MennoNet.com

What can be done about trolls?


We had a few show up on Menno Discuss, people who really did not want to discuss Mennonite related topics but who, at times, dominated the group with their agendas and their argumentiveness.

For my part, I enjoy discussions on this forum with like-minded people and people I know. I appreciate authenticity and have dropped membership in other forums when I detect that it is a troll nest or that members with which I interact are not who or what they say they are. When I have moderated forums myself, I expected people to identify who they are if not to the whole group, then at least to the moderators so that we could vouch for them. This gave everyone in the group confidence that the people they were in discussion with to some degree trustworthy, and their information could be authenticated.

So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented? Should we care?

Some years ago, I had signed up to a hunting/fishing forum. I had to write a short essay to prove I was not anti-hunting. It was that forum's way of keeping the trolls out. Maybe we all need to give our testimony before our account is active? It would be more work for the mod's, for sure.... but at least it could act as "troll control."

Wayne in Maine wrote: So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented? Should we care?

With tongue firmly in cheek, I thought of the following:
-Blood tests?
-DNA analysis?
-Fingerprinting?

Wayne in Maine wrote:So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented?

The two stage registration process eliminates 99% of this issue. The other 1% is when I post in the climate change thread.

Wayne in Maine wrote:What can be done about trolls?


We had a few show up on Menno Discuss, people who really did not want to discuss Mennonite related topics but who, at times, dominated the group with their agendas and their argumentiveness.

For my part, I enjoy discussions on this forum with like-minded people and people I know. I appreciate authenticity and have dropped membership in other forums when I detect that it is a troll nest or that members with which I interact are not who or what they say they are. When I have moderated forums myself, I expected people to identify who they are if not to the whole group, then at least to the moderators so that we could vouch for them. This gave everyone in the group confidence that the people they were in discussion with to some degree trustworthy, and their information could be authenticated.

So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented? Should we care?

Whatever happened to the forum that was started up by those on Mennodiscuss that was for the totally likeminded CA's?
I know several of you joined, is that what you are speakig of wishing for? Did that discontinue?

MaxPC wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote: So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented? Should we care?

With tongue firmly in cheek, I thought of the following:
-Blood tests?
-DNA analysis?
-Fingerprinting?

BTW Max, I saw you mention on another discussion group that you are a former Lutheran. You never mentioned that here...

Wayne in Maine wrote:

MaxPC wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote: So far Mennonet has not had and major troll attack but how can it be prevented? Should we care?

With tongue firmly in cheek, I thought of the following:
-Blood tests?
-DNA analysis?
-Fingerprinting?

BTW Max, I saw you mention on another discussion group that you are a former Lutheran. You never mentioned that here...

Not me. I've been a Catholic all of my life. Must be someone else. I don't participate in other forums except this one.

MaxPC wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote:

MaxPC wrote:With tongue firmly in cheek, I thought of the following:
-Blood tests?
-DNA analysis?
-Fingerprinting?

BTW Max, I saw you mention on another discussion group that you are a former Lutheran. You never mentioned that here...

Not me. I've been a Catholic all of my life. Must be someone else. I don't participate in other forums except this one.

It must be another MagnusFide who as an RVer with the same email address posting in Yahoo groups. He sounds like an interesting character - has a friend who is an expert on Catholicism even!

Wayne in Maine wrote:

MaxPC wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote: BTW Max, I saw you mention on another discussion group that you are a former Lutheran. You never mentioned that here...

Not me. I've been a Catholic all of my life. Must be someone else. I don't participate in other forums except this one.

It must be another MagnusFide who as an RVer with the same email address posting in Yahoo groups. He sounds like an interesting character - has a friend who is an expert on Catholicism even!

Could be. I met a Magnus a few years back at a campground who liked my email address. I still hear from him occasionally; he has a yahoo address so it could be him. I don't access yahoo groups. Too little time and too much fuss like social media.

MaxPC wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote:

MaxPC wrote: Not me. I've been a Catholic all of my life. Must be someone else. I don't participate in other forums except this one.

It must be another MagnusFide who as an RVer with the same email address posting in Yahoo groups. He sounds like an interesting character - has a friend who is an expert on Catholicism even!

Could be. I met a Magnus a few years back at a campground who liked my email address. I still hear from him occasionally; he has a yahoo address so it could be him. I don't access yahoo groups. Too little time and too much fuss like social media.

So you let him use your email address? That's odd, you should be careful of who you let use your email address. Do you know if he is the same Maxfide on the "Covered Catholics Plain and Crunchy" group? or the Catholic Answers forum?