Here's what I don't understand about the whole "banning Trolls" thing...

[RisiaSkye]

I must be missing something, because I'm not understanding the recent bouts of banning talk and obsession with "dealing with them" (by ignoring, exposing, etc.) on the GB. What's the big deal about Hanns_Schmidt, or any troll?

Of course, there are lots of varieties of trolling.

KillerMuffin, for example, calls herself a troll. However, that self-titling is more of a "don't say I didn't warn you" disclaimer to acknowledge that she sometimes gets bitchy and she likes to go after the people that annoy her. Problem Child flames whomever he finds irritating that minute. Dixon Carter Lee specializes in one-liners, performed for an audience. All of these people participate in lots of other ways, though. They aren't really trolls, they're well-known board personas with a mean streak.

Indigo.Rose pissed people off by posting a link to an irritating pop-up batch. Aquila seems to aggressively harass anyone that crosses his(?) personal line of what's going too far. Spineroonie posts a lot of drivel that just burns server bits. But all of these people participate in other ways, and aren't really trolls either, so much as users apparently eager to establish some kind of board notoriety for their antics.

KID ROCK_!, Jesus_CHRIST (& all of her personas), yayati, Chilled Vodka and others seem to have registered specifically to troll specific Lit members, or to flame in general and attempt to disturb the forums. All of them, however, seemed to at least have some kind of other life, in that they'd appear and annoy, then take off again until next time. Also, most of them at least occasionally post(ed) something participatory. They're trolls, but so what? It's free entertainment.

Hanns_Schmidt, along with his other incarnations & his trolls, which are probably also him (Turo, 4laterer, BusyBody, TranslatorX, Fecker, etc.) is admittedly in a class of his own when it comes to trolls. In the short time he's been here, he's managed to never say one word of any substance, and to rack up a 123 posts per day average--and that's just on one persona.

But, here's where I get confused: with all the talk of banning people like Hanns, it seems that people care about him in some way, or fear that he really will damage the GB beyond repair. (Or else, as I suspect, people are just sucked in by his carefully crafted little one-adolescent show and like being involved in all the bogus drama of it.) I mean, how can it possibly be that people take this waste of human air space seriously in his self-aggrandizing whining and idle threats?

Literotica has over a hundred thousand members, millions of hits daily, and the energies of a great many smart and site-loyal people on its side. Hanns, on the other hand, apparently has a great deal of free time and an utter lack of shame as his primary weapons. What I ask you is this--how seriously can you take anyone who spends this much time and energy on a "project" like Hanns' little war against Lit, who makes it their mission to undertake such a trivial quest as attacking a free discussion board--and then takes it so seriously that they're seemingly always here? Isn't such a person more to be wondered at, stared at through the zoo's plate glass, and pitied rather than feared?

 

[SINthysist]

Because every single member HAD to start a thread talking about why everyone couldn't ignore Hanns...

EVERY SINGLE MEMBER...

...

 

[SINthysist]

Otherwise, the fawker would probably be gone...

Or if we, as a group, had not so tormented the more benign form.

But there's a lot of bloodsport here even without the trolls.

 

[RisiaSkye]

Or if we, as a group, had not so tormented the more benign form.

Well now, where's the fun in that?

But there's a lot of bloodsport here even without the trolls.

Exactly. So why all the drama over this one?
Admittedly, I've only been around intermittently, but Hanns seems like a heavily caffeinated version of more-of-the-same, garden variety annoyance.

But, hey, I guess it's something to talk about. It wasn't a slow news week or anything, but I know that, even more than normal, on the weekend, we Litsters don't like to talk world affairs and international politics. Pretty much, we're all about sex and pseudo-drama once Friday rolls around--at least until Mondayish.

It does bum me out that Laurel seems to have gotten tired of it and stopped hanging out on the GB, though.

 

[roxanne69]

Because every single member HAD to start a thread talking about why everyone couldn't ignore Hanns...

EVERY SINGLE MEMBER...

...

I am new and if I had never been on a bulletin board before I would have left after the first post or two by Hans. Now when I see a thread is started by him or about him I don't even bother clicking on it. People are stupid, I agree with Sinth, by playing Hans's game. The reason I think he should be banned is the damage he does personally to people. Laughing at someone's rape is absolutely beyond the line. I don't know why he isn't banned. There are a lot of really mean people on this board but Hans is just a sick child and shouldn't be here. Any responsible moderator or board owner would have banned him a long time ago if only to make the place a little better for the newbies.

