Comments on: Identity, Anonymity, and Controlling Trolls http://jonathanstray.com/identity-anonymity-and-controlling-trolls Information, Culture, and Belief Sat, 19 May 2012 04:28:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://jonathanstray.com/identity-anonymity-and-controlling-trolls/comment-page-1#comment-765 Anonymous Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:13:32 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=1457#comment-765 Well let me just start by saying its always good to read anything which someone is passionate about regardless of meeting a successful objective; but I just want to add some additional perspective to the mix. What is it that differentiates an anonymous poster from a troll, or even someone with a numerologically based name? We can surely agree that it is the content of their post/argument which 'should' define it as such. It is therefore society which labels the Troll as much as the Troll labels himself. The more credence we give to such individualistic tendencies the more prolific they will become. To summarise- its better we're all aware of how we absorb information and what importances we attach. The idea of reputation is sensible by ideal but unfortunately just when you think you can predict an elements behaviour odd things start to happen. Our minds are all geared up for logic, but anger makes us slave to our ego. Peace out! (oh and i'm really not down with the idea of anonimity. We need to take some responsibility for ourselves and take pride in our lives.) Well let me just start by saying its always good to read anything which someone is passionate about regardless of meeting a successful objective; but I just want to add some additional perspective to the mix.
What is it that differentiates an anonymous poster from a troll, or even someone with a numerologically based name? We can surely agree that it is the content of their post/argument which ‘should’ define it as such.
It is therefore society which labels the Troll as much as the Troll labels himself. The more credence we give to such individualistic tendencies the more prolific they will become.

To summarise- its better we’re all aware of how we absorb information and what importances we attach. The idea of reputation is sensible by ideal but unfortunately just when you think you can predict an elements behaviour odd things start to happen. Our minds are all geared up for logic, but anger makes us slave to our ego.

Peace out!
(oh and i’m really not down with the idea of anonimity. We need to take some responsibility for ourselves and take pride in our lives.)

]]> By: admin http://jonathanstray.com/identity-anonymity-and-controlling-trolls/comment-page-1#comment-738 admin Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:31:23 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=1457#comment-738 You are quite right that every community will have and enforce its own standards of relevance and acceptability. The crucial point is to ask what "free speech" means. I think it means the ability to publish something, which is not the same thing as demanding that it receive attention or validation from the audience. "Dropping a comment or two" and then leaving is exactly what I'm hoping for. I hope to make trolling unpopular by building systems that tend to make comments by unknown identities irrelevant, until they've established a track record. You are quite right that every community will have and enforce its own standards of relevance and acceptability. The crucial point is to ask what “free speech” means. I think it means the ability to publish something, which is not the same thing as demanding that it receive attention or validation from the audience.

“Dropping a comment or two” and then leaving is exactly what I’m hoping for. I hope to make trolling unpopular by building systems that tend to make comments by unknown identities irrelevant, until they’ve established a track record.

]]> By: Eric Blair http://jonathanstray.com/identity-anonymity-and-controlling-trolls/comment-page-1#comment-715 Eric Blair Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:04:23 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=1457#comment-715 Neat trick if you can pull it off, but I suspect that you'll have similar issues to post rating systems--that is, that group think will still stifle dissenting views by rating unwelcome commenters such that they never get seen or whatever the punishment is for not agreeing. Basically, you're not addressing the issue of the norms of the site being posted on. For example your crack here <i>...bender/having kinky sex/voting Republican...</i> implies a certain point of view, and dissenting voices will not be welcome, and will get supressed. (Maybe you're not like this, but I know from experience that people like bitch phd squelch comments of people they don't like the opinons of). You say nothing about this echo chamber issue. Perhaps the whole thing is unsolvable, as anonymity absolutely will enable trolls looking for 'teh lulz' and all that stuff. From what I can see so far on sites that I frequent, is that the trolls (if they're not actual sociopaths) generally drop a comment or two, and if there is no rising to their bait, they soon stop commenting. This is probably the best you can hope for. Neat trick if you can pull it off, but I suspect that you’ll have similar issues to post rating systems–that is, that group think will still stifle dissenting views by rating unwelcome commenters such that they never get seen or whatever the punishment is for not agreeing.

Basically, you’re not addressing the issue of the norms of the site being posted on. For example your crack here …bender/having kinky sex/voting Republican… implies a certain point of view, and dissenting voices will not be welcome, and will get supressed. (Maybe you’re not like this, but I know from experience that people like bitch phd squelch comments of people they don’t like the opinons of). You say nothing about this echo chamber issue.

Perhaps the whole thing is unsolvable, as anonymity absolutely will enable trolls looking for ‘teh lulz’ and all that stuff. From what I can see so far on sites that I frequent, is that the trolls (if they’re not actual sociopaths) generally drop a comment or two, and if there is no rising to their bait, they soon stop commenting. This is probably the best you can hope for.

]]>