Since it seems to be a increasing problem, here is a little set of general guidelines.
When finding a thread made by a suspected or obvious troll, do not reply. Ignore it.
-Do not try to reply with a witty comment, it gives the thread more replies than it deserves, and often leads to the thread simply being locked instead of deleted as it should. -Do not reply with "You are a troll", "This is fail.", "You are an idiot", "This is so locked", "/Thread" or similar. Do not reply with images of facepalms or FAILs either. Again, it is unnecessary replies to a doomed thread, and it gives the troll a reason to reply/continue trolling.
The 'do's: - Report it to a mod.(*) - Wait.
(*): This needs to be done only once, and if you see someone else reporting it on a moderator or admin's profile, you do not need to report it again, unless you notice another mod come online.
Generally ignoring the thread is often the best plan, as the troll does not get any responses and the thread dies naturally. This might lead to discouraging the troll as well, so the trolling will not happen once again. It might also cause a spamming troll, which is also a thing to ignore. If the troll is persistant, it will help the mods if the users simply leave the section quiet for a while, so that the troll/spam threads are easier to locate. Another reason to leave would be the decreased temptation to make a witty remark on the thread when you can't see it.
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All this counts whether there is a mod online or not. If there are none online you should report and ignore, if there are any online, report and ignore.
This thread: worded by Cenere, proofread and corrected slightly by Zophia.
It's a common and rather popular practice to yell "YOU FAIL" at a suspected troll. Even I found myself doing that somewhat often awhile back.
Not anymore though. Unfortunately, as Firetail said, not many people read or regard the stickies. So while it may help cut down on failspam and trolling, it won't be by too much...
Like Manta said, Nobody ever really looks at stickies anymore. But I'll have to agree with the ignoring the thread thing. To many people answer to troll threads which just brings them to life and makes the situation worse.
Also part of the problem is most members are not of a high enough intelligence to detect a troll. They then get angry because they think that everyone is always serious on the internet. No matter how far they go. Having members take an IQ test before being allowed to post could deter this. Just a suggestion.
Not anymore though. Unfortunately, as Firetail said, not many people read or regard the stickies. So while it may help cut down on failspam and trolling, it won't be by too much..
Like Manta said, Nobody ever really looks at stickies anymore. But I'll have to agree with the ignoring the thread thing. To many people answer to troll threads which just brings them to life and makes the situation worse.
wow sawdawg and manta both pretty much just agreed to firetail so whats the point in just repeating the same thing. well....trolls are really annyoing and just ignoring them is what i usuaslly do any way so it wont be hard to continue doing that.
Hehe, I thought someone should have made this ages ago. You should make one for spammers and flamers as well, or have a community member do it.
And art thieves. That wouldn't be in this section, though.
And guys... Stop commenting about how few looks at this and realize that you just looked at it. And tell newbies to look at stickies if they're asking for help and advice.
wow sawdawg and manta both pretty much just agreed to firetail so whats the point in just repeating the same thing.
Because I said more than just what Firetail said... >>
I am noticing a great influx of trolls lately. Mostly lulz trolls, but still. Trolls. I notice trolls give up when ignored, so this'll likely be pretty helpful.
And guys... Stop commenting about how few looks at this and realize that you just looked at it. And tell newbies to look at stickies if they're asking for help and advice.
Will do.
Also a helpful tip about stopping trolls, lure them out into the sun, it turns them into a stone. (sorry I had to say that, but I had to lighten the mood)