My 2 cents

Roxy

 

[Guest]

 

[SINthysist]

I should have been banned long ago.

Why would we start now?

Hanns hates the quote function if you don't say anything.

 

[RisiaSkye]

Any responsible moderator or board owner would have banned him a long time ago if only to make the place a little better for the newbies.

See, that's where we disagree. I think any responsible site owner and moderator whose primary agenda is free expression would count on the court of public opinion to determine what happens to posters who aren't breaking the law.

And in this case, it seems like the court of public opinion has voted, much like it did on yayati and KID ROCK, to adopt him as a pet. Sure, he shits on the rug, but he's so cute when he chases his tail.

 

[SexyThang]

Revelations? Can't wait, Hans.

As KR says, you are particularly funny and entertaining and have them all jumping through hoops!

Well done, bravo

 

[Lasher]

I Any responsible moderator or board owner would have banned him a long time ago if only to make the place a little better for the newbies.

The GB is a different kind of animal from other message boards that you find. Call it Internet Darwinism for lack of a better phrase.

Btw, Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light.

 

[SINthysist]

See, that's where we disagree. I think any responsible site owner and moderator whose primary agenda is free expression would count on the court of public opinion to determine what happens to posters who aren't breaking the law.

And in this case, it seems like the court of public opinion has voted, much like it did on yayati and KID ROCK, to adopt him as a pet. Sure, he shits on the rug, but he's so cute when he chases his tail.

 

[roxanne69]

See, that's where we disagree. I think any responsible site owner and moderator whose primary agenda is free expression would count on the court of public opinion to determine what happens to posters who aren't breaking the law.

And in this case, it seems like the court of public opinion has voted, much like it did on yayati and KID ROCK, to adopt him as a pet. Sure, he shits on the rug, but he's so cute when he chases his tail.

I guess we will agree to disagree. Abusing other members isn't what I call free speech, it's called abuse. Moderators are SUPPOSED to be preventing that kind of thing. There are lots of jerks on here, it's easy to figure out who they are in a hurry but then there is someone who really is sick and abuses other people. Maybe this is a Canadian point of view but we have free speech and we also have hate speech laws. I am glad that we do and am no less "free" than anyone else.

 

[glamorilla]

personally i just wanna ban him for fun.

 

[roxanne69]

The GB is a different kind of animal from other message boards that you find. Call it Internet Darwinism for lack of a better phrase.

Btw, Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light.

Thank you Lasher *pat pat*

 

[kotori]

And in this case, it seems like the court of public opinion has voted, much like it did on yayati and KID ROCK, to adopt him as a pet. Sure, he shits on the rug, but he's so cute when he chases his tail.

lol. That's the best metaphore I've seen yet.

BTW, I haven't started any threads about Hanns. I've even taken him off ignore (so many people quote him, that it's not worth the bother). I still have AJ on ignore though.

 

[Guest]

 

[SINthysist]

As well you should. Protect yourself that is. Hide from what you don't like. I've some sand here for your head...

 

[roxanne69]

As well you should. Protect yourself that is. Hide from what you don't like. I've some sand here for your head...

Translation please?

 

[MissTaken]

Very nice perspective, RS.

yayati was a troll who caused such a stir that many were inflamed by his statements that American women were dirty little sluts and that sort of thing.

He even targetted a poster or two.

Now, I can't wait to click on his threads and some of his posts seem like he genuinely wants to be accepted.

*waves to yoyotwat* and pats him on the head as he takes his food and water.

Now, yes, Hanns crosses lines that I would never dream of. He is inciteful. He is crass. He is disruptive. But only in as much as you allow him to be.

Frankly, if and when Hanns moves on, there will be another troll. It seems, too, that each troll tries to outdo those who came before them.

I prefer to play with the evil I know rather than the evil I don't know.

Hey, AJ! I have never started a Hanns thread, dear heart!

If we start banning the Hann's of the world, dont' we then have to ban some of the regulars who may go at one another with a vengence, a scathing tongue, who become crass, disruptive and inciteful?

 

[Lasher]

Maybe this is a Canadian point of view but we have free speech and we also have hate speech laws. I am glad that we do and am no less "free" than anyone else.

Similar things exist in the USA, too, Roxanne.

