Jojo Jaro and Abd Lomax are removed to vortexB-L for their off-topic
troll-battle.
Also below: new vortex-L rule?
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So, suddenly after more than a decade, vortex needs a team of moderators?
No. Moderation isn't the problem.
Vortex-L very intentionally has no rule against insults, and no moderator
oversight. The community functions by including people of good character
who ignore all insults (and who know enough to ostracize those who don't.)
The cause of the recent troubles is not lack of tight moderator control.
The cause is very old and *very* well-known. It's a system-wide rule
which was being completely ignored by the participants. It's very, very
simple:
Rule #1: DO NOT FEED A TROLL.
If someone insults you, do not respond. What if the insult is grave, and
attacks your very honor? Go see rule #1. Did the other guy start it, and
you're entirely justified in answering their terrible slander? Wrong, see
rule #1. But their grievous insult is supporting Sectarian Hatred, and
must be stopped! No, see rule #1. And their twisted lies remain in the
public archive for all to see, forever, and injures the minds of the
children! Uh ...I think you need to go see rule #1.
And if you refuse to killfile the troll, and instead try to defend
yourself, chances are that you'll get banned, and the troll will not.
Not a joke. Fighting with trolls hurts *you*.
However, with the fall of Usenet and the rise of heavily-moderated
troll-free forums, it's not just the total newbies who seem unfamiliar
with the rule of DO NOT FEED A TROLL. Fairly sophisticated people who
should know better, they think up all sorts of justifications to indulge
in gigantic public battles with disgusting enemies. Perhaps they think
they can "win?" No, because true trolls are intellectually dishonest, and
their irrational reasoning is completely unassailable. All your effort
is guaranteed to be wasted. Which is exactly what the troll wanted.
"Fighting with pigs only covers you in filth, and the pig enjoys it."
But it's trivially easy to defeat the pig.
Just see rule #1. Put them in killfile.
From the very first link on the Vortex-L page: http://amasci.com/lists.html
Flamewars usually are triggered *NOT* when one person intentionally
insults another, but when one person *takes* insult when reading
messages having fairly innocent intent. The offended reader then hurls
a real insult in return. Their target feels unjustly attacked, since
after all they did not send any horrible insults in the first place.
Therefore they respond with insults of their own. And so a "war" has
been triggered through misunderstandings. Same as with nations. Same
as with little kids. And as with fighting children, the flamewar
participants will often end up saying "well she started it, I was just
defending myself! "No he started it, no she did, no he did," and the
list owner finally steps in and says "I don't care who started it, you
both participated, both of you go stand in the corner."
The solution? Simple: Be nice. Don't hurl insults via the list, EVEN
IF SOMEONE ELSE INSULTED YOUR FIRST. Avoid acting like a self-important
boob; don't take insult at every little thing, and don't insist on
public retaliation for every slight. Either ask if the insult was
intentional, or if you must, send your responding attack directly to
your target via private mail and *not* to the email list. If you feel
that someone has unjustly attacked you, and if you feel justified in
defending yourself IN PUBLIC, then you have fallen for the Flamewar
psychology. People with an "eye for an eye" philosophy, those who have
a need to take retribution for perceived attacks, are no better than
primitive tribes trapped in cycles of violence, or modern nations who
start wars for stupid reasons. On the other hand, if all the real (or
imagined) insults go right past you with no effect ...then you'd make a
good email-list moderator! :)
Now I'm thinking this 'unwritten rule of the internet' needs to be
included in the vortex-L rules. Seriously. People apparently aren't
aware of it, so it should be made explicit.
(((((((((((((((((( ( ( ( ( (O) ) ) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb at amasci com http://amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits amateur science, hobby projects, sci fair
Seattle, WA 206-762-3818 unusual phenomena, tesla coils, weird sci
