to think MNers can be better than this

[IceBeing]

OPs may be ignorant, they maybe obtuse, they may be in the wrong and they may be trolls...

but how can dozens upon dozens of swearing riddled instructions to carry out intimate acts be considered a reasonable response?

For some people MN is the first forum they frequent. It is perfectly possible to post something that is innocently ignorant yet massively outrageous to MNers. Then suddenly you are being called all the names under the sun and told to fuck yourself preferably until dead? really?

Believe me it can be a massive shock that people say things on the internet they would never say in real life. It is possible to feel very very frightened and threatened by such an onslaught.

AIBU to think if the last 5 posters have covered the 'fuck off to the far side of fuck' angle then maybe you don't need to stick the boot in too?

The best case scenario is that the person on the other end is indeed a troll....in which case why are you giving them what they want?

Still no apology?

We do report. We all do. We also PM posters to suggest they step back a bit lest they get hurt. I don't see why that is a problem. Yes, some people post 'troll' on thread. Why is that worse than trolling?

But again, why are you talking about troll hunting? This thread is about the 'fuck off to the far side of fuck' posts. So why did you feel it necessary to make an attack on MaryZ?

Nope. No apology.

Troll hunting bad. Personal attacks apparently fine.

I didn't think i made an attack, i thought i just made an observation.

But if other posters are pissed off, then i apologise.

I'd like to whinge constantly about my twat. It is not a nice twat. It is itchy and thrushed. And the only yoghurt I have in the house is strawberry.

MNHQ love troll-hunters, really, so long as they do it off board. Why wouldn't they? It's moderation they don't have to pay for. When would they have time to trawl through newspaper obituaries and pop down to Somerset House on their way to work and check BMD records? I guess if they keep it off board it's not weird or stalkery or owt (much) and when they are wrong, no-one but the hunters, their pals and MNHQ know what's been going on. The ones who post troll-hunting stuff on the thread are amateurs.

Ooh that sounds like a Dan Brown plot.
Who knew mn was so exciting?

Amateurs? What, is there a Troll Hunting Olympics?
Do the pros have to stick to arena tours and opening supermarkets?

Well if there is an olympics for troll hunting I think I should win some sort of prize for reporting with flair and often in rhyme.

Troll Hunting Olympics sounds unbelievable!

What would the opening ceremony be like?

Indeed YouTheCat.

I'm rubbish. I would need to be a volunteer directing people to the loo.

It's great, isn't it

Of course, I could have borne witness to an elaborate trolling double-bluff...

I believe the opening ceremony would have a bridge as a centre piece, and goats.

Qualification is the maintenance of a dossier that tracks postings by suspected trolls, so that similarities/discrepancies can be easily tracked. No entry into the Games without at least that show of committment.

Oh Honey I feel for you.

MN stuff happens elsewhere? Wow. Apologies for my ignorance but how does one troll hunt off thread?

As to the Games, would it take the form of elaborate session of 20 questions?

I think there was a suggestion of using that software that recognises writing patterns.

I'm not joking, btw. People really take it that seriously.

I'd be handing out the ribbons Pag don't worry.
I'm utterly shit.
that's not what I did at sports day every sodding year, absolutely not

I did once report a post with nothing more than a 'holy crap' but that was a PA rather than a troll.

I spotted a little baby troll and found out where he lived and what school he went to. Then duly reported and pointed out if I a naice mummy type could do that in ten minutes than what might someone else do?

They banned and blocked pronto.

I did that because I'm a bad ass bad ass troll hunter type who seeks to troll hunt for the detriment of all.

I don't really think people do take it that seriously.

I think it's annoying and a bit shit and the bereavement trolling and disablist trolling make people upset. But no, I don't think people have special software.
I think they tend to post 'fuck off you troll' when people are on a wind up.
I don't and I don't really think it helps but I don't see many obsessed mners

They really do, Pagwatch. Not sure about the software, but it seemed to be a serious suggestion. Perhaps you're not jaded enough to congregate in the FB groups chatting about this stuff? I imagine that most of us have more than enough drama in our lives without chasing it down.

Maybe it's not a problem. MNHQ don't seem to think it is.

FWIW, I abhor the trolls. I do think the situation is more nuanced than troll-enabler/troll-hunter, though, as many have already pointed out.

I'm only on Facebook to chat with my small group of friends. I don't talk about mn.
I suspect I could find Facebook groups who wanted to chat about pooh if I tried.
I'm not sure Facebook groups are evidence of much are they? It's a bit self selecting.
I don't think trolls are more of a problem than idiots, bigot and the endlessly dull. There are plenty of all of those to go around. I try to ignore.

You've obviously got something to get off your chest Debris?

SchittSchat, the pooh chat room?
Please god tell me you made that up.

Yes i did.
But I can't tell you how much I wanted to pretend it was real.