All this recent thread deleting and trollery and troll hunting and stuff

[AbsDuCroissant]

Dear MNHQ,

Today has been a bit crazy with all the threads being deleted all over the place, and then people running around asking questions, and more threads deleted - surely there's a better way?

Is there going to be a MN policy or summat (end of working day, brain switching off) on this, and troll hunting, as it seems to be going crazy right now.

TIA

(I'm off to do other stuff in RL, will be back tomorrow)

And instead of deleting, put everything they've ever written in green ink or something (unless genuinely offensive or upsetting) so we can spot them a bit faster next time.

I would have appreciated a message to say you were deleting my thread and why before you pulled it. There were no insults on there, you could have deleted posts rather then the whole thread. I'm very disappointed in you.

but showofhands - the current policy of deleting has that problem already - ESPECIALLY with the thread being rehashed on a new one.

IF the thread were left to stand - but locked, and with a note from MNHQ at the end of it to explain why it had been locked then there would be no need to start a thread saying

"OMG WHAT happened to that thread about poo"

and for someone else to come along and rehash the entire thing again. As the initial post wouldn't be there as they'd have read the thread and would know what had happened to it.

As they'd be locked they would be forever lost in the archives within days as no-one could ever bump them.

As it is thread gets started by a troll, it's deleted, at least one or 2 threads will pop up asking about it, the entire thread will be rehashed in full (for those that missed the ending) and it just goes on a cycle for days.

We need the trolls to be given avatars, a nice big picture of an under bridge dweller would do me

Thanks for directing me to the netiquette thing.

I agree with a lot of the other posters here, and sniggered at the trolls being allowed to post, but not having visible posts - would be hilarious (but make me super paranoid if I end up killing a bunch of threads, or starting ones that no one talks on - it has happened )

What is starting to annoy me though - is even though troll hunting is frowned upon, it's still pretty rampant among some members. Can't they be warned or something? A tap on the wrist?

And, I also agree some threads should be left to stand but closed to more comments, with either personal insults removed, or modified ("silly billy" is a good replacement ), and maybe with a reason given by MN as to why it has been closed, preventing all the "why?" threads and long going discussions that inevitably follow. As we have seen today, they just get rehashed and rehased, either on MN or through PMs or on FB, and it doesn't create good feelings. As you are well aware, MNers are notorious rubber neckers.

Yes Chickens, it was your idea I think I 'voted' for. :)

thread graveyard!!
thread graveyard!!
thread graveyard!!

Thread graveyard: tick.

Allow troll to continue posting - abso-bloody-lutely

but with the proviso that to all the rest of us their posts are a different colour (and carry a poo smell - note determination) while to them, their posts are whatever colour they always were. Thus allowing troll baiting to go on unabated for time immemorial (until thread is filled up or everyone gets bored, leaving troll asking anxiously "anyone?" "anyone there?" after desperately admitting that they've just eaten their baby or other such ludicrosity).

Or am I being par-tic-u-lar-ly mean?

They wouldn't be lost though, they'd be linked and rehashed and serve as a 'look, look troll wannabes, here's how not to do it' manual.

A troll's power is in posting, I like that their threads are deleted. Gives a very clear message.

Nope - I'm with you Jux. I love the idea of the joke being back on them.

but I don't think it does give a clear message - to anyone

We get return trolls (today was someone already banned previously.......)

We get the spin off threads after the thread is deleted.

That's why you get half the PM's and FB stuff and extra threads going on - people wondering what happened to the thread. If it's there, and locked - and the troll banned (possibly again...) it sets off page after page of speculation and people asking those that have saved it for copies of it etc etc.

If you leave it there - then there's no need to PM someone, or to have a lengthy rehash of i - it's there in black and white (and blue ).

This current system doesn't work because we have EXACTLY the same fall out every time a troll thread is deleted........."who, where, when, what happened"

And then, because of the seemingly irregular information from MNHQ about who/why they were banned etc (as mentioned in an earlier post on this thread)- more questions asked. IF there was a set amount of details MNHQ gave out and that was that. Then people would (eventually and on the whole) stop trying to find out more information as they'd know it wouldn't be forthing coming.

Because you know for example - I'm off to sleep shortly (I know early for me ) - but if I were to come back in the morning and find this thread had been deleted I would want to know why......and would probably ask......(and a whole new thread would be spawned

If MNHQ decided (for some bizarre reason ) tl lock this thread, and left an explanatio at the bottom such as "WE don't like being told how to run our website" ).

I'd think - oh ok, fair enough - there's my answer - hey presto no spawned thread.

Current 'method' has further problem. I had no idea there'd been a troll about until I saw all the threads asking where the thread had gone. If the thread had not been deleted then I would never have known.

(If, however, a poo-smell were wafting from my computer, then I would have hastened over and found it before it was gone )

Thanks for these suggestions, folks.

Please keep 'em coming.

If a thread is locked, another one will be started to discuss why the thread is locked, and to dissect the locked thread.

The only advantage is that it won't all have to be repeated.

So you're going to delete the current thread in Chat? I would just lock and let it stand. You know deleting it's just going to lead to more and more "oh, where did that go? I was reading it" threads.

Jux, we cannot have a poo smell coming from the computer, or MNetters all over the land would be sniffing toddlers' bottoms or eyeing the cat suspiciously, trying to work out who had defecated where!

yes - but MMe - if there's an explanation from MNHQ at the bottom of the locked thread then people won't need to rehash the old thread - or even ask - as it'll be there.

Spin off threads can be locked (or deleted _ as there's no point in asking - as the answer is there. I think people would get the hint after a while that there was no point in starting "what happened to x thread" - when the thread is still there to be read, and it's locked, and it has an explanation for locking on it.

I agree that HQ should give a bit more info about the troll.

if they have enough to know that its a troll tehn tell us what you know.

It is anonymous, only a screen name. its nbot like there are confidentiality issues.

also the locked thread idea is a good one.

put a nice red message at the end saying why it is locked and then leave it for 7 days before deleting. that way anyone that was involved can see and catch up. no more posts mean no more arguing but also saves al the wheres the thread threads,.

Wouldn't MNHQ posting how they knew it was a troll merely advise prospective trolls how best to hide?

I think its a great thing to have OTBT, and it should be used more. Threads that have trolls should be locked with an explanation and the relevant parts deleted, then moved to OTBT. All threads asking "what happened" or trying to rehash in any way should also be moved to OTBT. At least this way, the incident doesn't suck in half of MN, who would be happily oblivious to it all. Only those who are actually involved in some ways would still be re-hashing it, and this would be hidden from all the other MNers, so random rubberneckers don't just pile in.

Firstly, I don't see why people can't know who a troll is if they're a previously identified troll.

Secondly, I don't think that the threads should be deleted or even locked. The thread capasity is 1000 posts, on the whole, unless the outing happens at post 900 most people will have got past wanting to discuss it before it reaches the capasity stage.

If mn hq came on and announced that the op was a troll then people could express their and (although tbh how anyone failed to see that the thread yesterday was a troll is really beyond me), and they could discuss the in's and outs on the thread and people seeing it in active convos would come on and look at it and see what it was about, and eventually it would reach capasity and people would stop posting.

The problem with all troll threads being deleted is that even months down the line someone will make reference to one of them and someone will come on and say "oh, I didn't know dizzymare/sassysusan/pooh poster was a troll" and the whole thing gets re-hashed again but without any evidencial threads to back up the tellings and so it then goes around in circles again.

If the troll posts are in chat they eventually disappear anyway but by then the majority have lost interest.