Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 16:25:12 06/04/99
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On June 04, 1999 at 19:03:51, Steven Schwartz wrote: >Nominees... >A while back, there was a thread started called >"Kasparov is a GOD". It ostensibly dealt with the >world champion and not, necessarily, computer >chess. How would you handle such a thread? And >did it need handling? This is what is commonly called a "troll". It is off-topic, and designed to inflame or at least to cause a knee-jerk reaction. The purpose of such a posting is not to cause discussion but to cause an avalanche and to laugh as the snow falls down the hill. I would leave funny trolls, because I enjoy them and even write them myself from time to time. I would toss mean spirited trolls, because they have no value and only get people annoyed. I never did read the original post. I read some follow-ups by some that post regularly here and whom I like to read on a regular basis. The troller is probably harmless in this case, but if that sort of pattern appears constantly, e.g.: "DEEP BLUE CHEATED AND I HAVE PROOF!!" "DANN CORBIT IS A HOMOSEXUAL!!" "REBEL SUCKS!! A TWO YEAR OLD COULD BEAT IT!!" then they should be banned because they only have the goal of disruption. I would have recommended deletion of the post and possibly the thread, if at least one other moderator went along with it. However, I would have waited until the avalance started. Most of the time trolls either get ignored or one sensible follow-up kills the thread. No sense causing a stir over nothing. Deletion of a thread and starting a troll are both on the same level of annoyance for the group as a whole, probably. I don't have a lot of patience with off-topic junk. I think it would be nice to have a sticky filter list to get rid of stuff I don't want to read. But we don't have one, so greater self-discipline is required. It's impossible to start really enormous trolls here, because that requires crossposting. For instance, you could post to usenet's news:rec.pets.dogs;news:rec.pets.cats SUBJ: HELP! Diet for a Labrador "I have been feeding my labrador siamese kittens so that he will be a better cougar hunting dog. My cousin says I should use adult cats, since they are closer in size to a cougar. P.S. Don't think I am a cat hater, because someday I am going to get a pet tiger and then the dog will get *his* turn."
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