Raise the Hammer

About damn time.

Thank You!

Hammy learned how to spell 'censorship.'

Rejoice!

Haha! Thanks Kevin. You are all over this tonight.

A good move, Ryan and RTH. It's a shame that you were forced into this corner, but I think it will help retain a higher quality of discussion and debate without having to resort to mandatory registration, which I think should be a last resort (those crafty trolls - One never knows!). It will make quality comments more accessible by eliminating the need to scroll through a hyperspace mile of worthless garbage. In the past I usually stopped reading past comment #50 or so, assuming the thread to have been hijacked by trolls. This has often been a deterrent to posting comment #75, say, as well, as I assumed other RTHers think the same way. Why put in the effort if no one will read it? Well done!

Comment edited by geoff's two cents on 2011-01-26 01:10:59

Thanks Ryan. A positive move, thank you. Sad it had to come, but it always does. It's another milestone in RTH's evolution as a public space.

Ryan,

So if we get into a flame war with another poster over a point and back up our position with quotes and linkable facts is that considered, "Contains no other content or redeeming qualities,".

You know, because some other posters and myself get along so well here.

At what point does trolling, spamming and flaming become censorship?

Just because something shows up on your computer doesn't mean it's yours. You DO NOT have freedom of speech on other people's websites. You have freedom of speech ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE. And part of that freedom of speech includes deleting comments which are not appropriate.

I think the fact that none of Hammy's posts have ever been deleted is evidence enough of lack of censorship.

We know he doesn't like RTH and he doesn't like WH, but other than that I'm not sure of anything about him.

Thanks, Ryan. The comments you refer to were of the same variety on the Ticats' forum, which I decided long ago to no longer read or comment on. "Trolls" took over those forums and induced their own form of censorship with the same sort of incessant insults to those who supported the WH stadium site. These sorts of comments went unpunished and were probably given a blind eye by the moderators, for obvious reasons. Most of the comments were made by a very small group of bullies, (just as on the Spec now, too) who also comment here. They hijack the forums, bring the level of civility down, and poison the atmosphere so that anyone trying to engage in rational and knowledgeable discussion gives up in frustration. It wouldn't surprise me if that was their goal all along.

"Trolls" took over those forums and induced their own form of censorship

EXACTLY! When trolls talk about "censorship" they really mean protecting there right to shout everybody else down.

It wouldn't surprise me if that was their goal all along.

I really can't speak for anyone on RTH - but I've been around long enough to know that it does happen. There are whole websites, forums, and even an encyclopaedia for Trolls. Search long enough and you'll find "forum raids" discussed and planned at length.

The political use of this tactic can be basically summed up by the term "Freep" (a verb), because of the rampant raiding of forum members from the ultra-conservative Freerepublic.com. I've been on a forum that was 'freeped'...and from day one the claim from them was "censorship". Things did not go well on that board for the next few years - long after the freepers left there was a real lingering autocracy in forum management and even I was eventually banned for defending conservative regulars. This type of thing takes a real toll after a while.

Just remember folks... one man's troll is another man's advocate.

Be careful Ryan. It's a slippery slope.

Thanks Rene, but I think we can tell the difference.

Keep in mind that the type of messages being deleted under these new rules were of the "Fuck you fatty" variety. A far cry from advocating there.

Just wondering if past slanderous comments will be deleted - I can send you the direct link...

http://www.thespec.com/feature/article/2...

We are not alone.

Glad to see this change being made. However, perhaps deleted comments could go into an accessible "Recycle Bin" for a set period of time just to let those concerned with censorship judge for themselves the value of comments being sidelined.

I like the "recyle bin" idea. I'd be curious to see some of these posts. Just not when we're trying to have a serious decision.

As for trolls being advocates? I don't know that I'd want 'em advocating my "side" in anything. A few shrill, nasty and illogical comments have a unfortunate way of characterizing "sides" in public debate in the worst ways. Feminists or pro-lifers, vegetarians or carnivores, hip-hoppers or hard rockers - every time some idiot takes a side and starts a fight, a whole horde of people who actually had something to say get stuck defending things they'd never have said in the first place, and a whole pile of people give up on those ideas altogether.

I've been thinking a lot about this. The poisonous (over-the-top sarcastic, slanderous, personal, mean-spirited) comments are really so unwelcome. I had a look back at the Feb/10 and Feb/09 comments, just for ratio's sake. As expected, with so many more RTH participants now, there comes so many more unproductive comments. I'm thinking again that maybe a multiple voting system may be needed, since voting seems to be very much a concern. How about buttons (with totals, as now) for "Good Post," "Offensive," "Agree," and "Disagree"? Perhaps the issue of a good post vs agreement/disagreement needs to be separated, as the up/down arrows are currently being used for different reasons. As for the "Offensive" button, we could attach a threshold of 7 (lucky #7) and then have the comment disappear entirely, that is, if the "Offensive" button was used properly. Just pondering...