VERY interesting thread. A microcosm of the Train.
If someone were to ask my opinion, I would be in favor of being more lenient with people who tangle or argue unless it goes on and on at which point we are allowed to throw toast. But I also would be in favor of being less tolerant of trolling based on a vote of members, with the percentage needed for a ruling set by the mods.
Also, I would be very disappointed if AMT were taken down (please don't!) but in the event this should happen, can we keep the Lounge Car and have free drinks, coffee, etc. for PJ fans every Friday night?
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Am I allowed to laugh or is that offensive? Or is that considered an insult, to laugh at someone's post?
If you laught at the post and not the poster than it is within guidelines.
And therein lies the fine line which can be hard to distinguish. Can you disagree strenuously with someone's views without them somehow construing it as being a personal attack? There are some people who are just inclined to take everything personally
And that is what we have a flag post option for. If people always take everything personal it leads to insults as a defense. If you get offended don't respond.
How does one allow themselves to be offended on the internet?
Hell how does one ever allow themselves to be offended anywhere.
Yes I think AMT should continue to exist. Not quite sure how one could get an entire category closed. I think the word troll has been overplayed to a point where it is common place to call someone a troll as it is to say hello. It means nothing to the accused but it means a lot to the accuser. Talking avatars are merely that.- an avatar on a computer Could you imagine a forum where everytime someone posts they get called a troll? That would not be a very inviting place for noobs or existing members. When avatars comment in threads of controversial or even menial subjects one avatar can take it the wrong way and cause a cycle of back and forth bickering leading to personal insults caused by nothing more than a persons input to a thread. We openly have posters stating why they don't post in certain places of the forum for this very reason. How did it get this way? Avoiding certain categories on a forum in order to not be included should not have to cross the mind of a member.
My avatar doesn't speak for me on the forum. I speak and my avatar happens to pop up. Does your avatar speak for you? I never thought of someone's avatar speaking for them. That could explain so very much around here.
Not everyone here who posts is called a troll. I have many, many friends here who are delightful people (had dinner with a lovely group of 12 from the forum the other night) and they aren't people I would consider trolls. I text, e-mail, go to concerts with and PM (thank you for PMs) with many people.
What do I consider a troll? I consider a troll to be one who continually pokes and prods at someone then shouts, "It's offending me for this reason, this isn't fair for that reason" and then tells on that individual to Kat or Sea. They bait and then when someone bites, they run and shout that someone wasn't nice to them.
Why throwing all the sand in the sandbox? My mom would have beat my ass for that.
There are some people here who are like speaking to a brick wall. I'm not stating NOT to have differing opinions. Please. By all means. Those differing opinions are ways for us to learn from each other. A mutual respect. Debate. A verbal sparring of sorts, shaking hands and walking away having learned something valuable from each other. I'm not saying that you need to agree, but taking the opinions of all and tossing into a stew pot helps us to learn as people.
Trolling is a term tossed around because there are a handful (I will not call them out by name because I have a good idea that they know exactly who I'm talking about) that do engage in an attacking kind of way. It seems like those individuals seem to go for the jugular each and every time.
And yes, I do believe that trolls aren't reprimanded. I don't believe it is right. Sorry, but that hammer should swing both ways. Right next to that special place in hell for RickRollers should be one for baiters and trolls.
Now go out and debate kindly, please.
Going for the jugular is a good thing. It's not trolling.
I have flagged 3 posts in my posting history. Two of which I openly stated I was going to flag. Flagging is like nipping in the bud. Circa 1991, 2004 old forum rules are by the wayside. Sometimes posters create a niche that can fester hate, political gain, racism if left unchecked. So grab a pair and deal with the consequences of what you post.
If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Flagging a post is weak.
