Updated - Beware These Trolls

[mars]

Hi All

I am getting sick of seeing my name around here, as you probably are.

But someone has to do the dirty work.

My latest list of trolls operating on the Forum -

Fredforest
Kenton
JRagel
Christen
CaptainJack
The Pope
Sleepyhead22
Kenton
AmyHarper
Sleeptechulous

The next attack will probably come from unregistered names.

cheers

Mars

Ps Just read Ozij's post on another thread, and she is, of course, correct. However, I'm pretty confident about the above list.

[Tired Linda]

I am getting sick of seeing my name around here, as you probably are.

Never! I always enjoy your posts.

But someone has to do the dirty work.

Thank you.

[Sleepyhead22]

[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: a spam button is not hard
[calist] 9:23 am: You are right its not.
[calist] 9:23 am: How long do I have before I get one?
[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: finishing off a thread is beyond me though
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: no idea
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: i thought it was always there
[calist] 9:24 am: You know that you aren't going to be able to keep a single post when my accounts go live right?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: i don't even post here anymore silly.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: I've moved on
[calist] 9:25 am: Really....
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: its a bunch of new people that i don't know asking the same old questions
[calist] 9:25 am: Then why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: sure, once in a while i chime in.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: why delete what?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: your stuff?
[calist] 9:26 am: If you've moved on, why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: for fun I guess.
[calist] 9:26 am: Thats not really moving on.
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: true, you should have been a psychiatrist.

[roster]

That is a good idea to keep a running list. However, I think we need a definition of what qualifies someone as a troll. I am sure some of the trolls are obvious, but down the road it can be easy to label someone as a troll just because we disagree with him.

As I see it, the purpose of this forum is to aid CPAP patients to be in control of all areas including diagnosis, selection of doctors and sleep labs, insurance issues, selection of equipment, selection of and dealing with DMEs, knowledge of how the therapy works and how to responsibly modify it, and much more, including related issues such as comorbidities.

So if members agree with that purpose, how would they define a troll?

[Stormynights]

That is a good idea to keep a running list. However, I think we need a definition of what qualifies someone as a troll. I am sure some of the trolls are obvious, but down the road it can be easy to label someone as a troll just because we disagree with him.

As I see it, the purpose of this forum is to aid CPAP patients to be in control of all areas including diagnosis, selection of doctors and sleep labs, insurance issues, selection of equipment, selection of and dealing with DMEs, knowledge of how the therapy works and how to responsibly modify it, and much more, including related issues such as comorbidities.

So if members agree with that purpose, how would they define a troll?

I would really like to see the definition of a troll. Is it just someone you disagree with? I don't want to think I am a troll but there has been times most disagreed with me.

[scrapper]

What defines these individuals as trolls?

They are all the same individual here to cause havoc and mayhem........to provoke, antagonize, and arrogantly flaunt themselves.....not involved in the true purposes of this board..........

There's nothing wrong with respectful discourse and disagreement--it's how we grow and learn.

I don't think we have to worry about this list.........it's accurate and true, and incomplete I'm sure.

[chunkyfrog]

Perhaps it involves the difference between ego and passion
Most of us have a passion to be well and help others; and curiosity to see how those in the same situation are doing.
Some seek to feed their misshapen egos; or even to misinform and do harm.
I do pray they go away.

[mars]

That is a good idea to keep a running list.

Hi Rooster

I am not keeping a running list.

This list is simply as the Forum is as of now, that is all.

And one good way to check is to look at the posters previous posts if there are any.

As for definitions of a troll -

The Pathology of Trolls - Good reading here.

http://webupon.com/web-talk/the-pathology-of-trolls/

Internet Trolls and Trolling - Good Article

http://factoidz.com/internet-trolls-and-trolling/

Trolls on Usenet and Other Forums - very good article

http://wilko.webzone.ru/troll.html

How To Handle A Troll - Another good article

http://community.ufcundisputed.com/foru ... 7624?&p=ps

Issues Related to Bullying - Good stuff here about cyberbullying

http://www.bullyonline.org/related/stalking.htm

From the Support Autism Newsgroup

http://www.mugsy.org/asa_faq/getting_al ... tml#trolls

Trolling The Web - A How-To Article

http://www.urban75.com/Mag/troll.html

The Secret Life of Trolls

http://www.squidoo.com/the-secret-life- ... le12737561

The Flame Warriors

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.htm

and just to show how far this has gone - The Patent Troll

http://www.filament.com.au/ip-intellige ... troll.aspx

I have wanted to post that list ever since you and I had one of our arguements, but I knew you were not a Troll, so I kept it for a rainy, or should I say, Trollish, day.

And today is the day.

