It seems like I'm flagging multiple posts a day here (and on other boards). In fact, I think I am. Anybody else feel like their patience is wearing thinner than usual with rude or otherwise obnoxious posts?
I've said some reactionary things myself, that were most likely flag-worthy. There has been one person I shall not name, whose name I am seeing everywhere attacking other people's posts. Not simply disagreeing, but flat out attacking. The Paizo staff have removed most of his posts, but he's still around.
Evil Lincoln's rules for forum sanity:
I try to live by these, I really do. But nobody's perfect.
Still, I think the best thing we can all do is make sure that every post we make contributes to the forum meaningfully. Forum Trolls are like zombies — when you try to fight them directly, you risk being absorbed into their number.
Some people, myself included, come to this forum to draw on the experience of other players for real problems.
Other people come here to talk about the game because they aren't playing it. An arguemtn about the game rules on a forum is a desperate substitution for gameplay. There is a place for these discussions, but the answer to 99% of "problems" discussed is to just play the game instead of discussing it (even if you make changes to the game).
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I've said some reactionary things myself, that were most likely flag-worthy. There has been one person I shall not name, whose name I am seeing everywhere attacking other people's posts. Not simply disagreeing, but flat out attacking. The Paizo staff have removed most of his posts, but he's still around.
I think I know who you mean. If it's who I think it is, he's one of the three people I have on my ignore list, using this GreaseMonkey script for FireFox.
Seriously, that ignore script has made my life here so much easier, and brought down my blood pressure quite a bit. Also, I get that "Duty Calls" feeling much less often.
I would much rather see the fool continue to make a jackass out of themselves, continue to get posts deleted (i.e. they waste their time, and we don't have to see it mostly), and eventually anger the moderators to the point of receiving the Banhammer of Doom +5. Always leave the fools enough rope to hang themselves, nine out of ten times they will eventually figure out how to tie the rope correctly and execute in an efficient manner.
Well, what do you think brings moderator attention? Flagging the offending post. So I've generally been flagging and moving on.
It's just that I get pretty sick of the sniping and snarking and, rather than ignoring (which I had usually been doing), I've been reporting. I guess I'm tired of ceding the boards to jerks and have decided to use the tools given me to help the situation. Sorry to the mods if that means more headaches.
I'm with you, Bill. I have pretty much confined myself to a couple of off-topic forums (fora?) and my AP's, which are much more civil. I really would like to peruse the rules questions because some are pertinent to what I'm running, but they end up being the same few people carpet bombing each other over minutia. I swear they just copy and paste their flames. My interest quickly wanes when I can't find intelligent, rational discussion about the topic.
I've said some reactionary things myself, that were most likely flag-worthy. There has been one person I shall not name, whose name I am seeing everywhere attacking other people's posts. Not simply disagreeing, but flat out attacking. The Paizo staff have removed most of his posts, but he's still around.I think I know who you mean. If it's who I think it is, he's one of the three people I have on my ignore list, using this GreaseMonkey script for FireFox.
Seriously, that ignore script has made my life here so much easier, and brought down my blood pressure quite a bit. Also, I get that "Duty Calls" feeling much less often.
Cool, I'll give that a try. In my recent situations, it hasn't been so much about Duty Calling, but I was getting hammered just for liking and using one less popular rules subset. Anywho, I fell for it and my posts degenerated as such. I'll be blocking, flagging etc from now on.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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One thing I try to remember when I post is those tags after my name. While I don't work for Paizo, or contibute ("to society," the voices in my head scream), I do try to be civil when I disagree on a topic, just because someone reading might look at those RPG superstar things and take my statements as a reflection on Paizo.
I don't always succeed, (duh!) but I think it's a good guideline to follow.
While I don't play WoW, I read a headline a while ago wherein Blizzard was going to require that anyone posting on their messageboards would have to use their actual, given name. As I understand it, Blizzard later backed down, but I wonder if they were onto something.
To quote the Men in Black movie, "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals..."
As many scholars and social scientists have suggested, it is the annonymous nature of online communities that implicitly allow, if not promote, anti-social behaviors. In other words, if you're sitting in the middle of a mob of annonmyous persons (either in real life or online) you are much more likely to exhibit speech and other behaviors that you would otherwise not even contemplate.
Honestly however, this is not a particularly new phenomenon; put a normally well-adjusted, contributing member of society behind the wheel of an automobile where they believe they are now an annonymous "blank face" and they will cut persons off in traffic, speed (thereby breaking the law), and lay on the horn to simply offend someone else. All of this is done because they feel that "no one knows who I am."
I suppose it is an unfortunate social commentary about the human species, but I also suppose that, if we are aware of these habits and then overcome them, we all will become better for that knowledge.
-Brooks
I have to admit, I have been feeding the troll. I'm trying to stop, but http://xkcd.com/386/
I have started flagging and moving on.
I have to admit, I have been feeding the troll. I'm trying to stop, but http://xkcd.com/386/
I have started flagging and moving on.
Sometimes, it's like an addiction, isn't it?
