I saw this article yesterday which gives some novel ways to deal with trolls .
I particularly like the idea of 'hellbanning' - trolls aren't blocked from the site, but their posts are made invisible to everyone but themselves. So there they are, starting threads, posting inflammatory replies etc and gradually starting to wonder why everyone is ignoring them. Eventually even the thickest, most persistent troll would give up. A very effective way of enforcing 'don't feed the troll'.
Worth a try, MNHQ?
I love that. You could even pretend someone was hellbanned when they weren't, just to mess with them.
I think this might represent a level of evildoing that MNHQ were unhappy with, though.
beenalongtimecoming
Sat 19-Jan-13 17:09:39
That is absolute genius! I love the idea of hellbanning!
Pinot
Sat 19-Jan-13 17:09:55
But they'll just change their ip address, register again and start her process again.
It's no different to banning them and will more than likely rile them and give them something to get their teeth into.
I am worrying that I may have been slowbanned as it takes ages for MN pages to load.
Pinot, the whole point is that they wouldn't know they'd been hellbanned as no one would tell them. Of course they could reregister etc if they realised, but they might just give up on MN as a boring place where no one rises to the bait. For all we know, MNHQ could be doing it already.
Pinot
Sat 19-Jan-13 17:18:53
But they'd only need about five minutes to realise it.
exexpat
Pinot, the whole point is that they wouldn't know they'd been hellbanned as no one would tell them. Of course they could reregister etc if they realised, but they might just give up on MN as a boring place where no one rises to the bait. For all we know, MNHQ could be doing it already.
Indeed. We could be. Or we could be about to be. Or we could have read this and thought what a good idea.
In every case, probably the least said on this subject the better, eh?
Inhaling menthol crystal vapour is good for colds, Bof.
HecateWhoopass
Sat 19-Jan-13 17:42:20
But the trolls would know about this and so when they didnet get a reaction, would it not be the first thing that crossed their mind? Leading to them just reregistering with a different email address?
Screaminabdabs
Sat 19-Jan-13 17:48:25
Afaik it's not that easy to mess about with different ISPs, different laptops etc. Why would they bother if the website doesn't give them the reaction they want? They'd go elsewhere, wouldn't they? And that's what we want - isn't it???
HecateWhoopass
Sat 19-Jan-13 18:32:20
God knows. I thought it was fairly simple.
I don't know that a lot of them wouldn't view it as a challenge, tbh.
Pinot
Sat 19-Jan-13 18:34:14
If its so complicated, why do so many fucking irritating trolls and banned posts sleep coming back?
LesBOFerables
Sat 19-Jan-13 18:45:10
Is that the same as crystal meth, BeerTricks? <perks up>
Not quite, Bof, but either one will clear your tubes a treat.
Pinot
Sat 19-Jan-13 19:00:55
Like a fart in a steamy bathroom, Screamin. They just won't go away.
amillionyears
Sat 19-Jan-13 19:11:58
Like the link.
exexpat, I have often wondered if you are expatinscotland?
I have thought yes, then no, then yes, then no.
Pleease tell me!
Pinot
Sat 19-Jan-13 19:13:40
Not expatinscotland afaik
amillionyears
Sat 19-Jan-13 19:18:48
I will try and remember! thanks.
It would be MNHQ administering their own version of Hide Poster.