I think it’s important in a situation like this to express everything out in the open. Trolls thrive on secrecy. When they’re exposed, and people make fun of them and tell them to get the fuck out of here, their game is ruined.
So, regarding the identity of the troll who bothers Bob, and the wondering whether they’re one and the same, better to throw those ideas out there so if (God forbid) it were true, the troll will know that everyone’s on to him.
Seriously, shed some blinding daylight on the passive aggressive cowards who do this kind of lame thing to people. Shed it EVERY time.
@Matt
I think the vast majority of people support Bob. I also don’t think anyone has intentionally tried to discourage him. However, just from my perspective, I could see how he could feel a little disheartened. But maybe I’m too sensitive as well. I don’t know. I just wanted to say that I could understand how Bob felt.
But is there really an “in the open” on the internet? Maybe sorta for the admins and the mods, but as users we really can’t know much of anything.
It depresses me that so many here are just shrugging their shoulders and saying that this is just the way it is. There’s something very wrong when someone is run off a forum and so many turn on him for leaving. Then when someone tries to point out the unfairness of how he was treated prior to leaving they turn on that person.
I said ‘hope’. MUBI fight club. You can be Marla.
I have been nothing but facetious. If there are serious threats, then it should be handled via moderation.
/po-faced
I think we all know who is attacking Bob and while it may be impossible to fully prevent harassment, I think the admins have made clear by allowing some people to stay on this site (and believe me, there are several users that fit this description) that they don’t find this problem to be too severe.
A lot of people like certain posters, not because they attack others, but because they’re entertaining and they’re like train wrecks. You read posts from some people not because you’re interested in thought-provoking discussion but because you’re curious to see what stupid thing they say now. The admins know this and that’s why these types of users are allowed to participate. It’s maddening and frustrating but this has been going on for three years so it’s clearly never going to be addressed completely.
@Matt
I think it depends. I do think people voicing their opposition to specific behavior—such as personal insults or harassment—is an important thing. The expression of these feelings fosters the culture of our forum. Sometimes naming names can be important as well.
However, you are correct that sometimes it is best to ignore trolls—that giving them attention is exactly what they want.
I take a more severe approach — no toleration of trolls. And by that I mean people who post porno, people harass other people — whether on the forum, via email, on their wall, or all of those things. When it crosses a certain line — i.e. repeated stalking and personal insults, it needs to be stopped. With no mercy.
One should be able to tell the difference between a wise ass, a jerk, and a troll.
I AM THE PORN TROLL HARASSING BOB.
know why I can say that out in the open? because both Admin and myself know it not to be true.
sorry to disappoint.
unless the site goes private and starts charging a fee to join there will always be trolls. it’s the internet
As someone who really cares about Mubi and the idea of community this has been really disappointing. Truly, truly disappointing.
Lets all talk of the one that is now leaving us shall we is not cool. You really, really want to blame him, a public forum like this is not the way to do it. We should be better than this.
This is the fucking shit that drives people away.
@Santino
I have no idea who’s harassing, Bob. (Well, I guess I could guess, but I wouldn’t have much conviction.)
You read posts from some people not because you’re interested in thought-provoking discussion but because you’re curious to see what stupid thing they say now. The admins know this and that’s why these types of users are allowed to participate.
I can understand how this can be titillating, but fwiw, I really would prefer NOT to have such individuals on the forum. I’m not interested in reading the next crazy and obnoxious thing the person has to say. If the administration is listening, I prefer not to have that type of user in the forum.
There will always be trolls, and they should always be kicked out.
It’s not a bad idea. MetaFilter is popular, has few moderators, and is very well behaved.
MetaFilter has a fee?
“not to mention champions of the Oxford comma”
I’m pretty sure this applies to everyone but newspapers these days.
yes there’s a fee and very good screening there
$5 like downtown
personally i wouldn’t like to see it come to that but it’s really the only way to completely control the forum?
" I do think people voicing their opposition to specific behavior—such as personal insults or harassment—is an important thing."
Yes, I agree. I don’t think this helps in Bob’s situation.
“I AM THE PORN TROLL HARASSING BOB.”
No, of course you aren’t, [self-moderated], but no one has so publicly enjoyed Bob’s frustration more than you, so . . . the difference is minimal.
what can I say: it’s funny.
bob makes the porn troll look like the straight man.
I think we all know who is attacking Bob….
Who?
You can PM me if you like – I wont tell a soul.
/s
Yakult—I didn’t turn on Bob, I urged him to stand up to the idiot troll.
don’t waste your time.
Yakult is Bob and Bob is Yakult.
note that the bulk of Yakult’s posts over the past year have been long-winded gripes about forum civility.
obvious Bob is obvious.
They’re not the same person. Settle down.
well, if he’s not bob, he’s certainly the alter-ego of a regular.
tRUSt no one
There should be a section for complaining about the forum.
There should also be a section for accusations and denunciations.
Matt Parks
“First, I do think other people in the community expressing opposition to the harasser is important. Again more people openly saying that they think that kind of behavior is wrong is very important.”
I’m not sure I agree—the goal of trolling is negative attention, so a lot of public opposition just feeds into that. For example, note how discussion of this in this very thread caused the whole thing to flare up again.