many readers, I have even heard people call Gay Button a TROLL, when someone stokes his fire up and get's him in a Corner, he comes out fighting, I think the real problem is others, who can not stand to be out witted by their humor, and amusing quick witted intellect, don't worry about the spelling or the grammar, you don't have to be a Floridian Professor to write coherently, on these boards, even though some will try to use it asgainst you if all else fails,

[Gaybutton]

I don't expect GB will like to know the real owner of the Z(909) Handle but I think its wonderful they take a chance with him, even though he has stirred up quite a lot of controversy in the past on here and other Forums.

It doesn't matter to me that I don't know him personally. If I do know him without realizing, it still doesn't matter to me. Why should it? What matters to me is how good of a moderator he will be and judging from the posts I've seen from him, including the ones in which we disagree, I have every reason to believe he will be an excellent moderator and a major asset to this board.

 

Stirring up controversy is not a factor for me. Again, why should it be? I've certainly stirred up plenty of controversy myself, haven't I?

 

Whether I know who z909 actually is or not, or whether I would have any reason to be upset if I knew who he is, as you imply, I'm very glad he wants to be a moderator here.

 

By the way, our third moderator, TLP - I don't know who he actually is either. If either of them want me to know, I'm sure they will tell me.

[Guest]

You can tell the Guys who are "NOT" TROLLS because they get so many readers, who are interested in what they have to say,

 

Totally disagree with this statement. Just because someone gets a lot of readers does not make them not a troll. That is not correct. Gossip and rumors bring in readers. We are not here to be a gossip rag. If others want that, there is a forum where that shit is OK. It is not this forum. We don't want those shit stirrers here. It is not my intent to allow it.

 

You are not a Troll. IMHO. I have always liked you a great deal both personally and in your forum posts. You contribute a great deal to the forums in Thailand. I respect that. However, when you have a post set to invisible for the moderators to discuss, you don't go and create other names to post the same thing. When that happens, I consider it as someone abusing their forum privileges. The poster in question for this thread was a very intelligent man who I also like. But, I won't let anyone post things on this board that I consider inappropriate. And, when a moderator sees a post as inappropriate, I'll give them the leeway to remove it and have a Moderator discussion. Always. That is what moderators are for. The post in question would most likely have returned the next day had it not been posted 4 other times. To me, that was enough for me to kill it permanently.

 

You know I have always been one of your biggest fans and I get crucified for this on a regular basis. I even had friends tell me I was not allowed to be friends with you and them at the same time. That is a load of horseshit as well. All these little games that happen in private bars in the corner or dark of the night are childish IMHO. I want no part of them. I try to avoid them as best as possible but I have lost many buds over this. Fuck em. This is a message board and we are trying to provide good information about Thailand. We are NOT the gossip board. We never will be. The gossip whores can stay on the board that loves them and at the VIP tables to talk and BS. They are not welcome here. No one that posts nasty rumors who can't contribute to an intellectual discussion is not welcome. Now or forever.

 

By the way, our third moderator, TLP - I don't know who he actually is either. If either of them want me to know, I'm sure they will tell me.

 

TLP chose to be a silent moderator to keep his personal life private. He posts under a different name. That is an option for anyone who wants to be a moderator. We can create a new name for you and no one will know that your online persona is a Moderator. You even have the ability to sign in invisibly so no one knows you are online. I love technology.

[Gaybutton]

I get crucified for this on a regular basis.

Apparently, at least on the various gay Thailand boards, board owners, moderators, and people prominent in the gay community here are considered fair game for the "crucifiers." As far as I can tell everyone who has been a board owner or moderator, and is also identifiable, has been flamed at least once. Of course, those who do the flaming never seek out the person they are flaming, identify themselves, and discuss whatever their problem is personally. It's much easier to hide behind anonymity and blast away. The very fact that they hide behind anonymity is the reason they have no credibility.

 

It brings to mind two quotes:

 

"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." - Harry Truman

 

"The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts." - Peter O'Toole, 'Lawrence of Arabia"

[Guest]

I don't expect GB will like to know the real owner of the Z(909) Handle but I think its wonderful they take a chance with him, even though he has stirred up quite a lot of controversy in the past on here and other Forums.

 

Imagine a forum where every thread starts with a fine piece of literature which is applauded by everyone & never contested. Actually, that would be more like a blog rather than a discussion forum.

 

What we get here is people very robustly debating points. Some might call it "stirring up controversy". Well, I think that's just fine as long as we keep the debate civilised & logical, without trading insults that are both rude and taking the thread off topic.

Fortunately we don't get that here.

[KhorTose]

Imagine a forum where every thread starts with a fine piece of literature which is applauded by everyone & never contested. Actually, that would be more like a blog rather than a discussion forum.

 

What we get here is people very robustly debating points. Some might call it "stirring up controversy". Well, I think that's just fine as long as we keep the debate civilised & logical, without trading insults that are both rude and taking the thread off topic.

Fortunately we don't get that here.

 

If stirring up controversy means you engage in an intellectual conversation with valid and well founded arguments, then Z909 must be guilty as accused. Even when I do not agree with him---which is very rarely--I find he has forced me to really think about his viewpoint. I only wish this Board had many more posters like him. Whoops, I do not mean to belittle anyone else on this board and freely admit there are many other fine posters here. Thank you again Z909 for taking on this often thankless task.