Too many people think of the 1st Amendment right to Free Speech as a an absolute right to say whatever you want and to be protected for saying it and that's not correct. Where the right to Free Speech has been absolute in this country has been in preventing the prior restraint of free speech, but the 1st Amendment right to Free Speech does not protect you from the results of exercising that right.

Personally, I find the incesant whining about these types of posters more annoying than the posters themselves. I haven't done any research on this, but I'm confident in saying that the whining increases the number of posts I have to scroll past by a factor of 10.

Thanks for the *pat*s, lol.

 

[roxanne69]

Similar things exist in the USA, too, Roxanne.

Too many people think of the 1st Amendment right to Free Speech as a an absolute right to say whatever you want and to be protected for saying it and that's not correct. Where the right to Free Speech has been absolute in this country has been in preventing the prior restraint of free speech, but the 1st Amendment right to Free Speech does not protect you from the results of exercising that right.

Personally, I find the incesant whining about these types of posters more annoying than the posters themselves. I haven't done any research on this, but I'm confident in saying that the whining increases the number of posts I have to scroll past by a factor of 10.

Thanks for the *pat*s, lol.

I heartily agree with you Lasher. We don't have neo Nazis or Farrakahn marching here hiding behind free speech. We know what hateful people are and the less they have a soapbox the better. I hate the whining posts too. I much prefer the sex and drama *pat pat* you are adorable!

 

[Lasher]

*pat pat* you are adorable!

Awwwwww....

 

[RisiaSkye]

glam: That was actually the best reason for banning anyone that I've heard. At least it doesn't pretend to be even-handed or have anything to do with the definition of free speech.

lol. That's the best metaphore I've seen yet.

Thanks. I try. (spelling buddy says metaphor, btw. I can't help it, I'm a writing teacher. )

And, Lasher: I guess I probably shouldn't agree with you about the bitch-about-the-troll threads being more annoying than the trolls themselves, as I started this thread which also talks about Hanns. However, I'm not complaining about him, I'm just trying to figure out why people seem so legitimately and personally upset about/by him when to me he seems like a pissed off social outcast with a lot of time on his hands and no apparent life away from his computer.

Actually, that makes me think of this in a slightly new way. You know, some of those misfit types become neo-Nazis, Klan members, animal mutilators or Columbine-style shooters when they're loose out there in the real world. At least this one spends all his time inside at the monitor, safely locked away from reality and installed in his room, where he can't really hurt anybody. We're actually doing a public service by babysitting him. We should charge his parents (or case worker) an hourly fee...and carpet cleaning expenses.

 

[roxanne69]

glam: That was actually the best reason for banning anyone that I've heard. At least it doesn't pretend to be even-handed or have anything to do with the definition of free speech.


Thanks. I try. (spelling buddy says metaphor, btw. I can't help it, I'm a writing teacher. )

And, Lasher: I guess I probably shouldn't agree with you about the bitch-about-the-troll threads being more annoying than the trolls themselves, as I started this thread which also talks about Hanns. However, I'm not complaining about him, I'm just trying to figure out why people seem so legitimately and personally upset about/by him when to me he seems like a pissed off social outcast with a lot of time on his hands and no apparent life away from his computer.

Actually, that makes me think of this in a slightly new way. You know, some of those misfit types become neo-Nazis, Klan members, animal mutilators or Columbine-style shooters when they're loose out there in the real world. At least this one spends all his time inside at the monitor, safely locked away from reality and installed in his room, where he can't really hurt anybody. We're actually doing a public service by babysitting him. We should charge his parents (or case worker) an hourly fee...and carpet cleaning expenses.

Guess anyone can rationalize any evil if they really want to

 

[Lasher]

And, Lasher: I guess I probably shouldn't agree with you about the bitch-about-the-troll threads being more annoying than the trolls themselves, as I started this thread which also talks about Hanns. However, I'm not complaining about him, I'm just trying to figure out why people seem so legitimately and personally upset about/by him when to me he seems like a pissed off social outcast with a lot of time on his hands and no apparent life away from his computer

Just for the record, RS, I wasn't lumping your thread here in with the whining that annoys me. Yours seemed like an honest attempt to understand why people give so much attention to the very thing they seem so upset by.

What drives me fucking nuts are the people who spend so much time and energy giving life to the very thing they claim to wish would go away. You would think they would've learned how to handle these types of people as children on the playground in Kindergarten or somewheres along the way.

My gut reaction is that there are some people who deep down need to be victims and if someone weren't blatantly attacking them, they'd need to create this situation to fill a rather odd void in their lives.