Must... crush... troll.
But in doing so, all we're doing is propogating said troll, they do regenerate, after all.
-Brooks
As many scholars and social scientists have suggested, it is the annonymous nature of online communities that implicitly allow, if not promote, anti-social behaviors. In other words, if you're sitting in the middle of a mob of annonmyous persons (either in real life or online) you are much more likely to exhibit speech and other behaviors that you would otherwise not even contemplate.Honestly however, this is not a particularly new phenomenon; put a normally well-adjusted, contributing member of society behind the wheel of an automobile where they believe they are now an annonymous "blank face" and they will cut persons off in traffic, speed (thereby breaking the law), and lay on the horn to simply offend someone else. All of this is done because they feel that "no one knows who I am."
Maybe, but I know of at least a couple of individuals on boards who post in confrontational and rude styles despite most of the participants on the board knowing who they are (it's a very cliquish board). I've even seen other posters remarking that they can't really understand why they do this. It's like they take on a persona despite not really being anonymous. So maybe, like with the traffic example, that "mask" works to a certain degree whether or not it provides true anonymity - as long as it provides a level of abstraction from the individual - it enables the ruder behavior.
Maybe, but I know of at least a couple of individuals on boards who post in confrontational and rude styles despite most of the participants on the board knowing who they are (it's a very cliquish board). I've even seen other posters remarking that they can't really understand why they do this. It's like they take on a persona despite not really being anonymous. So maybe, like with the traffic example, that "mask" works to a certain degree whether or not it provides true anonymity - as long as it provides a level of abstraction from the individual - it enables the ruder behavior.
Its because they are ill mannered A-hats, Off the boards they are still the same person.
If they can be rude to a person and get away with it then they will do it on and off the boards. These guys are the bully nerds, as they have been picked on you will often find them trying to make themselves feel good by picking on others people smaller or younger who haven't learned to defend themselves against being verbally belittled.
Strangely board etiquette actually allows these people to continue. We are afraid to name them as it might hurt their feelings or paint ourselves as jerks. We can rail against them but its just giving them their jollies and fuelling them up for further attacks.
I will probably will have this post deleted but I am going to name people who's posts I don't like and why.
Cartigan - Confrontational, overly blunt, repeatedly belittles people who disagree.
Malapocolypse - Same as Cartigan
Dingo - lack of sensitivity for people in tragic circumstances, deliberate inflammatory remarks.
Its because they are ill mannered A-hats, Off the boards they are still the same person.If they can be rude to a person and get away with it then they will do it on and off the boards. These guys are the bully nerds, as they have been picked on you will often find them trying to make themselves feel good by picking on others people smaller or younger who haven't learned to defend themselves against being verbally belittled.
Strangely board etiquette actually allows these people to continue. We are afraid to name them as it might hurt their feelings or paint ourselves as jerks. We can rail against them but its just giving them their jollies and fuelling them up for further attacks.
Generally, I agree. I can't really understand how someone could be, reputedly, so nice in person and such an asshat on a messageboard. It strikes me that the person you are is how you behave when nobody is keeping an eye on you (and able to ID you). I'll make some allowanced for blowing off steam (I don't usually shout out insults and curses, but I will if I'm alone in my car and someone cuts of me off), but not as general behavior.
The board I'm specifically thinking of is specifically set up to be a free-for-all with little to no moderation. So rude banter is common. And even under those rules, one of the guys I'm thinking of needed to be modded away from a forum because his behavior was so extreme.
Dingo - lack of sensitivity for people in tragic circumstances, deliberate inflammatory remarks.
I don't think he's playing with a full deck if you know what I mean.
Soooo...Mr. Fishy on any ignore list?
Troll points maybe?
Mr. Fishy needs his attention fix!
I don't think he's playing with a full deck if you know what I mean.
Dingo - lack of sensitivity for people in tragic circumstances, deliberate inflammatory remarks.
He has some Kangaroos loose in his top paddock.... I would have to agree, his posts are most inconsistent. Some are very interesting some just make me very cranky.
Huh. Haven't seen a particular poster in a few days but finding my patience still a bit short. Still flagging posts and movin' on...
Unless it is cultural, racial, gender, sexual preference, religiously motivated hate I never flag. I would much rather see the fool continue to make a jackass out of themselves, continue to get posts deleted (i.e. they waste their time, and we don't have to see it mostly), and eventually anger the moderators to the point of receiving the Banhammer of Doom +5. Always leave the fools enough rope to hang themselves, nine out of ten times they will eventually figure out how to tie the rope correctly and execute in an efficient manner.
Please keep in mind that flagging is how posts come to the moderators' attention.
Mistah Green
I'll name him, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, then he started using that Hi Welcome thing and I lost any desire to try and listen to the things he says, why show the respect of listening to someone who clearly doesn't show respect to others.
Have you noticed that Hi Welcome is his first post to the boards.
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Have you noticed that Hi Welcome is his first post to the boards.Mistah Green
I'll name him, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, then he started using that Hi Welcome thing and I lost any desire to try and listen to the things he says, why show the respect of listening to someone who clearly doesn't show respect to others.
