Other forums out there will restrict member posting in certain sections until the user name has racked up a certain post count. Now, your "innervoice (cough: NY_HOOD)" and your "jason84's" will likely just spam the other sections w/inane garbage so I propose using the "likes" system before allowing them to post in whatever section mods feel appropriate (I suggest piloting on Politics). So they need "xx amount of likes" before being let in. Better yet, a like ratio so they can't get away flooding w/1000 posts to reach 50 likes.
Your idea makes no sense. A user should be able to post their opinion in the Politics or Trading or Index Futures or wherever section no matter how many "likes" they have. Lots of people dislike lots of users here. Like count does not mean they are a liked user. It just means they have made a lot of posts that people have liked. I do it all the time. There can be a user I totally do not like the opinion of all the time, but sometimes they post something I agree with on their philosophy on the issue at hand. So I give them a like. I like what they said in their post. I *THINK* you have a grudge against a couple of users here, and I don't think this is the proper way to go about addressing it.
You've been here long enough to see this, again and again, to come to the conclusion this is either needed here at the forum or its too difficult to moderate. Unfortunately, the only way a moderator gets involved is if someone or a group of people raises enough hell here at the forum with the troll that the moderator is forced to get involved even if they know the trolling has been occurring for months. I've never liked the "likey" system unless there was a "dislike" system too. Maybe a "dislike" system will be included in the pending upgrade that Baron has been talking about. The other option is to just ignore (don't reply) or ridicule their stupidity. Unfortunately, trolling usually doesn't start until someone is ridiculed about their message posts. Worst, trolling is allowed too until the troll begins making threats, trying to track you down to harass, or publicly but indirectly wishing you a violent death. We have a few members here at the forum still doing such but the latter people are the ones that should be banned in my opinion because I think Baron draws a line when those types of trolls start making threats to harm other members... It's just not a good look for the forum and can quickly escalate into legal action. Summary of Best Solution - Trolls and agitators eventually get bored with being ignored or only having a small audience that shares their beliefs. They eventually leave on their own or go back to talking about trading...staying away from the political / chit chat threads...a section that moves so fast that their troll messages quickly get buried in the dungeon or graveyard. To be fair, we have a few members that enjoy engaging the trolls and agitators...enjoy ridiculing them instead of letting the trolls/agitators and their small audience take turns stroking each other off as if they think they're accomplishing something in their use of free speech. Hopefully, they don't get so mad that they start making direct/indirect threats for harming other members because they don't like the opposing opinion of that member. wrbtrader
I disagree with a few points. Instituting such system eases moderating workload because the system automatically bars anyone who for example doesn't meet the minimum post + post to like ratio. It's all automated w/o a mod involvement. The problem w/the ignore function is once enough people have ignored the offending troll, they simply make another alt account and it puts the onus on other members to have to ignore them again. The problem w/having a dislike function as I've seen in other forums is that it gets abused. Someone w/an unpopular albeit perhaps correct opinion may get disliked into negative territory. A like to post ratio is a metric of some value to the poster content/contribution (to some degree, there are like whores who may post controversial or obviously popular opinions for the likes). Trolls don't "get bored" and go to other sections (at least not to contribute in any meaningful way), they are interested in specific topics and don't see a use for other sections other than to up their post count to disguise under some perceived legitimacy.
If the opinion is correct but unpopular, how many likes is the poster likely to get? The easiest solution is that if you don't feel that another participant is offering anything of value, hit the ignore button. Or just stop reading and responding to their posts.
A like is harder to achieve than a dislike so I'm not advocating that every good opinion should get a like, I'm saying such opinion could get mass disliked. My ignore list is dozens long, w/many now banned trolls, it's a bit of a drag to keep adding is all.
The funny aspect...I've seen some members complain that "ignoring them" is censoring their free speech. wrbtrader
LOL Now you want me to figure out WHY certain posters act the way they do? Hell, I'm having trouble figuring out why I'm reacting to their posts the way I do.
Cuddles4BS you are the biggest agitator, ET troll around. You should have been banned a long time ago. Stay in Canada. Justin Trudeau will take away all your rights soon enough. You would have gotten your just desserts when it happens.