Yeah, sure, of course it should exist (i'm a bit surprised to see the question being asked). (FWIW, I have never found it difficult to not get banned. I feel like I'd have to put in an effort to get banned rather than put in an effort not to)
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Yes I think AMT should continue to exist. Not quite sure how one could get an entire category closed. I think the word troll has been overplayed to a point where it is common place to call someone a troll as it is to say hello. It means nothing to the accused but it means a lot to the accuser. Talking avatars are merely that.- an avatar on a computer Could you imagine a forum where everytime someone posts they get called a troll? That would not be a very inviting place for noobs or existing members. When avatars comment in threads of controversial or even menial subjects one avatar can take it the wrong way and cause a cycle of back and forth bickering leading to personal insults caused by nothing more than a persons input to a thread. We openly have posters stating why they don't post in certain places of the forum for this very reason. How did it get this way? Avoiding certain categories on a forum in order to not be included should not have to cross the mind of a member.
My avatar doesn't speak for me on the forum. I speak and my avatar happens to pop up. Does your avatar speak for you? I never thought of someone's avatar speaking for them. That could explain so very much around here.
Not everyone here who posts is called a troll. I have many, many friends here who are delightful people (had dinner with a lovely group of 12 from the forum the other night) and they aren't people I would consider trolls. I text, e-mail, go to concerts with and PM (thank you for PMs) with many people.
What do I consider a troll? I consider a troll to be one who continually pokes and prods at someone then shouts, "It's offending me for this reason, this isn't fair for that reason" and then tells on that individual to Kat or Sea. They bait and then when someone bites, they run and shout that someone wasn't nice to them.
Why throwing all the sand in the sandbox? My mom would have beat my ass for that.
There are some people here who are like speaking to a brick wall. I'm not stating NOT to have differing opinions. Please. By all means. Those differing opinions are ways for us to learn from each other. A mutual respect. Debate. A verbal sparring of sorts, shaking hands and walking away having learned something valuable from each other. I'm not saying that you need to agree, but taking the opinions of all and tossing into a stew pot helps us to learn as people.
Trolling is a term tossed around because there are a handful (I will not call them out by name because I have a good idea that they know exactly who I'm talking about) that do engage in an attacking kind of way. It seems like those individuals seem to go for the jugular each and every time.
And yes, I do believe that trolls aren't reprimanded. I don't believe it is right. Sorry, but that hammer should swing both ways. Right next to that special place in hell for RickRollers should be one for baiters and trolls.
Now go out and debate kindly, please.
Going for the jugular is a good thing. It's not trolling.
Am I allowed to laugh or is that offensive? Or is that considered an insult, to laugh at someone's post?
If you laught at the post and not the poster than it is within guidelines.
And therein lies the fine line which can be hard to distinguish. Can you disagree strenuously with someone's views without them somehow construing it as being a personal attack? There are some people who are just inclined to take everything personally
And that is what we have a flag post option for. If people always take everything personal it leads to insults as a defense. If you get offended don't respond.
How does one allow themselves to be offended on the internet?
Hell how does one ever allow themselves to be offended anywhere.
Am I allowed to laugh or is that offensive? Or is that considered an insult, to laugh at someone's post?
If you laught at the post and not the poster than it is within guidelines.
And therein lies the fine line which can be hard to distinguish. Can you disagree strenuously with someone's views without them somehow construing it as being a personal attack? There are some people who are just inclined to take everything personally
And that is what we have a flag post option for. If people always take everything personal it leads to insults as a defense. If you get offended don't respond.
How does one allow themselves to be offended on the internet?
Hell how does one ever allow themselves to be offended anywhere.
Am I allowed to laugh or is that offensive? Or is that considered an insult, to laugh at someone's post?
If you laught at the post and not the poster than it is within guidelines.
And therein lies the fine line which can be hard to distinguish. Can you disagree strenuously with someone's views without them somehow construing it as being a personal attack? There are some people who are just inclined to take everything personally
And that is what we have a flag post option for. If people always take everything personal it leads to insults as a defense. If you get offended don't respond.
How does one allow themselves to be offended on the internet?
Hell how does one ever allow themselves to be offended anywhere.
Interesting question. One of the ways that my grandmother made her living was owning and operating a few bars down in Florida. I remember her handpainted rules sign:
Rule No. 1: The bartender is always right! Rule No. 2: See rule No. 1!
Furthermore, do NOT talk about:
Religion Politics Race Sexual orientation
Violators will be ejected from the premises.
Thank you for your patronage.
This was basically to prevent bar fights, and multiple violators were barred forever. I think we have similar rules for our lounge car here on AMT.
