Don't Feed the GDed Trolls

[brewer12345]

Until the mods grow a pair and get out the blow torch and nipple clamps, please don't feed the effig trolls!

[twaddle]

I'm pretty sure one of them is an artful rendition. But, I agree. Even hocosatire is getting tedious at this point.

[honobob]

Well I thought the new mods were doing a pretty good job. I think if more people just used the ignore function as needed the problem would be solved. We can't always look to someone else to solve our problem cause it may just be our problem. But then maybe we do need a thread to remind some people that they are part of the problem.

[brewer12345]

Thanks for reminding me of another name to add to my ignore list...

[CuppaJoe]

Reminds me of someone from personnel who called me into her office one day. While I was waiting, her boss took a call right behind my ear, and said significantly, "we will not blacklist anyone." Fastforward a few months, my new dept. was having lunch, my boss took me aside and said, "see that guy over there, he's retiring and not telling anyone why; do you know who he is?" I said yeah, he's the head of personnel and they probably didn't tell him why. So is this forum open to all, or isn't it?

[Milton]

Originally Posted by honobob

I think if more people just used the ignore function as needed the problem would be solved. We can't always look to someone else to solve our problem cause it may just be our problem.

Makes sense to me.

[yakers]

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe

So is this forum open to all, or isn't it?

IMHO I don't think that is the best way to formulate the question, it is not an absolute or philosophical question as much as a practical one. So I would not think this site is open to disruptive posts or posters, look what happens when someone comes on pedaling inappropriate annuities and other commercial products. Freedom of speech does not 'allow shouting fire in a movie theater'. There is a community standard on this moderated board, JWR is a marginal problem but Hocu$ is beyond the pale, actually having disrupted several major internet boards including Motley Fool and the Vanguard diehards site that had to reorganize their moderation to assure functionality.

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe

Reminds me of someone from personnel who called me into her office one day. While I was waiting, her boss took a call right behind my ear, and said significantly, "we will not blacklist anyone." Fastforward a few months, my new dept. was having lunch, my boss took me aside and said, "see that guy over there, he's retiring and not telling anyone why; do you know who he is?" I said yeah, he's the head of personnel and they probably didn't tell him why. So is this forum open to all, or isn't it?

If you are too wet behind the ears to understand why RWJ and h05uc are persona non grata most anywhere on the web, I don't have the patience to 'splain it to you. Take a look at the hocomania section on intercst's board if you want to know the details.

[packrat44]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Until the mods grow a pair and get out the blow torch and nipple clamps, please don't feed the effig trolls!

Please translate for us that are new and less knowledgable.

[CuppaJoe]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

If you are too wet behind the ears to understand why RWJ and h05uc are persona non grata most anywhere on the web, I don't have the patience to 'splain it to you. Take a look at the hocomania section on intercst's board if you want to know the details.

Curiously, and honestly, I find your posts on finance to be some of the best on the board. I came to that conclusion myself.

[twaddle]

Hey, we can watch the real hocomaniac comment on this thread from his hocoasylum:

Retire Early Home Page - Dividend Stocks

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by twaddle

Hey, we can watch the real hocomaniac comment on this thread from his hocoasylum:

Retire Early Home Page - Dividend Stocks

Unbelievable. Where's Andy or the mods with the boiling pitch and feathers when you need them?

[Sarah in SC]

Hilarity...although that link should serve as a great explanation to the folks who don't know about Hocomania!
Thanks so much for the evocative language, Brewer, in describing those two! Still LOL!

[Nords]

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe

So is this forum open to all, or isn't it?

No, it's not open to all. In the words of Gene Hackman from the movie "Crimson Tide", "We're here to defend democracy, not practice it."

Those who are attempting to wrap H0cus in the First Amendment just don't understand his particular problem. His board-destroying record speaks for itself and it's not even worth the discussion.

Next group. There are one or two posters who attempt to use this board as their personal playground. Their theme is "Let's see if we can get the posters to do this" or "Let me lecture my audience on my expertise", and they see the posters as pieces on a game board. IMO this lack of respect, often coupled with sarcasm and condescension, negates any knowledge or logic they may bring to the ER discussion. Ban 'em.

