Trolls

[mansr]

Lately, a small number of trolls seem to have made it their mission to disrupt every rational conversation, turning them into petty squabbles and general name-calling. No need to name names; they'll no doubt reveal themselves right here shortly.

 

Everybody, please try not to feed them.

 

[mav52]

42 minutes ago, mansr said:

Lately, a small number of trolls seem to have made it their mission to disrupt every rational conversation, turning them into petty squabbles and general name-calling. No need to name names; they'll no doubt reveal themselves right here shortly.

 

Everybody, please try not to feed them.

 

Ya think.    But also, we have those that continue with their rebuttal post in some brainy attempt to one up the other poster and its never ending. That gets old and its worst than some trolls that stop in in their attempt to support some product or some person. Its all disrupting

[FredM]

 

[Rt66indierock]

Trolls seem to be a cost of doing business when you challenge the industry like we are doing with MQA.

 

And more than a few folks are uncomfortable with when certain long held beliefs are challenged. Their reaction is to deflect and disrupt threads. Now John Atkinson is pretty clever in the way he does it. Others are clumsy.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Based on my private messages, many people believe this type of behavior is happening from two sides or two different camps. 

 

It’s amazing how similar the complaints are but the people writing are actually writing about each other. 

 

“These guys ruin every thread or feel the need to jump in all the time etc...”

 

please use the features available to everyone. Most importantly the Ignore User and Ignore Topic features. 

 

 

 

[mansr]

26 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Based on my private messages, many people believe this type of behavior is happening from two sides or two different camps.

I guess nobody, certainly no side, is entirely innocent. I'm thus urging everybody, regardless of opinion, if you think someone is being a troll, ignore rather than engage. It'll be more pleasant for us all.

[rando]

I really feel like I'm making a place home when I have the site owner on ignore and every option to block messages from them enabled.  That is how this works isn't it?  ?

 

P.S.  The video was a nice touch and quite relevant commentary on the issue by even existing.

[Sal1950]

28 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

please use the features available to everyone. Most importantly the Ignore User and Ignore Topic features. 

AMEN to that Chris

 

There's a very fine line between trolling and debating.  But it's the use of a circular argument style that runs peoples blood pressure up while contributing nothing to the discussion.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS   ?

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, Sal1950 said:

AMEN to that Chris

 

There's a very fine line between trolling and debating.  But it's the use of a circular argument style that runs peoples blood pressure up while contributing nothing to the discussion.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS   ?

 

I agree. 

 

It isn’t possible to agree with everyone. The fact that this community is from so many different countries and speaks many different languages doesn’t help either. 

 

If a group of my friends is getting together but one of them brings a guy I can’t stand, I don’t let that guy dictate my enjoyment or what I do. I ignore him and have a great time. 

[Sal1950]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

If a group of my friends is getting together but one of them brings a guy I can’t stand, I don’t let that guy dictate my enjoyment or what I do. I ignore him and have a great time. 

I prefer to knock him out, load him in his car, and continue the party.  ??

[phototristan]

More people, including the admin., simply need to practice arguing with the ideas, not the poster.

[mansr]

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/irony

[The Computer Audiophile]

[PeterG]

1 hour ago, Sal1950 said:

AMEN to that Chris

 

There's a very fine line between trolling and debating.  But it's the use of a circular argument style that runs peoples blood pressure up while contributing nothing to the discussion.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS   ?

 

I agree with this, but more so--the problem often starts when one person or side uses the forum to "debate" rather than converse in a way that informs or helps us all to get a better understanding of a debatable or unknowable point.  It often seems like some would rather win an argument than contribute to knowledge or get a better understanding of an issue themselves.  These posters appear unwilling or unable to give ANY quarter to those on the other side of a discussion or those who might have a different set of evaluation criteria.  After reading the first one of their posts in a thread, the rest all appear to be some sort of childish playground dispute.

[rodrigaj]

I used to belong to a bike forum. FWIW, the trolls and their feeders on CA are mild by comparison, which is why I quit visiting bike forums.

 

I have tried on some occasions to place "Do not feed the Trolls" in CA threads where it was obvious that a Troll was at work. The bickering continued and no one stopped the frenzied feeding. As @The Computer Audiophile suggests, I place those threads on the IGNORE pile.

 

Unfortunately, some of the discussions were really useful to me prior to the start of the bickering. The one that sticks in my mind was a Class D thread. Class D amplification has been a revelation to me and I really wanted to learn more. Unfortunately, these discussions always get sidetracked by Trolls and their feeders.