All of those issues, however, are what fuel AMT, and Internet trolls are the gadflies of our digital age. They set their sights on the most passionate posters regarding a certain issue and then make it their mission to have that target banned. The troll posts ridiculous comments in a non ad hominem fashion that will get a furious ad hominem reaction from their target that the troll can then report to a moderator thus getting the target banned.
A good example was one mentioned by badbrains. Apparently someone posted something akin to (and I'm paraphrasing here): "Screw the pope! And screw the Vatican!" One could argue that said poster was merely stating his or her opinion, but one could also argue that posting such vitriol is inflammatory and could easily instigate a response of: "Hey, screw you!"
The same thing happens at sporting events everywhere.
Scenario: I show up to a Sox/Yanks game at Yankee Stadium wearing my Red Sox jersey. Yankees trolls open ketchup packets and toss them at me while I'm trying to watch the game. When I've finally had enough and stand up and tell them to knock it off, an "asshole" chant goes up in my section, and since I'm the one who's steamed and visibly causing a disturbance, I'm the one who gets to watch the rest of the game at the Riv. (This is just an example, by the way, but you've seen a similar scenario play out at your local arena/stadium, sometimes with punches thrown.)
I suppose since most of us cannot physically harm each other, it's safe to say that these issues should be open for discussion. The rules are plainly posted for all to see.
In my opinion, however, below are three big AMT/10 Club forum-specific problems (based only on my personal observations):
1. As has been mentioned, trolls rarely get banned or punished. They are cunning enough not to actually address their targets personally (see example above), and hence they have broken no rules. They have merely disrespected their target's viewpoint in a roundabout way without disrespecting the target. In hockey, instigators have to sit in the penalty box; I think the same rules should apply. I have mentioned before that in my previous job, I was a moderator. It was painful, and I certainly am glad that I am not a moderator here.
That being said, I banned trolls from my site. But do you know what happens when you ban a troll? They just come back under a different IP address. They are truly sick people. We finally had to have our IT department track one of them down so that we could cancel his subscription. And he was paying a helluva lot more that $20/$40 per year -- add a few zeroes. Also, he was posting under multiple user names under different IP addresses, often with conflicting viewpoints in his posts under those multiple user names so that those flames would instigate their intended targets.
Now, if you ban a troll's target who got heated and said some nasty stuff toward the troll, that person usually says "whatever" and watches the game at the Riv. The target doesn't sneak back into the conversation with a new IP address because they have a life outside of posting their comments to an Internet forum. Trolls do not. (Our repeat offender was not only a troll on our site, he was an Internet-wide troll: Yahoo! forums, MSN forums, etc.)
Since ignoring trolls is simply not in the cards for some of our more passionate posters, my suggestion is that trolling is added to the list of of no-nos that actually have consequences. Trolling is different than "dropping bombs"; it's more passive aggressive and a stupid kind of brilliant. And trolls should be weeded out at the sole discretion of the moderators. Kat and Sea are sharp, and they know how to spot them. Hell, they've banned members for immaturely trolling them (i.e., making churlish comments without ad hominem attacks); they need to do the same with trolls who instigate paying members of this forum whose heated opinions actually do add some intellect to our little discourse.
Also, since targets are less likely to be snitches, obviously taking it upon themselves to fight their own battles, often to their own detriment, perhaps those of us with more level heads should take it upon ourselves to report instances we see if trolling. I have never reported or flagged a post, but it would do more good than responding to the instigator in any shape of form. Anything that addresses them publicly or privately makes you their next target (if you're not one already). They see that they have your attention, which is what they are after, and you can bet your bottom dollar that your correspondence goes into their evidence file against you. My thought about actively flagging them is that the more often we report it, perhaps the more likely it is to become a punishable offense. I don't know. I'm a posimist.
2. Don't troll the mods. It's stupid, immature, attention-seeking behavior, and you're airing you toddler tantrum over the web for anyone to see.
"You wanna get a timeout? Fine, you got a timeout. Happy now? All these people had to watch that." Geez! It sounds like me and my 2-year-old at the grocery store. If we're going to be discussing the important issues of the day and trying to offer our solutions to the world's problems, we need to grow the hell up.
