Reminder: Report Trolls

Ted

Ted

The pilot formerly known as Twin Engine Ted
Joined
Oct 9, 2007
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Display name:
iFlyNothing
This past weekend we banned a user who was a troll. It turned out that this particular user had previously been banned about a year and a half ago under a similar user name. Quite honestly, the MC had forgotten about this previously banned user, and so we only knew about this when it was brought to our attention by other users who had remembered the previously banned user name and made the connection. We have also seen cases where people who were banned (primarily trolls) make new user names after being banned and return. We usually catch these quickly and deal with it, but some hide it better than others.

If you read a post and think "This is [someone already banned]," please report it. We don't remember everyone who gets banned and normally user names aren't quite so similar.
 
Is there a way to check if the one poster on this site I have blocked was banned as a troll?
 
iflyvfr said:
Is there a way to check if the one poster on this site I have blocked was banned as a troll?
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If you look at their profile and it says "Ejection Handle Pulled" where your profile says "Cleared for Takeoff", they have been banned. However it won't tell you why, or if the ban is permanent or temporary.
 
Everskyward said:
If you look at their profile and it says "Ejection Handle Pulled" where your profile says "Cleared for Takeoff", they have been banned. However it won't tell you why, or if the ban is permanent or temporary.
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Yeah but if they're working off a different user name...???

I have absolutely no clue who has been banned here in the past.
 
Kritchlow said:
Yeah but if they're working off a different user name...???

I have absolutely no clue who has been banned here in the past.
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Some people have suspicions based on their posting style. We have had people report resurrected trolls before and they were correct. Note that the MC doesn't read every post or thread, or even close, so we rely on reports.
 
Everskyward said:
Some people have suspicions based on their posting style. We have had people report resurrected trolls before and they were correct. Note that the MC doesn't read every post or thread, or even close, so we rely on reports.
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Okay but it's still impossible to tell if a different user name was banned.

I truly don't care much, as this does not affect me.
 
Kritchlow said:
Okay but it's still impossible to tell if a different user name was banned.

I truly don't care much, as this does not affect me.
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OK, it's not as if we're making people do this. It was just a request if someone has suspicions.
 
Everskyward said:
If you look at their profile and it says "Ejection Handle Pulled" where your profile says "Cleared for Takeoff", they have been banned. However it won't tell you why, or if the ban is permanent or temporary.
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Dang, guess not then! ;)
 
In which thread was a person determined to be 'trolling' and banned? I'd like to see how obvious it is.
 
Is there a reason the admins/mods are being coy about who the banned member is?

And would it be inappropriate to guess? I think Skyrys62 is on the right track.
 
FastEddieB said:
Is there a reason the admins/mods are being coy about who the banned member is?

And would it be inappropriate to guess? I think Skyrys62 is on the right track.
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The mods don't make a habit of pointing out banned members, but I will say that you were correct when you reported them a while ago. We just didn't have proof yet.
 
Norman said:
Ted should have named this thread "Trolling for Trolls". :D
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I was not feeling as witty as you at the time of the original posting. ;)

MadseasoN said:
In which thread was a person determined to be 'trolling' and banned? I'd like to see how obvious it is.
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As Mari said, we don't make a habit of stating who has been banned or why, but others above were on the right track as to who. Maybe there's value in revisiting that policy in some cases such as this one.

Honestly, trolling is not always inherently obvious vs. someone who may just not really know what they're talking about, but pretends to. Usually you end up seeing a pattern of posts (sometimes faster than others) where someone either shows consistent lack of knowledge. Sharp members can and have picked up that someone is using multiple accounts based off of a similar writing style, and you do sometimes have trolls that will use multiple accounts. And really, most of us quickly ignore these people and just skim past their posts because we write them off as not knowledgeable or just trying to annoy others. Because of this, sometimes deciding that someone fits the category of a troll can take a while. However if the person is already banned or using multiple accounts, that's where it becomes obvious and a permanent ban is issued.

In the case of this individual, I had flagged some of his/her/its posts months ago as trolling, but we usually watch for a while. There are some users who initially may seem like they're trolling but may just be getting the lay of the land.

So unfortunately I don't have a good answer. Just use your "I know it when I see it" analysis.
 
Sometimes people get carried away with accusing others of trolling.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I was not feeling as witty as you at the time of the original posting. ;)
Honestly, trolling is not always inherently obvious vs. someone who may just not really know what they're talking about, but pretends to.
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Another hobby of mine is railroads. The number of trolls who inhabit those forums and have nothing worthy of contribution are mind boggling. One claims to be an academic who only quotes Wikipedia for his sources while failing to cite his sources. Online fora are subject to all forms of trolling and bad information. I read it on the internet so it must be true. :happydance:
 
Ted said: "...Honestly, trolling is not always inherently obvious vs. someone who may just not really know what they're talking about, but pretends to..."

Based on that criteria.....We're all doomed. :eek:
 
I'm gonna have to ask. What exacly is trolling? Last I knew it was posting something inflammatory on the internet to provoke a response. If that's the case, half of this sites regulars are going to be banned... :rolleyes: /s
 
Jim Case said:
I'm gonna have to ask. What exacly is trolling?
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This fellow trolls in style:

redneck_bass_boat.jpg
 
Jim Case said:
I'm gonna have to ask. What exacly is trolling? Last I knew it was posting something inflammatory on the internet to provoke a response. If that's the case, half of this sites regulars are going to be banned... :rolleyes: /s
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That's a good question, and admittedly one that can be difficult. To some extent it's one of those "I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it."

Your description is pretty much correct. Normally this is observed with a newcomer. In some cases we may ban people if their first post is considered to be extremely trolling, or within the first days, weeks, or months of membership if a pattern is observed or we discover something like an individual is using multiple accounts to appear that multiple people agree with that person's point of view. These people are typically banned.

We also have established members who troll to varying degrees, and they, too, should be reported for trolling. They typically receive warnings in line with the normal points system.
 
Just got done with my 2000 mile PPL solo cross country.
 
Nah, "Captain" is nowhere in my name.
 
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