Trolls, Flamers and other nasty people.

[Tim and June]

A while ago we held a poll about opening up this forum to general discussion rather than just GAGB business.

The motion was carried by the members but there were a number who, understandaby, had reservations. We asked for feedback and it appeared that many were concerned about trolls and flamers.

The caretaking "committee" have discussed the problem and perhaps we have a resolution, but would welcome your feedback. :D

Here is how we envisage it could work.


At the bottom of each post there is a link "Report this post".

If a member spots a Troll or Flame posting they should click the link and give their reasons.

If a post is reported by 10 different members, the committee will review the situation and the poster can be put on a watch whereby all of his/her posts to the forum have to be monitored by a moderator for a period of 6 or 8 weeks.

On the third repitition of such behaviour, the poster will loose posting and voting rights on the forum.

Confidentiality
The identity of all members who make a complaint will be protected, only the moderators or committee will be given those details.

Is this a way forward ?

Please let's have some comments so we can improve/abandon this idea.

B)

[Wood Smoke]

My impression from reading the feedback, was that there were enough general forums already, and another was not required?

WoodSmoke

[Tim and June]

Originally posted by Wood Smoke@Jul 2 2003, 08:07 AM
My impression from reading the feedback, was that there were enough general forums already, and another was not required?

WoodSmoke
Your point is understood, but the result of the poll was 62% for opening up the forum and 35% against, therefore we have to go with the majority decision.

There were 11 replies to the feedback request :

6 mentioned Trolls
7 mentioned other forums for the purpose
7 said they are happy to go with the majority


Some were not specific and so I counted them on the general feeling of the response.

As 7 said they were happy to go with the majority, that leaves 4 who were not. I am sorry that we cannot please everybody all the time, but we do try. :D

[Geoff & Bonnie]

Yes, my impression was the same as Woodsmoke's.
Geoff

[Chris n Maria]

As this site is very closely linked with GC.com - can't we do something with the GC.com userid.

Surly if someone has 0 finds/ 0 placed they shouldn't be here (unless invited like HCC or someone). How about a simple rule to eleminate trolls & sock puppets:

If your post is reported and you have 0found/0placed then you are automatically treated as a troll ?

Just a thought.
Chris

[Gavotteers]

Originally posted by Chris n Maria@Jul 2 2003, 01:23 PM


Surly if someone has 0 finds/ 0 placed they shouldn't be here (unless invited like HCC or someone). How about a simple rule to eleminate trolls & sock puppets:

If your post is reported and you have 0found/0placed then you are automatically treated as a troll ?



Excuse me for posting with 0 finds 0 placed
but could someone please explain what are Trolls/Sock puppets and why that makes me One
and why i shouldn't be here
:rolleyes:

[Chris n Maria]

A troll is someone who deliberatly sets about upsetting people.
A sock puppet is an ID created by a user on the board so that they can pretend to be someone different from who they are.

Usually what happens is that someone creats an id, asy something inflamator and starts a row.

I wasn't suggesting that you shouldn't be allowed to post as a 0/0 but it is usually a good sign that if people report your actions as inflamatory and you are a 0/0 then you are just here to upset people.

Can I ask what interest you have in caching if you have never found or placed then? (it might knock my theory completly out of the water)

[Gavotteers]

Originally posted by Chris n Maria@Jul 2 2003, 03:30 PM


Can I ask what interest you have in caching if you have never found or placed then? (it might knock my theory completly out of the water)
Many thanks for your reply to my last posting i now realise that a Troll isn't a Smurf type creature of the sixties and a sock puppets not a Charri Lewis Lamb puppet (That Dates Me)

My interest in Geocaching is one of a complete beginner who wants to do more with his Gps gear than using it in the car and i joined this group in the hope of learning all about Geocaching, of the few Groups i use this is the best for the tolerance it shows to members and new commers in particular
Well Done to EveryOne

[Admin]

Originally posted by gavotteers@Jul 2 2003, 07:24 PM
of the few Groups i use this is the best for the tolerance it shows to members and new commers in particular
Well Done to EveryOne
We're flattered, thank you.

