One of the childhood stories that sticks in my mind is that of the Billy Goats Gruff. It’s a Norwegian fairytale and it tells the story of three goats who try to get over a bridge inhabited by a nasty troll underneath. They work together and manage to get to the other side safely. The troll is vanquished.
Time to use that strategy. The trolls who inhabit this site are on notice.
You have been tolerated for long enough. Your tactics are increasingly obvious. Real debate is encouraged on Red Alert, but not trolling.
You will be banned without notice.
I was going to put this post up a few days ago. Instead I ran a poll. As a litmus test. The results are pretty clear. Of the people who comment, most are put off by the tone of many commenters.
In the last couple of weeks the intensity of trolling by anonymous commenters on Red Alert has increased.
Genuine comments will be posted, no matter what their angle. Moderating policy will be followed.
If you are anonymous, breach the moderating policy and provide a false email address which can’t be verified, you will be banned. You can email one of the moderators if you want to contest the decision. But you must provide your identity to us which will be kept confidential.
If you are a regular commenter and breach the moderating policy you will get a warning. If you are banned you can email one of us to put your case. It will be heard.
That’s fair. Because this blog is for everyone, it’s not a playground for nasty trolls.
It seems that there are a few trolls out there who want to go off topic and accuse me of being off topic when I’m not.
Here’s the latest one: Father Tim says:
August 15, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Ref – spud’s off topic
By making this comment Father Tim is the one trolling not me and I can’t respond without trolling so am pasting it here.
I think it’s a campaign to get rid of Spud. I think they should just worry about themselves and the thread.
[Spud - the moderators will make judgments as necessary. Stay on topic and you'll be fine. Chris]
A request for guidance from the moderators:
Is a posting which consists solely of emoticons ever on topic?
Is a posting which consists merely of a rah-rah call in favour of any party or party leader ever on topic?
@George – So you are the fourth tory trying to get me off this blog. My commenting style is none of your business. I always try to stay on topic and trying to take me down just because I believe that Labour can win and am not shy in showing it is unnecessary. I don’t appreciate being made a target – I would say that deliberately trying to get me into trouble is a form of trolling.
@Spud
YES!!!
Spud – I was having a bit of fun.
I agree that it would be better if people weren’t so ready to jump off topic, but if you were hounded away from here it would certainly make it a much less colourful place.
Our views are very seldom in alignment, but I can think of very few occasions when you weren’t polite in how you put your point over. You certainly can’t say that about all the regular contributors.
Do I want you to be hounded out? Certainly not, and I’m mortified if you (or anyone else) got that impression.