[an unsent anti-trolling post]

Newsgroups: alt.anime.tenchi-muyo
Subject: Re: be carefull of responding to offtopic posts.
References: <8o695u$4ij$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net>
Followup-To: 

On Fri, 25 Aug 2000 13:11:11 -0400, BigRed wrote:
> or off topic posts).   Netcopping is a cardinal sin on the Usenet.  there

Err?  Since when?  Trolls don't like it, certainly, because it makes it
harder for them to get their jollies by being assholes, but responsible
posters seem to like it when trolls get their accounts deleted.  (I know I
do.)  I do think it's irresponsible, though, to use a method as severe as
netcopping for people who are merely a minor nuisance.  It should be used
only on people who make an extended, intentional effort to disrupt the
functioning of the newsgroup.

> are whole groups on the Usenet that will go after netcops.  for an example
> of what this dose too a group, pop over and take a look at sci.astro.  this
> group is in the process of being flooded because ONE person in that group
> decided to netcop

And that would be entirely the fault of the person(s) flooding the group.  
That's an incredibly juvenile response; why not just face the consequences
of being a jerk and violating the terms of service of their ISP?  If
somebody goes out of their way to piss off the people in any community
simply because they have nothing better to do - whether it's a newsgroup,
a school playground, or a movie theater - they deserve and should expect
retribution from the people they're bullying.  If that means having their
account deleted, fine.  There are only two ways to get rid of a troll:
eliminate their enjoyment of trolling by completely ignoring them or make
the cost of trolling so high that they don't bother by making them change
ISPs after every attack.

> netcops. the best thing to if you see a offtopic post is either ignore it,
> or respond in a polite way directing them to a group that can help them.

That much I agree with.  Killfiles are the best solution, with silent (ie.
not publicly announced) netcopping reserved for the incredibly disruptive
trolls.

> the web are from trolls). remember, the Usenet is a jungle with no borders,
> no leaders, and no rules.  And a lot of people (including me) like it that
> way.

It's untrue that Usenet has no rules.  Usenet's rules are self-enforced,
however.  There's no organization that governs it, although there are
organizations (governments and ISPs) that can step in when certain
policies are violated like service contracts or threats of violence.  For
the most part, Usenet is an anarchy with only slight dysfunctionalities.  
But anarchy doesn't mean there are no rules or that people can do whatever
they want.  The people who live within anarchy simply make the rules and
punish criminals themselves instead of having a governmental body to do it
for them.
                                             --Steve-o

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Stonebraker |    Transformers FAQ Keeper     |  Astrophysicist
 srstoneb@bu.edu  | http://astro.bu.edu/~srstoneb/ | AOL IM: srstoneb