3. As hard as it is for some folks, until a rule is implemented that results in trolls being as susceptible to perma bans as their targets, don't feed the trolls. As an ordained Dudeist priest, I must share the the following mantra: "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, uh, your opinion, man." Practice saying it. Live it.
But if this aggression will not stand, man, again, try reporting them. If you are not active in the discussion but see someone being trolled, report them. If you are unsure whether the person is intending to instigate (whether you are in the discussion or merely reading it), contact a friend on the boards who can look at it from an outside perspective, and ask them for their opinion on the matter. Most of us have made some friends by now, right? Again, if you reach out directly to the possible troll, you run the risk of becoming banned yourself.
We have to do a better job at policing ourselves, and sometimes that means stooping to the level of a troll and being a tattletale. Because in the end, who raises the level of discourse more, someone who is educated and passionate about the issues being discussed (no matter how bonkers we might think their view points are at times) or a troll who has a way of making the thread all about them, getting all this attention they craved, and then telling the teacher when they have enough evidence to damn their targets? I know that, for the most part, I would rather stay on topic, although I do enjoy a minor derailment if no injuries are involved, because it really ties the room together.
We can make fun of each other in more lighthearted ways over in the AET or the Lounge Car. Of course, that's where the whole all-ages rules come into play, but that's another discussion entirely. I will say that I've seen a few youngsters on here. I think one was a 12-year-old boy and another was a 15-year-old girl. And I think it's pretty awesome that they are here from time to time!
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
Doesn't hurt to know some of the mods, or so I'm told.
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
Doesn't hurt to know some of the mods, or so I'm told.
and what's with the jail? you can still post, so what's the point in that? is it to "shame" a poster into being nice? kinda childish. I know the mods have said they have no control over that stuff, but to me it's a bit kindergarten.
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
Doesn't hurt to know some of the mods, or so I'm told.
and what's with the jail? you can still post, so what's the point in that? is it to "shame" a poster into being nice? kinda childish. I know the mods have said they have no control over that stuff, but to me it's a bit kindergarten.
We can send unmanned missions to Mars but the 10C can't figure out how to get rid of bars on avatars. You can't make this shit up
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
Doesn't hurt to know some of the mods, or so I'm told.
It's really not nice to try and undermine your friendly moderators with gossip. What you were told is untrue. Your current Warning state might be lifted after it's expired but you will not be able to post until then.
Bars originated because of marriage. Men wanting to not drink around their spouses and instead want to watch a game in peace with fellow like minded fans. Women I think go because they are either lonely or their spuse is a complete douchetard.
Tom Brady & Donald Trump, BFF's Fuckus rules all Rob Seattle
The bars and "user banned please carry on" images are Vanilla forum defaults. I know that subscribers can request their own images for banned users (not sure about the bars), but that makes it a little too personal.
That being said, I humbly suggest an Ogie Ogilthorpe avatar for all banned users.
Bars originated because of marriage. Men wanting to not drink around their spouses and instead want to watch a game in peace with fellow like minded fans. Women I think go because they are either lonely or their spuse is a complete douchetard.
spuse? is that a southern thing?
The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.
The bars and "user banned please carry on" images are Vanilla forum defaults. I know that subscribers can request their own images for banned users (not sure about the bars), but that makes it a little too personal.
That being said, I humbly suggest an Ogie Ogilthorpe avatar for all banned users.
You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free.
I believe the bars are automatically overlaid on a user's avatar when they are put on a warning in the system. It isn't something the mods can change apparently. Just like they can't change the banned avatar when a user is banned. I think it is goofy, and agree with Hugh, it seems silly and designed to "shame" the poster. I also think that the bars can be used by trolls to bait a user into jumping from warned to banned. It would be nice if the warning was something between the mods and the user, rather than a public thing.
As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
I believe the bars are automatically overlaid on a user's avatar when they are put on a warning in the system. It isn't something the mods can change apparently. Just like they can't change the banned avatar when a user is banned. I think it is goofy, and agree with Hugh, it seems silly and designed to "shame" the poster. I also think that the bars can be used by trolls to bait a user into jumping from warned to banned. It would be nice if the warning was something between the mods and the user, rather than a public thing.