By the way, Rooster, sometimes you have deserved my acrimony, and sometimes you have not. I apologise for the times my acrimony was unfounded and unwarranted.

cheers

Mars

[Sleepyhead22]

[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: a spam button is not hard
[calist] 9:23 am: You are right its not.
[calist] 9:23 am: How long do I have before I get one?
[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: finishing off a thread is beyond me though
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: no idea
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: i thought it was always there
[calist] 9:24 am: You know that you aren't going to be able to keep a single post when my accounts go live right?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: i don't even post here anymore silly.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: I've moved on
[calist] 9:25 am: Really....
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: its a bunch of new people that i don't know asking the same old questions
[calist] 9:25 am: Then why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: sure, once in a while i chime in.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: why delete what?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: your stuff?
[calist] 9:26 am: If you've moved on, why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: for fun I guess.
[calist] 9:26 am: Thats not really moving on.
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: true, you should have been a psychiatrist.

[Sleepyhead22]

[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: a spam button is not hard
[calist] 9:23 am: You are right its not.
[calist] 9:23 am: How long do I have before I get one?
[Notmuffy] 9:23 am: finishing off a thread is beyond me though
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: no idea
[Notmuffy] 9:24 am: i thought it was always there
[calist] 9:24 am: You know that you aren't going to be able to keep a single post when my accounts go live right?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: i don't even post here anymore silly.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: I've moved on
[calist] 9:25 am: Really....
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: its a bunch of new people that i don't know asking the same old questions
[calist] 9:25 am: Then why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: sure, once in a while i chime in.
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: why delete what?
[Notmuffy] 9:25 am: your stuff?
[calist] 9:26 am: If you've moved on, why delete?
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: for fun I guess.
[calist] 9:26 am: Thats not really moving on.
[Notmuffy] 9:26 am: true, you should have been a psychiatrist.

[LinkC]

What defines these individuals as trolls?

They are all the same individual here to cause havoc and mayhem........

Judging from the msg count and rampant ill-will, it appears it/they CONTINUE to win. Feed the ego and the nonsense persists. Does it really matter who or why? Learn to ignore it and it will stop.

[ozij]

Thank you for the links, Mars.

I am copying the text Mars mentioned; edited to fit this one:

Actually the fact we have a mean-spirited troll on the forum does not mean we have to more or less careful than otherwise. We are dealing with human beings, and we always have to careful when responding to them.

Even the most suspected post from a newbie deserves a careful, well thought out answer, which is what JohnBFisher supplied when he responded to "donkeyboy". And "donkeyboy" and was very thankful for the reply he got.

Let's behave as though we believe any newbie asking for help. And let's not get into discussions of "is this true or not" is "is this a troll post or not" since arguing about that will waste our time and energy, and lead us nowhere fast.

Let's let our leg be pulled, because if we mistake a newbie in need for a troll, we will do the kind of harm that only that troll wants to inflict on others.

And "donkeyboy", if "fredforest" is impersonating you, rest assured that he's been doing impersonations from the day he first joined this forum. He is terribly upset that we saw through him, don't want him around and don't appreciate him, and he's trying to throw the kind of tantrums he always does under those conditions.... if you, donkeyboy, are in real need of help, chance are you'll get it here.

For any person in need of real help: Read the forum carefully. Use your heart and brain when you read. Listen to how the suggestions are given. Trusting a person on the internet has to do with trusting your feeling about that person. There are cruel malicious people everywhere -- don't let them make you feel you won't get help on this forum - you will get help. It may take time for you to figure who you can trust -- take your time. There are good, kind, reliable, helpful people on this forum, they are the majority. Stick around and you'll find them and they'll find you.

[SleepingUgly]

Wow, it's becoming a full time job and requiring a lot of cognitive resources to keep up with the drama on this forum. I feel like I'm always several steps behind.

It seems to me that there are people in all walks of life who have "issues", and this forum is not exempt from them. People's writing is going to reflect their "issues", minor to major, including their patterns of perceiving and reacting to things. Some write grandiose, condescending, deceitful content, which reflects their particular "issues". There are some whose "issues" seem to lie in marked intolerance of anything that remotely reminds them of someone or some topic that they disagree with or don't like, and they react strongly. It's all just "issues". I didn't read the links about trolls, but I assume that whatever "troll" behavior is (if anyone agrees on that), it is a reflection of that person's issues. Some people's issues impact others more than another person's issues do.

I agree with Ozij and have said this before: Personally I try to err on the side of believing people are sincere because I would rather be fooled than respond to someone sincere as if they are a liar. So if I get fooled, I get fooled.

[SleepyT]

What defines these individuals as trolls?

They are all the same individual here to cause havoc and mayhem........

Judging from the msg count and rampant ill-will, it appears it/they CONTINUE to win. Feed the ego and the nonsense persists. Does it really matter who or why? Learn to ignore it and it will stop.

LinkC, I could not agree more. If people stopped responding to trollish behavior, the trolls would have to get their jollies elsewhere.

[xenablue]

I completely agree that trolls should be ignored, HOWEVER for any newbies, specially newbies to message boards, these trolls can totally mislead a scared person when they desperately need help from a forum like this.

As a newbie, I was accosted by PM by one of these trolls, and had I not already seen this person flushed out as a troll and an experienced message board member on another site, I might have taken this troll's recommendation and been led up the garden path to misinformation.

It's hard to find a happy medium between ignoring these egotists and alerting newbies to their destructive ways.

xenablue