That's the playbook, yeah. It has been for the 20 years I've been doing this.
Asking clarification regarding moderation
This. We aren't a court of justice and have no power to punish people.
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
They have to know how silly they look, right?
I mean, imagine you are hosting a street party and everyone in your neighborhood is invited. A guy shows up and quickly starts making a nuisance of himself, insulting the other guests, blabbering about how everyone is too sensitive these days, and generally just making everyone else angry and uncomfortable. So, as the host, you tell him to tone it down or you'll ask him to leave. Of course he decides to call your bluff, maybe to save face, or maybe he's hoping that others at the party will take his side. So he ignores your warnings, and you show him the door. He bellows "Help help, I'm being repressed! Censorship!!! I didn't say "Cancel Culture," I said "Mothballed Society" and that's technically not against the rules so you can't make me leave!!! What's the matter can't you 'ice crystals' take a joke?!?!" and so forth, as you drag him to his car.
I'm sure they see themselves differently, but the lasting impression they've made to everyone at the party isn't a good one. Everyone at the party is going to go home and tell everyone else about That Guy who made a fool of himself, and That Guy won't be invited to the next block party. Somehow, That Guy is always shocked and hurt by this. How does he not know how foolish he looks?
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beancounter
(I/Me/Mine)
deleted
Hussar
Legend
I believe it’s covered in Trolling 101.
Never apologize.
Never answer questions.
Insist on specific definitions regardless of context.
Create multiple sock puppet accounts to stir both sides.
Did I miss anything?
One of the difficulties, though, is that they're not all trolls*. Some people just aren't socially skilled, whether it be on the internet or IRL. Discerning a bad actor from a bad socializer can be tough.
*Well, the ones creating sock puppet accounts are trolls. The other things are problems even the best of us can fall victim to occasionally.
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Maggan
Writer for CY_BORG, Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane
As a longtime admin for another RPG forum (in Swedish) I have also noticed that some people are simply offended by rules and moderation on a very personal level. Something about having someone else tell you how to behave boils their minds and they start pushing the limits just to break the rules or get obsessive over how the rules are applied in regards to the other members, always finding inconsistencies in moderation ... because moderation is by its own nature inconsistent to a degree. At least in my experience.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
The question is if it is even in the moderator's duties to try. If someone is disruptive, argumentative and rude on the forums, the moderator should give them a warning. If the poster was unaware of their actions but acting in good faith they now have concrete feedback how to improve their interaction with the community. And if they are trolls, well that's a warning towards seeing who the repeat offenders are. In both cases the moderators are defending the community, and where someone has slipped across the line but otherwise wants to be a good forum poster, they have it in front of them.
I've been moderated, and when it happens it's because I've gotten emotional and a debate has escalated to an argument. At that point mods should step in and keep our community welcoming to all.
beancounter
(I/Me/Mine)
This thread wouldn't be complete without a list of troll types. Its's easy to find a bunch of list. None of which are complete.
Ultimately it's up to them, but I genuinely hope they do. I'd rather be part of a forum filled with well intentioned folks with poor social skills than a bunch of mean people who learned to play by the rules. In the long term, it's about building a community.
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