 

Bottom line: Trolls go away if they are not fed. Please Do Not Feed The Trolls.

[Jud]

10 minutes ago, PeterG said:

 

I agree with this, but more so--the problem often starts when one person or side uses the forum to "debate" rather than converse in a way that informs or helps us all to get a better understanding of a debatable or unknowable point.  It often seems like some would rather win an argument than contribute to knowledge or get a better understanding of an issue themselves.  These posters appear unwilling or unable to give ANY quarter to those on the other side of a discussion or those who might have a different set of evaluation criteria.  After reading the first one of their posts in a thread, the rest all appear to be some sort of childish playground dispute.

 

Said very nicely, and much along the lines I was thinking.  There are a vanishingly small number of actual trolls.  The rest of the complaints Chris receives I believe fall under the category of good people falling into familiar patterns of defending or attacking general points of view, rather than thinking about how we can help individuals who share our liking for well reproduced music.

 

There's something about the Internet and not seeing the folks we're talking to that encourages this, I think.  People who consider every day "How can I effectively communicate with or persuade the patient/business manager/customer/boss/etc.?", seem to leave that behind on the Web.

 

This seems to happen everywhere on the Web - any comment section of a publication or any forum shows ample proof. So it looks as though, in order to avoid that outcome and make this a more sociable and helpful place, we're each going to have to think a little about how to most effectively communicate with all the other folks here.  Same old same old obviously won't work.  Objectivists ought to consider saying things like "The manufacturer's explanation doesn't make sense to me, but here are some things that could cause differences, and some relatively inexpensive ways to implement them to get better sound.  See if these work for you."  Subjectivists ought to consider that they are fallible, and subject to the same sorts of inaccurate sense impressions, suggestibility, and biases as other humans.  And playing around with suggestions made by people who may actually know something can be fun!  There are thriving threads here with subjectivists happily reporting their experiences implementing solid engineering principles dear to objectivists' hearts. (Really!)

 

Give peace a chance, folks. ? 

[look&listen]

1 hour ago, Jud said:

There are thriving threads here with subjectivists happily reporting their experiences implementing solid engineering principles dear to objectivists' hearts. (Really!)

+1

Only reason to wade thru so much bs & hate.

[firedog]

My specific, as opposed to general, trolling pet peeves:

People who have to start a cable or class D discussion regarding the "merits of"  every time someone expresses an opinion about one or the other.

We really don't need to discuss endlessly if class D sucks or if cables can make a difference. If it isn't the topic of the thread and one of them gets mentioned, just let it go by without comment. Or make a new thread for your argument. Don't ruin a thread about something else. 

[Ralf11]

there is one person on here who seems determined to disrupt threads

 

 

another one is widely dissed so is generally not a problem

 

but ignoring someone who gives a newbie very bad advice is liable to cause someone new to the HiFi or digital scene problems

[Dr Tone]

16 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

but ignoring someone who gives a newbie very bad advice is liable to cause someone new to the HiFi or digital scene problems

 

Which will probably just end up in another objective vs subjective battle and draw them in.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Of course we can take the whole Ignore thing up another level, by enabling a feature that enables users to block other users from reading their topics. 

 

 

[mansr]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Of course we can take the whole Ignore thing up another level, by enabling a feature that enables users to block other users from reading their topics. 

 

 

I hope we don't have to go that far.

[robocop]

Quote

please use the features available to everyone. Most importantly the Ignore User and Ignore Topic features. 

 

Well you can learn a new thing. I certainly didn't know this feature existed. Not sure its the right answer but at least one has the option if one gets annoyed.

I prefer to glaze over these comments and dismiss the topic/s which I have to say is all too common for me lately.  It would not be in my interest to ignore or block others but they have lost my respect. 

Its getting hard to find the meat in the sandwich.

 

Robert

[The Computer Audiophile]

4 minutes ago, mansr said:

I hope we don't have to go that far.

 

Agreed.

[rickca]

15 minutes ago, robocop said:

Its getting hard to find the meat in the sandwich.

Precisely.  This is why I spend progressively less time on CA.  It just keeps getting less productive.  With very few exceptions, I find myself ignoring the most prolific posters and I wind up with whole pages of "You've chosen to ignore content by xxx".  I'm very tolerant of different viewpoints.  I just have no time for drama and content-free posts.