Great point <appaz>. I've personally been down that road, spoke to friends who have visited the Philippines, etc etc. They all speak fondly of the Filipinos, but they all say that they're "tribal!". I can't explain why Tolly is a head case, I can only say that *now* (after a few years of getting used to him) that he doesn't bother me personally. But yes.. If paying members are being driven away by him then something needs to be done. I was shown no mercy after one night of mocking AJ's beard (lol) , and trust me... It p****d me off no end! Obviously Tolly has a similar gripe with the admins, so they should explain why he got banned first time around and let him back or call him a "psychopath" (like they did me!) and ban his IP address.

But banning a Filipino IP address??? Not good for business now! 0

<Annie K.: Well, I would miss him. Maybe enough that I might even find myself going to pages of tournaments GM So isn't playing in, and posting "Wesley will win this!" >

What I'm no so sure of is whether it's in error. You've been here a month, posted an average of 14 posts per day, and have racked up an incredible number of ignores. Virtually every other post you make earns you a new ignorer. Without even reading what you've posted, I can already say that is statistically bizarre.

Fortunately nobody's banning you. If you have an important message to get out, you can go ahead and post it. Say anything within our guidelines, at the rate of two messages a day.

Bringing down the ban hammer has its drawbacks because it means you also have to ban every new incarnation as it appears, and then you get into questions of banning IP blocks, with all the problems that entails.

But there is much to be said for letting the trolls post, but slowing the posts until they feel like molasses in January. :-)

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What I think you'll have to watch for (as I believe you mentioned), is the creation of "sleeper" accounts to circumvent posting restrictions. This is particularly true since, even if <tolengoy> didn't think it up on his own, it has now been put forth for his digestion.

I therefore advise being extremely alert to any registration of multiple accounts in a fairly short period (especially if they seem to originate from one IP block or range of blocks). If they post *nothing* for extended periods, there *may* well be an innocent explanation, but I'd still keep an eye on them.

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Meanwhile, as to <tolengoy>/<bulibug>/<lainulo>/etc.:

I can assure anyone who's in any doubt that this troll is *not* harmless.

If he restricted himself to posting silly conspiracy theories, I'd simply pay him no attention. But as everyone here has seen, he does not. He readily escalates to "swiftboating" campaigns, stooping so far as to try to convince the server that I've been lying about my military career.

Of course, he's presumably smart enough to know that if he did this in "real life," someone would have killed him by now. There are some things you simply don't do. But since it's "only" on the internet, where he can post anonymously from 10,000 miles away, he feels a sense of impunity. And in the manner of every sadistic sociopath who ever poisoned every well he could reach, he has until now sat back and chuckled at all the outrage he provokes.

Today is a red-letter day for all those who are tired of sociopaths-on-a-soapbox distorting and derailing conversations with malevolent calumnies. He still has the soapbox, but he's also wearing a gag that he can remove only twice a day, severely limiting his freedom to do harm.

Somewhere in the Philippines, a disgruntled and frustrated <tolengoy> is gritting his teeth as he tries desperately to figure out how to defeat the gag. Doubtless he will not give up; he will be back in different forms and cause more annoyance.

But as long as each of those sockpuppets is born with a gag in its mouth, annoyance will be the worst he can achieve. No longer will he be able to flood the forums with lies until he confuses just enough people to create a hostile environment for anyone who dares to contradict him.

Thank you.

<MarkFinan: <<Unfortunately, this would also provide a simple means of silencing someone on the <Kenneth Rogoff> page who hasn't done anything wrong, but whose posts annoy his adversaries simply by being there.>>

Abdel's pro Islamic terrorism posts need looking at, that whole page needs wiping tbh. It's good to have somewhere to go and state your point of view but some people only come here to talk politics.. The only difference between you and AJ Goldsby is you're more intelligent.>

Now, <Mark> isn't really a troll. Actually, on the whole, I think he's an honorable man, although I also think he is misguided in some respects and too readily believes in and allows himself to be used as a weapon by one of the most vindictive individuals on this site.

(From what I've read, I infer that I am not the first target of his misdirected anger, so I will try not to take it personally.)

As to this particular post, and others on the same theme: If <Mark> feels that I've made "pro Islamic terrorism posts," he should be ready to prove it.

If (as I am confident is the case), he can find nothing resembling such a post, then perhaps he should stop maligning me.

Please explain to me how, once an account is being slowed down, the person in question could not immediately create a new ID/IP, with all the time and room to, at least for days, Troll to his "heart's delight" ??!!

There is no difference there if the account were to be blocked/banned.

Of course the troll will find out instantly if his post come through slower, let alone do not come through anymore.

There is *nothing* to stop the behavior you describe. I am not aware of anything that *could* stop it, short of banning entire IP blocks (which would punish a lot of other people along with the troll).

What this plan promises to do will take time to take effect. In theory, a new account operated by a troll will quickly accrue ignores disproportionate to its longevity, which will soon kick it into "molasses" territory.

How much ranting a troll can do before that happens we are probably about to find out. But at least the answer should no longer be "infinite."

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I do want to emphasize a different concern.

It is essential, as this process goes forward, that at no time does it permit witch hunts.

I have some special admirers who have made it pretty clear they would like, if they can, to drive me from the site. (No point naming them; most of you already know who they are.)

If it is at all possible for a "whisper campaign" to persuade enough people that I'm something awful or other, these admirers could conceivably get me ignored into the nearest oubliette.

This of course doesn't just apply to me. *Anyone* who's taken a position on anything controversial is in danger of such a muzzle campaign. But you can see why this would be of concern to me just the same.

So: If you (<cg.com>) should ever notice a sudden spike in ignores against a user, take note of the context.

If on examining his posts you find nothing particularly offensive, and yet two more people ignore him each day, something may be afoot behind the scenes.

Please remain alert for that.

Looks like what Sokrates and a few others said, me included, that the whack-a-mole account removal and possible IP blocking measures, might be a neccesity, still applies.

∞>>

This is probably not the place so I'll keep it as short as I can. This is an American site, you live in America, yet all your posts on the Rogoff thread are anti American. You don't condemn acts of terrorism against the west, I've asked you and your sidekick to do that at least 10 times. You sympathize and empathize with Muslim countries who's citizens attack us at every given opportunity, and whenever the terrorists attack us your posts (and I'm paraphrasing obviously) go like this.. "But if America hadn't done A then Muslim terrorists wouldn't do B". And right up until last November (Ish) I've always had support and kind words for you, I distinctly remember telling you to keep your head up and no one's gonna run you off the site. My opinions changed when I said something else encouraging to you, and you (and your sidekick) basically spat in my face! Only then did I take a closer look at your posts.

<allows himself to be used as a weapon by one of the most vindictive individuals on this site.> Firstly. The person you're referring to is *not* a vindictive person. He's a nice guy who for whatever reason has a problem with you. Secondly. *Nobody* uses me in that way. I have my own opinions and make up my own mind about people.

That's a pretty good summary. It's important to note that a single ignore is very unlikely to impact the user in any way, unless it's the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.