About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

[paulinek]

I agree we should just ignore them, it's not like we have loads of trolls, it just seems that way due to one person creating all those multiple users - I think trolls have three aims, one is to upset people i,e with overly graphic posts, and this is where the mods come in, in making sure they are removed asap, the second is to cause arguing amongst existing members which tends to happen when someone criticises or questions them (possibly because they suspect they are a troll) but then someone else jumps in to defend them etc so while we are all entitled to voice our opinions i don't think we should start fighting amongst ourselves saying someone else is wrong for what they have said as again this is giving a troll a thrill - stirring it up then sitting back and watching the fireworks and lastly they just want plain old attention - a rabbit forum i go on actually has it in the rules that you are not allowed to talk about banned members or closed threads, and i'd always thought it was a bit OTT but I can see the reason why now, i think making it a rule and giving out infractions for doing so is a bit harsh but maybe if it could be a suggestion to all members not to talk about a particular trolls/banned members/closed threads so as not to give them the attention they crave in the hope they will eventually get bored and bog off when they realise they aren't getting any reaction. If we all just hit the report button when we think something is out of order and then let the mods deal with it, then it is all done behind the scenes quickly and quietly.

I don't think we should cut off whole swathes of genuine emets who use proxy servers from getting on just because of one person and I don't think a fee would put of the particular troll giving us hassle at the moment either as if they are shelling out money to open up their own forums then I think they would also pay to create new users on here.

I think the mods do a great job, we could maybe do with a couple more to cover all time zones as the European based ones haven't been on for a while but they do all deserve our thanks in keeping things under control and running smoothly and thank goodness IES exists and long may it continue!!

[faye84]

I agree that a troll would probably pay to terrorise if they really wanted to. I also don't think banning proxy servers is the most practical either, as previously discussed there are some members that would not be able to access the site if they really needed to. My other half works in telecommunications, and does know his stuff to an extent, and can't actually see any other ways to prevent what is happening, other than what has already been suggested.

My only suggestions would be: A firm set of forum rules, if someone / a new member breaks those rules then the post is deleted as soon as a mod is able, and a polite message is sent reminding them of the rules. 9 times out of 10, if the poster is genuine, they will see it's a friendly reminder and could post again perhaps leaving out horrendous details, or anything that may cause problems. That, or we could carry on as before with mods editing posts to be more 'suitable'.

My second suggestion is more moderators, particularly in varied timezones, who can keep an eye out and quickly delete any posts that are clearly malicious. I don't mean go at it like there is no such thing as free speech, but if someone is clearly trying to cause trouble then to use their discretion and get rid of those posts before there is a chance for other members to see them. I would suggest the mods need to be people that can read about things in graphic detail etc and not be too upset by it. If we have more eyes on the boards then there is more chance of these people / person getting stopped in their tracks.

It's such a hard topic. It's hard that we really just do not know who is a genuine new member and who isn't. I agree that ignoring is also a great thing to do, but I also fear they may then take things to more extreme levels which would still cause upset, unless deleted off the boards quickly.

I think more mods is the way to go, with a firm set of forum rules (which everyone could be a part of deciding) - any posts that do not meet those rules should be deleted. It may seem a little harsh, but most genuine people would not take offence and would understand, in my opinion.