Third group. Aside from H0cus (with his sidekick JWR) and the game-players, there are a certain number of posters (probably fewer than 10) who are persistent one-note keyboard pounders. If they're visiting frequently then they don't post very often. They tend to jump in on just one topic, sometimes on just one subset of a topic or the posts of another, and they'll use that fulcrum to raise a ruckus. Other times they'll grab a topic, any topic, and wrench it around to be about them or their particular piano key. The theme could be "Look at me!" or "My blog needs traffic!" or "My way is better and I would never ever do it that way" or "The sky is falling!!!" or "You're all messed up and I'm going to raise a ruckus here" or "You've been here a while but you're not so special" or some other obsessive favorite subject.

If you read through a list of this third group's posts then it's pretty darn hard to tell whether they're even interested in the subject of early retirement, let alone talking about it or helping people solve problems & answer questions. They're just using this board to pound their keyboard and they're not even listening to the audience. If you ban them you risk martyrdom. Moderation can temper the problem. Ignore 'em and they'll go away.

I spend a lot of time here, I like the vast majority of the posters, and I count a few as my friends. I've learned a tremendous amount about ER and I'm still learning about a lot of other subjects. This board is a tremendously valuable resource to me, and it's more valuable to me than our putative right to freedom of expression on it. I support editing or even banning those who appear to be adversely affecting the quality of the board's content. I may not always agree with the admin or the moderators but I'll join the discussion and support the decision.

BTW I think that a list of the "Top 10 Ignored Posters" would go a long way toward establishing who's a contributor... and who's not.

So if you don't think you can live with my attitudes then you might want to volunteer to be a moderator or consider starting your own board... but don't just sit there in your Monday-morning quarterback's chair and complain about the management.

[twaddle]

Originally Posted by Nords

The theme could be "Look at me!" or "My blog needs traffic!" or "My way is better and I would never ever do it that way" or "The sky is falling!!!" or "You're all messed up and I'm going to raise a ruckus here" or "You've been here a while but you're not so special" or some other obsessive favorite subject.

Yeah, I know the type. The constant refrain of "who's afraid of volatility, let's go 100% stocks!" Or even worse are those who use this site to profit by using the material in a book they might be writing.

Let the non-sinners start casting stones! Just about everybody has an agenda. That's the way the world works. I think we should limit the banning to the truly insane, and so far I've only seen one who falls into that category.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by twaddle

Yeah, I know the type. The constant refrain of "who's afraid of volatility, let's go 100% stocks!"
Let the non-sinners start casting stones!

Fair enough. I think my record speaks for itself.

Originally Posted by twaddle

Or even worse are those who use this site to profit by using the material in a book they might be writing.

If that's directed at me then let me point out that it's a non-profit project with author's royalties (if any) going to military charities. It's not about the money and IMO it really reduces an author's credibility to give early-retirement advice in exchange for royalties.

Frankly the project doesn't require my presence on this board nor the support of its admins. But I won't give you further opportunity to accuse me of marketing. If you want to discuss it further then send me a PM or an e-mail.

If you're impugning other authors who've posted here, let me point out that their man-hours of effort (writing, editing, & marketing) for their royalties work out to an hourly rate that's far below the minimum wage.

[twaddle]

Originally Posted by Nords

If you're impugning other authors who've posted here, let me point out that their man-hours of effort (writing, editing, & marketing) for their royalties work out to an hourly rate that's far below the minimum wage.

So, we should allow ***** to post on that basis?

I think you add color to the board, Nords. I like that. I also liked the color SG added, OAP, and others. Even JWR's "color" is somewhat entertaining.

The insane and criminals I could do without, but I like color.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by twaddle

So, we should allow ***** to post on that basis?

Stop putting words in my mouth.

H0cus content can actually pull a book's "book value" down into negative numbers...

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by twaddle

So, we should allow ***** to post on that basis?

I think you add color to the board, Nords. I like that. I also liked the color SG added, OAP, and others. Even JWR's "color" is somewhat entertaining.

The insane and criminals I could do without, but I like color.

I was sorry to see OAP, SG and others go. But I have to say that the "colorful" posters are kind of like a stray dog you adopt and eventually allow to sleep in your bed. They may be nice companions and do amusing things, but when they start to crap on your pillow, it is time to remove them to the doghouse.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Unbelievable. Where's Andy or the mods with the boiling pitch and feathers when you need them?

We were out plucking the birds first
Takes a LOT of feathers to do a thorough job.