As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.
correct, the bars and the user banned thing is part of the software, and the mods can do nothing about it. it used to be private. you'd look at your profile to see what warning level you were at. 1 was one warning, 2 was second warning, 3 was permanent ban. levels 1 and 2 would decrease incrementally after 90 days based on good behaviour.
I've taken self-imposed breaks. I was gone for a few months not long ago. with the full intent on never coming back, initially. but then I got bored at work. LOL.
I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.
Yes. Isn't one of the points of AMT to keep asking questions that people do not answer to try and get at some truth? (Or to ask questions again when you think the answers provided are total BS?) Why should 98% of the good people on here have to deal with 2% of the donkey-hole? And if the answer is 'just because' then nobody should be banned. We should be able to call a spade a spade.
Why wouldn't the trolls --- (especially the Excessive Flaggers) -- be sent bars and then packing? I don't see bars over the Avatar that told everyone to sack up and see what happens if you offend them. ("Deal with the consequences"....same thing) Clearly threatening behavior and if I were a whiny baby I would have flagged the post. Seems silly to ban people who are good people and not the people who get off on being mean spirited/argumentative just to pass time.
Comments
If someone were to ask my opinion, I would be in favor of being more lenient with people who tangle or argue unless it goes on and on at which point we are allowed to throw toast. But I also would be in favor of being less tolerant of trolling based on a vote of members, with the percentage needed for a ruling set by the mods.
Also, I would be very disappointed if AMT were taken down (please don't!) but in the event this should happen, can we keep the Lounge Car and have free drinks, coffee, etc. for PJ fans every Friday night?
Hell how does one ever allow themselves to be offended anywhere.
If you are offended it's your problem.
If you flag a post you are weak.
Term Troll is overused.
(FWIW, I have never found it difficult to not get banned. I feel like I'd have to put in an effort to get banned rather than put in an effort not to)
2016: Lexington and Wrigley 1
2016: Lexington and Wrigley 1
DEGENERATE FUK
This place is dead
"THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015
"Kfsbho&$thncds" - F Me In the Brain - circa 2015
All of those issues, however, are what fuel AMT, and Internet trolls are the gadflies of our digital age. They set their sights on the most passionate posters regarding a certain issue and then make it their mission to have that target banned. The troll posts ridiculous comments in a non ad hominem fashion that will get a furious ad hominem reaction from their target that the troll can then report to a moderator thus getting the target banned.
A good example was one mentioned by badbrains. Apparently someone posted something akin to (and I'm paraphrasing here): "Screw the pope! And screw the Vatican!" One could argue that said poster was merely stating his or her opinion, but one could also argue that posting such vitriol is inflammatory and could easily instigate a response of: "Hey, screw you!"
The same thing happens at sporting events everywhere.
Scenario: I show up to a Sox/Yanks game at Yankee Stadium wearing my Red Sox jersey. Yankees trolls open ketchup packets and toss them at me while I'm trying to watch the game. When I've finally had enough and stand up and tell them to knock it off, an "asshole" chant goes up in my section, and since I'm the one who's steamed and visibly causing a disturbance, I'm the one who gets to watch the rest of the game at the Riv. (This is just an example, by the way, but you've seen a similar scenario play out at your local arena/stadium, sometimes with punches thrown.)
I suppose since most of us cannot physically harm each other, it's safe to say that these issues should be open for discussion. The rules are plainly posted for all to see.
In my opinion, however, below are three big AMT/10 Club forum-specific problems (based only on my personal observations):
1. As has been mentioned, trolls rarely get banned or punished. They are cunning enough not to actually address their targets personally (see example above), and hence they have broken no rules. They have merely disrespected their target's viewpoint in a roundabout way without disrespecting the target. In hockey, instigators have to sit in the penalty box; I think the same rules should apply. I have mentioned before that in my previous job, I was a moderator. It was painful, and I certainly am glad that I am not a moderator here.