We are very keen to welcome new cachers (or Geomuggles as they are affectionately known :D ) and it's nice to see that we are not too unwelcoming. B)

Unfortunately, there is a lot of sensitivity to Trolls, particularly since the initial setting up of the GAGB which saw a great deal of flaming elsewhere. We do hope that you understand the waryness.

It is just that sensitivity which prompted this thread asking whether the members agreed with, or could improve upon, a suggested method of dealing with trolls and flamers.

Onwards and upwards ;)

[The Bennett Family]

If a post is reported by 10 different members, the committee will review the situation and the poster can be put on a watch whereby all of his/her posts to the forum have to be monitored by a moderator for a period of 6 or 8 weeks.

Sound like a good plan to me. :D

Gaz.

[Team Paradise]

Originally posted by gavotteers@Jul 2 2003, 07:24 PM
Many thanks for your reply to my last posting i now realise that a Troll isn't a Smurf type creature of the sixties and a sock puppets not a Charri Lewis Lamb puppet (That Dates Me)

Lamb Chop!... Blimey, that dates me too! :D

[DerekReed]

It sounds like a good method to me. I think it will reduce flaming, and the quantity of sockpuppets.
(Unless they go the trouble of 'finding' caches to get around it...)

Just my £0.02p ;)

Derek

[Mr & Mrs Hedgehog]

But they won't have to find caches... Just log on the site that they have.... e.g. how long would it take to set up a false id. Go to a cache page and do a false log on it or do false logs on a number of caches.... we would then need someone to check the log book in the cache to establish if the log was real or not.... in the meantime they can post away....

[Admin]

Please note that although the validity of having found a cache/s as a qualification for posting on this forum is worthy of discussion, it was not part of the original proposal as laid out by Tim & June at the start of this thread.

Not trying to stop the discussion, just ensuring that nobody misinterprets the direction of the thread.

[Brenin Tegeingl]

As cachenuggets(0 finds) post on the forums, for advice on equipment and other advice. The no of finds should not come into it, only the style and quality of the post should count( trollish/ rude) to flag a warning. How about a two tier system of monitoring posts, after three complaints the poster receives a private email warning. And then on reaching ten complaints by members, the offending poster is put on monitoring by admins for a set period and receives a official warning that further complaints by members could result in being barred from posting to the forums on a permanent basis. Mancunian Pyrocacher

[The Merman]

Originally posted by Admin@Jul 4 2003, 12:55 PM
Please note that although the validity of having found a cache/s as a qualification for posting on this forum is worthy of discussion, it was not part of the original proposal as laid out by Tim & June at the start of this thread.

I have a problem with the 0 found idea.

That idea assumes that the people are registered with GC.com and the purpose of this organisation is to support all cachers from all the different areas of geocaching.

[Teasel]

Another problem is what constitutes a "troll". To me, someone like Gunther, say, would fall into that category. But to others I'm sure he was just expressing feelings they'd be too diplomatic to express themselves in public. Same goes for "sock puppets" like Piggly.

Having a rule based on the number of GC.com finds runs the risk that, when someone has something they'd like to say anonomously, they'll just spend 10mins polluting GC.com with false logs.

In some Scouting newsgroups on usenet, there's a ban on "3G" discussions (God, Gays, Girls). Like, for example, Lovelock caches, these are valid topics but which somehow always seem to spiral into heated arguments which go round and round in circles, so they're considered off-topic. Any thread which strays into off-topic territory could be immediately locked.

How about writing a GAGB FAQ with a list of common geomuggle questions (what's the best GPS, what's suitable stuff to put in a cache etc) and which also includes a list of off-topic subjects for these forums?

[Chris n Maria]

Originally posted by Teasel@Jul 16 2003, 12:28 AM
Having a rule based on the number of GC.com finds runs the risk that, when someone has something they'd like to say anonomously, they'll just spend 10mins polluting GC.com with false logs.

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time :(

Oh well lets abandon that idea and go back to the original proposal :rolleyes: