Trolling

[BackFromUSA]

I'm not sure what the solution is but perhaps if the mods can recognise a history of similar posts without actually contributing anything worthwhile then they should be able to use their discretion and take action to rid the site of these posters.

This is certainly what we look for when assessing an issue like this.

In some cases it's blatantly obvious that a poster is an opposition troll and then it's easy to moderate.

But there are others where it's not so clear.

Is that negative opinion a poster has about the Saints an indication that they're a troll? Or are they negative as a reflection of where they are in their life and their worldview is negative? I'm sure we've all sat in front or near a "supporter" who spends their whole time bagging our own players. It's a pain in the butt, but that person may also be a paid up member putting their cash on the line to support the club. Maybe going to the footy and expressing their angst is a release for them.
So does that make them a non-supporter?

Same with people online. Is someone with a generally negative viewpoint necessarily a troll? A non-supporter?
What if that person is a paid up Saints member and has been for years?

What then? Should they be banned because their views and ways of expressing them are not popular?

This is where the rules come in. If they're not popular but conform to the rules, then they have the right to post. If they don't conform to the rules, there are steps that can be taken to pull them into line or if necessary, exclude them from the site.
And in implementing the rules the mods frequently come up against this conundrum. "Is that trolling or is that just a Saints fan with a negative view?"

There are plenty of 'grey' areas when it comes to assesssing a person's true intention in posting and indeed, whether they conform to the rules or not.

In addition, there are personal issues such as mental health, life circumstances and personal history that contribute to a person's posting style and whilst on an anonymous forum it's hard to assess these things, a compassionate, human, inclusive approach doesn't go astray I reckon.

+1

[dragit]

Should they be banned because their views and ways of expressing them are not popular?

…a compassionate, human, inclusive approach doesn't go astray I reckon.

It's not really about expressing a negative view, but if you start thread after thread on the same baiting topics and you have been banned in the past (under different management), your signature is McStake… then no amount of phone calls to simon is going to change the fact that you are a serial troll, saints fan or otherwise.

Multiple posters were suggesting that they would need to stay off the board this week after a bad loss because they were sure that a certain poster will ruin their experience here with the same trolling as most weeks after a loss.

I think it's probably hard for people to be compassionate and inclusive towards someone that appears to take joy in the suffering of the community that you are here to celebrate.

[saintspremiers]

Should they be banned because their views and ways of expressing them are not popular?

…a compassionate, human, inclusive approach doesn't go astray I reckon.

It's not really about expressing a negative view, but if you start thread after thread on the same baiting topics and you have been banned in the past (under different management), your signature is McStake… then no amount of phone calls to simon is going to change the fact that you are a serial troll, saints fan or otherwise.

Multiple posters were suggesting that they would need to stay off the board this week after a bad loss because they were sure that a certain poster will ruin their experience here with the same trolling as most weeks after a loss.

I think it's probably hard for people to be compassionate and inclusive towards someone that appears to take joy in the suffering of the community that you are here to celebrate.

Beautifully expressed and on the money.

I'm not sure if the mods look at history prior to the pat 3 years though? If not, it makes it trickier to get the desired outcome.

[dals_da_bomb]

Depends whats available.
I was looking at history unrelated a few nights ago and it went back to 2014 - im sure even more but i had no reason to go on.
However -
I had a lot of free time on my hands at that exact moment apparently.
Thats basically never the case for any of us.

[BigMart]

A thread for mods to justify themselves

Like Umpires, they are doing a good job if you don't notice them

[perfectionist]

You know we are going bad when some drongo starts a thread like this.

[WellardSaint]

A thread for mods to justify themselves

Like Umpires, they are doing a good job if you don't notice them

The mods have families and jobs like we all do.

They perform mod duties in response to any reported posts, usually.

How about if someone posted an abhorrent post, including racism, libel, or something else potentially litigious?
The forum could be closed down, or sued.

Who would set up a lemonade stand to pay the costs?

[saynta]

A thread for mods to justify themselves

Like Umpires, they are doing a good job if you don't notice them

The mods have families and jobs like we all do.

They perform mod duties in response to any reported posts, usually.

How about if someone posted an abhorrent post, including racism, libel, or something else potentially litigious?
The forum could be closed down, or sued.

Who would set up a lemonade stand to pay the costs?

Familes, yes. Jobs, maybe.

[dals_da_bomb]

easy tiger - jobs, families and feelings!

*Im a little precious today.

[BackFromUSA]

A thread for mods to justify themselves

Like Umpires, they are doing a good job if you don't notice them

The mods have families and jobs like we all do.

They perform mod duties in response to any reported posts, usually.

How about if someone posted an abhorrent post, including racism, libel, or something else potentially litigious?
The forum could be closed down, or sued.

Who would set up a lemonade stand to pay the costs?

Familes, yes. Jobs, maybe.

Seriously unnecessary! We actually all have jobs, family and we sometimes sacrifice valuable time off or work or family time to handle the petty fighting on here to try and keep this place online! For me it is up to an hour a day and I rarely post the same footy analysis I used to enjoy posting because I simply dont have the time after moderation and admin duties.
S

[dragit]

Yeah fair go, I think we can have this discussion without having a crack at the mods.

[stonecold]

Yeah fair go, I think we can have this discussion without having a crack at the mods.

Yeap, well said!!!!!

[saynta]

Yeah fair go, I think we can have this discussion without having a crack at the mods.

Yeap, well said!!!!!

Touchy. I thought the comment was about posters, not mods.


Some of us are RETIRED.

Geeeeessszz

I wasn't having a go at anybody ffs.

If any of the mods were really upset about my post, I apologize.

[dals_da_bomb]

Happy retirement!
I appreciate you clarifying.