That being said, I banned trolls from my site. But do you know what happens when you ban a troll? They just come back under a different IP address. They are truly sick people. We finally had to have our IT department track one of them down so that we could cancel his subscription. And he was paying a helluva lot more that $20/$40 per year -- add a few zeroes. Also, he was posting under multiple user names under different IP addresses, often with conflicting viewpoints in his posts under those multiple user names so that those flames would instigate their intended targets.
Now, if you ban a troll's target who got heated and said some nasty stuff toward the troll, that person usually says "whatever" and watches the game at the Riv. The target doesn't sneak back into the conversation with a new IP address because they have a life outside of posting their comments to an Internet forum. Trolls do not. (Our repeat offender was not only a troll on our site, he was an Internet-wide troll: Yahoo! forums, MSN forums, etc.)
Since ignoring trolls is simply not in the cards for some of our more passionate posters, my suggestion is that trolling is added to the list of of no-nos that actually have consequences. Trolling is different than "dropping bombs"; it's more passive aggressive and a stupid kind of brilliant. And trolls should be weeded out at the sole discretion of the moderators. Kat and Sea are sharp, and they know how to spot them. Hell, they've banned members for immaturely trolling them (i.e., making churlish comments without ad hominem attacks); they need to do the same with trolls who instigate paying members of this forum whose heated opinions actually do add some intellect to our little discourse.
Also, since targets are less likely to be snitches, obviously taking it upon themselves to fight their own battles, often to their own detriment, perhaps those of us with more level heads should take it upon ourselves to report instances we see if trolling. I have never reported or flagged a post, but it would do more good than responding to the instigator in any shape of form. Anything that addresses them publicly or privately makes you their next target (if you're not one already). They see that they have your attention, which is what they are after, and you can bet your bottom dollar that your correspondence goes into their evidence file against you. My thought about actively flagging them is that the more often we report it, perhaps the more likely it is to become a punishable offense. I don't know. I'm a posimist.
2. Don't troll the mods. It's stupid, immature, attention-seeking behavior, and you're airing you toddler tantrum over the web for anyone to see.
"You wanna get a timeout? Fine, you got a timeout. Happy now? All these people had to watch that." Geez! It sounds like me and my 2-year-old at the grocery store. If we're going to be discussing the important issues of the day and trying to offer our solutions to the world's problems, we need to grow the hell up.
3. As hard as it is for some folks, until a rule is implemented that results in trolls being as susceptible to perma bans as their targets, don't feed the trolls. As an ordained Dudeist priest, I must share the the following mantra: "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, uh, your opinion, man." Practice saying it. Live it.
But if this aggression will not stand, man, again, try reporting them. If you are not active in the discussion but see someone being trolled, report them. If you are unsure whether the person is intending to instigate (whether you are in the discussion or merely reading it), contact a friend on the boards who can look at it from an outside perspective, and ask them for their opinion on the matter. Most of us have made some friends by now, right? Again, if you reach out directly to the possible troll, you run the risk of becoming banned yourself.
We have to do a better job at policing ourselves, and sometimes that means stooping to the level of a troll and being a tattletale. Because in the end, who raises the level of discourse more, someone who is educated and passionate about the issues being discussed (no matter how bonkers we might think their view points are at times) or a troll who has a way of making the thread all about them, getting all this attention they craved, and then telling the teacher when they have enough evidence to damn their targets? I know that, for the most part, I would rather stay on topic, although I do enjoy a minor derailment if no injuries are involved, because it really ties the room together.
We can make fun of each other in more lighthearted ways over in the AET or the Lounge Car. Of course, that's where the whole all-ages rules come into play, but that's another discussion entirely. I will say that I've seen a few youngsters on here. I think one was a 12-year-old boy and another was a 15-year-old girl. And I think it's pretty awesome that they are here from time to time!
yes the AMT should stay. there are some good topics discussed here with a lot of good information presented when you see through the bs.
www.headstonesband.com
www.headstonesband.com
Fuckus rules all
Rob
Seattle
That being said, I humbly suggest an Ogie Ogilthorpe avatar for all banned users.
www.headstonesband.com
- Christopher McCandless
As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.
I've taken self-imposed breaks. I was gone for a few months not long ago. with the full intent on never coming back, initially. but then I got bored at work. LOL.
www.headstonesband.com