Thread: Proposed "Troll" rule

BroncosForums community,

After some discussion among the moderators we have decided to bring a proposed rule change regarding dealing with "trolls" to all of you, as we do with any rule change.

In order to more efficiently deal with what we all know as "trolls" we believe something resembling the following must be approved and implemented.

A "troll" will be defined as a poster who purposely, repeatedly, and routinely sows discord on the forums by starting arguments, posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

If a member is reported as trolling the moderators will begin the troll banning procedure. This will entail a moderator vote as to whether or not the persons actions constitute trolling. Since this determination is open to interpretation it shall require a higher threshold of voting, a 2/3 majority, with no less than 6 total votes (Minimum 4 affirmative).

If a 2/3 majority is reached the member is found to be a troll and immediately receives a ban for 2 weeks. A second banning as a troll will be 30 days, a third will be permanent.

Admin is allowed, and requested, to take part in any troll ban. If a member is found to be a troll Admin may still overturn the decision.

If getting 6 moderators to vote in a time sensitive manner is not feasible a 24hr emergency ban should be put in place to allow for voting to take place.

This proposal is open for your input and discussion. Thank you!

Can Mr Bojangles be the first troll outed with this new policy? The dude starts threads in Bronco talk that are obviously meant for smack. A pats fan telling us to lower our expectations and telling us he's a more reasonable and realistic voice and doing so in Bronco talk forum is definitely a troll.

sounds like a horrible idea


ban the trolls... The only thing I would say is that the first ban be 30 days and the next one be permanent. No need for three strikes

Originally Posted by chazoe60

Can Mr Bojangles be the first troll outed with this new policy? The dude starts threads in Bronco talk that are obviously meant for smack. A pats fan telling us to lower our expectations and telling us he's a more reasonable and realistic voice and doing so in Bronco talk forum is definitely a troll.

Please try to keep this thread focused on the new rule instead of a single poster.

Trolling comes in many forms, i.e. those stated above, but also those who are constantly creating new threads that focus on a single topic, or branch off the same tree. That should be addressed as well.

Out of curiosity how does that rule apply to the moderators?

Originally Posted by Northman

Out of curiosity how does that rule apply to the moderators?

Meaning what North? If you reported me for trolling the moderators would hold the vote as with any other trolling report except I would abstain from voting/conversation. Same way we handle issues where mods are involved now.

Originally Posted by Davii

Meaning what North? If you reported me for trolling the moderators would hold the vote as with any other trolling report except I would abstain from voting/conversation. Same way we handle issues where mods are involved now.

Yea basically. So if a mod is trolling and is reported the same standards are being applied? (outside of the mod in question voting of course).

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Trolling comes in many forms, i.e. those stated above, but also those who are constantly creating new threads that focus on a single topic, or branch off the same tree. That should be addressed as well.

...purposely, repeatedly, and routinely sows discord on the forums by starting arguments, posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community

Agreed, and I believe it does that Joe. Do you have a suggestion for changing the wording of the definition or do you think it also identifies that?

Originally Posted by Northman

Yea basically. So if a mod is trolling and is reported the same standards are being applied? (outside of the mod in question voting of course).

Yes, as is the case with all rules. I don't see why there would be a different standard.

Originally Posted by Davii

Yes, as is the case with all rules. I don't see why there would be a different standard.

The only reason why i bring it up is, i can see someone reporting a mod. Then the mods go do their thing as too whether they should be banned, dont ban him/her and then said person that reports its comes back and says there was moderator bias, etc. I mean, is there still going to be warnings, etc before the initial ban goes into play? Im just trying to be clear on all this.

Originally Posted by Northman

The only reason why i bring it up is, i can see someone reporting a mod. Then the mods go do their thing as too whether they should be banned, dont ban him/her and then said person that reports its comes back and says there was moderator bias, etc. I mean, is there still going to be warnings, etc before the initial ban goes into play? Im just trying to be clear on all this.

I would think not, to be honest. The reason for the higher vote threshold from the mods is to make sure that ONLY the true "trolls" are the ones that this rule effects. We know the difference between a "real" troll and Pags/WTE/DevilSpawn etc. I think central to this is the understanding that this rule will be enforced on those whose ONLY purpose here is to troll the community.

Originally Posted by Northman

The only reason why i bring it up is, i can see someone reporting a mod. Then the mods go do their thing as too whether they should be banned, dont ban him/her and then said person that reports its comes back and says there was moderator bias, etc. I mean, is there still going to be warnings, etc before the initial ban goes into play? Im just trying to be clear on all this.

I think one of the important things here is that we envision, and obviously want feedback, a very high bar for banning someone as a troll. Obviously, it would entail a lot of discussion among the mods, but in my mind, you would have someone that is being so disruptive and trolling so much, that they are clearly upsetting large parts of the community and that it is clear that for the good of the community, a person needs to go, even if they are careful about skirting around other rules.

Just because someone, or multiple people, decide to report someone as a troll, doesn't mean that s/he would be banned or that the mods would even agree that a vote was in order. Reports would simply start a discussion among the mods.

I don't think any of us envision great numbers of troll bans or the ability for people to be voted off the island or anything like that. Instead, along the lines of what a Supreme Court Justice said about hard core pornography, it might not always be easy to define, "but I know it when I see it."

This rule would give the moderators the tool and authority to warn, suspend and then permanently ban people that are clearly and obviously trolling and disrupting large portions of the community. In my mind, when it comes to regular posters, there have probably only been a handful of posters (4 or 5 or so, maybe a few more) over our five years or so (going on six years now, I think) existence that would have reached the level of trolling to the degree of needing to be banned for the good of the community. That number is shooting from the hip, and maybe there have been more or less, but the point is that this shouldn't be a routine banning infraction.

Originally Posted by NightTrainLayne

Please try to keep this thread focused on the new rule instead of a single poster.

See what he does?

In considering this new Rule, I urge you all to very careful.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts, absolutely. Installing too much power in the hands of the mob is dangerous, for they will often conspire to declaim those who do not tow their line or who are different from themselves.

Can one not start a thread designed to inspire thought and discussion on a particular topic and, just because that person is a fan of another team, do so for reasons other than a desire to start a flame war? Trust me, there are always going to be those who claim any comment by a rival fan is an example of trolling and therein lies a real danger. Why is it that these people think they should be free to attack a comment or thread posted by a rival fan, with impunity? Such people will never be satisfied unless rival fans are prohibited from commenting altogether.....a bleak day for any Forum.

By all means, we put this out there for feedback.

If you don't agree at all with the idea, or if you have an idea for improving upon it, then please post it here. We won't put something in place if the board doesn't want it, or if it can be improved upon.