It was not. TOZ had to explain what it meant to him in the Magus Playtest. He was irritable and confrontational even before that.
Edit: It does appear to be now that I check, but I wonder how much of that was deleted before hand.
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It was not. TOZ had to explain what it meant to him in the Magus Playtest. He was irritable and confrontational even before that.
Edit: It does appear to be now that I check, but I wonder how much of that was deleted before hand.
Not quite accurate. That was me pointing out that google will reveal the meaning behind it. Mostly for the benefit of others. I am sure he's known exactly what it means for quite awhile.
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Not quite accurate. That was me pointing out that google will reveal the meaning behind it. Mostly for the benefit of others. I am sure he's known exactly what it means for quite awhile.It was not. TOZ had to explain what it meant to him in the Magus Playtest. He was irritable and confrontational even before that.
Edit: It does appear to be now that I check, but I wonder how much of that was deleted before hand.
I don't doubt that for a second really. I went back to double check it, but am having trouble even locating the first Hi Welcome post I saw.
My name is Flagitus Maximus commander of the northern posters, the time for trolling these boards will soon be at the end.
But seriously, everyone should already have a sense of who will argue a point to it's very last breath, on any board your visit regularly. So most the time it is best to move on. But I agree some people become so viral they end up hanging themselves.
We tend to get burned out when it is a topic we are passionate about, but once again you need to know when to move on. I just take a break for a week or more.
I don't doubt that for a second really. I went back to double check it, but am having trouble even locating the first Hi Welcome post I saw.Not quite accurate. That was me pointing out that google will reveal the meaning behind it. Mostly for the benefit of others. I am sure he's known exactly what it means for quite awhile.It was not. TOZ had to explain what it meant to him in the Magus Playtest. He was irritable and confrontational even before that.
Edit: It does appear to be now that I check, but I wonder how much of that was deleted before hand.
I don't think it really matters. The more he posts the more glad I am that I don't have any players like him at all.
Have you noticed that Hi Welcome is his first post to the boards.
That's... I'm actually not sure what word I'm searching for. Something between "bizarre" and "ironic."
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Have you noticed that Hi Welcome is his first post to the boards.That's... I'm actually not sure what word I'm searching for. Something between "bizarre" and "ironic."
If in fact it was the first post to this board then yes it is indeed quite ironic. Because from what I understand the intent of that statement is apparently to say that your post is of so little merit that the only thing I can respond with is Hi Welcome. By making it his first post he did indeed prove that there is so little merit to his opinions that it in fact should only be responded to with Hi Welcome, so yeah, good stuff.
Luckily from what I've seen it isn't a trend, he's the only person I've seen here trying to use it thinking it'll catch on here. Like the guy in parachute pants who thinks he can get the trend back in style.
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If it's who I think it is, he's one of the three people I have on my ignore list, using this GreaseMonkey script for FireFox.
Gone from three to four as of this evening. There are some aliases that should have ankle bracelets keeping them in the Off-Topic Forums...sigh...
There are some aliases that should have ankle bracelets keeping them in the Off-Topic Forums...sigh...
That would be me, good sir! Of course, it isn't so much an ankle bracelet, as the beloved Paizo folks asked me to try and limit my humble ruminations to said Off-Topic section as often as possible, a request to which I most joyously adhere more often than not.
Like the guy in parachute pants who thinks he can get the trend back in style.
You've met my brother? Big guy... like.. 6'4" ish, built like those Scotsmen on the "World's Strongest Man" shows, and wears parachute pants.
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Okay, so I'm browsing the boards on my iPod, which obviously isn't running the Greasemonkey script I use on my desktop to ignore people, and what do you know - I see at least 4 decent, non-baiting, non-inflammatory posts from one of the people on my ignore list. What gives?
Maybe it was a fluke, and he had a brief period of decency (all the posts were within an hour). Or, maybe he's turned over a new leaf and I have to go through and reexamine the candidates in my ignore list.
In related news, a new board member joined my list tonight, thanks to their incessant habit of posting one sentence per line, and then adding extra line breaks for no good reason. The content to page space ratio finally became too small for me.
Unless it is cultural, racial, gender, sexual preference, religiously motivated hate I never flag. I would much rather see the fool continue to make a jackass out of themselves, continue to get posts deleted (i.e. they waste their time, and we don't have to see it mostly), and eventually anger the moderators to the point of receiving the Banhammer of Doom +5. Always leave the fools enough rope to hang themselves, nine out of ten times they will eventually figure out how to tie the rope correctly and execute in an efficient manner.
I am in agreement with this. If I notice an individual is not contributing to a thread I just call them out on it. Arguing the point is good, arguing for the sake of arguing is just trolling.
I'm sure he's nicer in person. I. Am. Sure.
I don't think it really matters. The more he posts the more glad I am that I don't have any players like him at all.
Really? Why?
The flagging system is awesome at notifying us of potential issues. :)