A couple of threads have been inflamed recently by people who have joined Hubpages, posted no Hubs, and simply weighed into pre-existing discussions with somewhat inappropriate or confrontational material. This type of behavior - coming into a community, not to participate but to fight, is classical "troll".
I wonder whether it would work if we all chose to completely ignore argumentative posts from people who have no published Hubs?
Obviously "please help me I can't get my Hub to save" and "hello, glad to be here" posts aren't argumentative, so new people can still interact positively as normal.
But if we deprive the trolls of the attention and drama they crave, hopefully they will get bored and go away.
What do you think? Viable?
Jenny
Sorry, Jenny, I think it's idealistic.
You never get *everybody* to agree, no matter how hard you try...
I personally am going to scale back on my involvement with such threads, cause I feel I waste my time on these guys and gals...
It's more efficient to just report the really bad spam and troll posts, and not reply to them, because then HubPages admin can delete the really bad stuff, instead of all these threads where the original message is gone and all that's left is a strange dislocated message griping about the missing post.
This is an excellent point. We generally take action on reported posts within an hour or two (except in the overnight hours California time). So unless you think the offender is just a newbie that has some hope of redemption, please just report the post and don't bother replying.
Don't feed the Trolls is the classic refrain. It sounds great in theory, but in practise it usually doesn't work all that well. Especially if the trolls are clever about it. You know, just standing on the edge of what is acceptable hoping someone will take up the bait. There are also those well-intentioned people who join up because something has ticked them off, and are weighing into a debate without knowing the people involved. It's that bull in a china shop mentality.
All I think hubbers can do is use their common sense, and not weigh in. That does take restraint, though.
Indeed. Treat them like strays, and hope they move on.
Don't they know that family infighting is supposed to stay within the family?
Its just like watching t.v. turn the channel.
Why would you bother answering such a post. There's plenty of other well worthwhile topics in the forum.
I'm not familiar with a lot that goes on in threads, although I did see a little on the site with an H.com
I was really shocked that people actually come into a site just to ignite. (flame?)
Like treating a temper tantrum in my little grandsons; ignore or laugh at it!
Ignore would be best here.
Thanks for helping. bjp
The trolls are everywhere - online and offline. They come in to get a reaction. If you give them that reaction, it feeds them and the continue. They're like cockroaches, hanging out wherever there is food. Cut off their nourishment and they will go away. Or maybe, somewhere along the way, they'll get stepped on.
Trolls are a pain in the neck. Just ignore them. They will eventually move on.
I like Terryg's suggestion to just turn the channel. What we feed expands. I have posted for decades online, and have seen my fair share of trolls and also the occasional long time members in various online communities be less than kind to new members, so its not always a new member causing problems. Its interesting at times to watch different personalities interacting in an online community.
It's like real life. Deal with them how we would in real life. I have started to think of hubpages as a village where I live or something like that.
by china man 15 years ago
There are some irritating entities in the forums who seem to get into good threads trying to start pointless arguments with pointless questions or are just plain rude for no reason. I have seen reference to trolls and sock puppets - I think I have got troll but can someone explain it all for...
by Baileybear 13 years ago
The posts I loathe most are the ones where people resort to childish name-calling.Almost as bad is where some clogs up forums with large sections of stolen content copied and pasted from elsewhere.The next most annoying IMO, is instead of debating, they make a personal attack or claim that I must...
by Eric Graudins 12 years ago
It would be nice to be able to selectively block updates to individual forum posts from Hubtvity.This would allow us to check out genuine hubtivity without having to scroll through screen after screen after screen of updates to posts like "Word Association Game........chicken".
by Sa Toya 15 years ago
what do yo think...lately it's all changed a bit..then again could just be me.
by Richard Bivins 15 years ago
I think HP should put some sore of restriction on posting to the forums to keep people from joining just to post their spam.New hubbers should have to at least publish One hub of original content before having access to the forums. I'm sure this will not eliminate all the spammers but it may...
by Kiz Robinson 17 years ago
I have a request, and it comes at the price of sounding as if I am approving of totalitarian censorship. Since I started on Hubpages, I have frequently visited the forums in hopes of not only learning, but growing as a writer. I have enjoyed lively conversation and seen the diverse...
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