Echo chambers of hate in After Hours.

darced

This post has been deleted.

Riesen_Meal

I think a lot of these trolly posters come from a certain other "anti boards" site, judging by the thread's over there...

JRant

Samaris wrote: »

It's a problem. Thing is, we can't just boot "trollish posters" (my mental list may include some of the same posters you're thinking of, but it also may not) without going through the procedures to ensure they're not just ordinary posters with a bit of an asshole streak - internet posting does tend to bring up the asshole streak and god knows threads on politics, immigration, feminism, homosexuality and Travellers often brings it out in AH (also social welfare).

We did manage to get rid of most of the last batch of trolls during what as far as I'm concerned is the Troll War of 2016 (or they got bored and left/matured a bit), but it takes time to rootle out the actual trolls from the right-on-ers. It's easier when they are black-and-white reregs, they've broken the rules, they're out. Otherwise, they need to build up a bit of a posting history to allow for a fair chance (it can be a bit irritating for the mods to have to read all their bull**** too!) and if they show their absolute inability to learn the basics of civil discourse/internet housetraining, they can be fairly ejected to reddit, or whatever bridge they came from to piddle on their carpets instead.

The other major issue is this English-speaking world-wide obsession with the rather American views of left and right-wing. Obviously it comes out hard in (most of) the types of threads I listed above. There are plenty of normal, sane, decent posters of anywhere along a general sliding-rule range of political opinions, but when you get a batch that are extreme-whatever, weeding them out allows for a rise in "THEY ARE CENSORING OUR X-WINGEDNESS!" and it's even more of a bugger if you're aware you don't share their general political views anyway. It also makes the moderate leans-to-X-wing-political-view people nervous and more inclined to believe that the political viewpoints are being rooted out rather than the virulent trolls. The (not unreasonable) push from posters for a "light-hand" makes the balance trickier as you need take into account that others may see it as evil mod censorship.

Ultimately, in the bad patches of trollishness (and this really ain't the worst period), it takes time to get it dealt with and generally the mods come in for a lot of irritation from normal posters who don't get why X idiot is still around (s/he's probably managed to just skirt the boundaries so far). There's a rather delicate balance between fair weeding out of trolls and censorship of opinion, especially from an outside perspective. They'll often claim they were banned for being X-wing, when actually, they were banned for attacking someone by PM or being a rereg or something not immediately obvious.

There's a lot of decent, courteous posters in AH who make for intelligent, sane, civil discussions on all sorts of topics. Unfortunately, it seems that just the existence of such is enough to draw in trolls that live for fcuking it up for everyone. Until the day they get a freaking hobby, we'll keep weeding them out, but it takes time, especially if there may be batches of similar ones. Keep reporting them, it builds up their histories and eventually they will be returned to their bridge if they keep it up. But some of them are not deliberate trolls and just haven't quite got where the lines are and/or are being encouraged by the actual trolls who are quite happy to see someone else carded because of their bollockology. God knows I've crossed the line occasionally.


By the way, and because I do mod in there, I don't really like posting in these threads (I quite often write a post and then delete it again in Feedback!). Don't take anything I said as being representative of anyone else, these are just my opinions, not necessarily those of any other mod, nor any more than my understanding of how to handle these issues.

Very fair points.

I'd imagine our lists are very similar to be honest. While I do appreciate there is a process that needs to be followed it really is very frustrating having to read their constant nonsense.

Pelvis Parsley

Fieldog wrote: »

I think a lot of these trolly posters come from a certain other "anti boards" site, judging by the thread's over there...

Or you know, they might just disagree and feel that open debate is healthy.

gandalf

Pelvis Parsley wrote: »

Or you know, they might just disagree and feel that open debate is healthy.

Have you ever looked at the tripe they post over there?

pilly

JRant wrote: »

You could accuse Boards.ie of many many things but an "echo chamber of hate" is not one of them.

The main problems as I see them is
1: Don't feed the bloody trolls. I mean it's so obvious when someone trolls, yet it inevitably ends up with 2/3 pages of absolute nonsense.
2: As soon as I see 1 of a handful of posters appear I just unfollow. These posters are known and basically just rock into a discussion add the square root of feck all and try get the thread locked, which they usually succeed in.

Now, 1 is on the users of the forum, just ignore these dopes.
2, however, lies squarely at the feet of the mods IMO. There's 5/6 posters who engage in this behaviour and if I'm noticing it then it must surely be obvious to mods.

I agree totally but it's frustrating to have to un-follow a thread that one has a genuine interest in. And if we end up un-following when this crap starts in every thread then it definitely ends up an echo chamber.

Jobs OXO

gandalf wrote: »

Have you ever looked at the tripe they post over there?

Over where ?

gandalf

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Over where ?

The "site we're not allowed to mention",the so called anti-boards site. The majority of posts consist of Anti-Immigration news dumps and rants about individual users on boards. They did go through a period of doxxing boards mods and users as well. I look in on it every now and then if I need a laugh. There seems to be around 5 active users.

Personally I'd let them be linked as hiding them makes them more attractive than they actually are. I've linked an image of some of their topics to give you an idea of the "brainstrust" over there. All link information has been removed mods

Will I Am Not

gandalf wrote: »

The "site we're not allowed to mention",the so called anti-boards site. The majority of posts consist of Anti-Immigration news dumps and rants about individual users on boards. They did go through a period of doxxing boards mods and users as well. I look in on it every now and then if I need a laugh. There seems to be around 5 active users.

Personally I'd let them be linked as hiding them makes them more attractive than they actually are. I've linked an image of some of their topics to give you an idea of the "brainstrust" over there. All link information has been removed mods

Taking photos from the "know your ...." threads and searching boards accounts for mentions of their real names or places they live...

I think using the word 'doxxing' is being kind to them. They were just recycling info that was freely given up by the users themselves and then making a big announcement about doxxing.
Sad bastards.

Calhoun

I would never accuse boards of being right wing or conservative , in fact I think at times it is overly liberal and goes out of it's way to be politically correct.

Will always remember the time a mod tried to fight the gamer gate culture that didn't exist on boards because of crap he was reading on Reddit.

Is it a case that there are trolls or is this a post from a liberal who is doubling down and wants to censor those who don't agree with them? Is that not building an echo chamber ?

circadian

Yis are all a bunch of nancy SJWs, virtue signalling feminazi berniebro shillary cucks that eat at some pizza place without a basement in Washington DC!

I have no idea what half the phrases/acronyms being bandied around these days mean. I usually just leave a thread to never return if I see reference to something like above.

Pelvis Parsley

gandalf wrote: »

Have you ever looked at the tripe they post over there?

I didn't mean the crowd over there-I was referring to the fact that the sleuth above was making anyone who dissented with his view, guilty by association, just because they didn't agree with him.

gandalf

Ah OK! Crossed wires so..

Pelvis Parsley

gandalf wrote: »

Ah OK! Crossed wires so..

You're grand out

tomwaterford

gandalf wrote: »

The "site we're not allowed to mention",the so called anti-boards site. The majority of posts consist of Anti-Immigration news dumps and rants about individual users on boards. They did go through a period of doxxing boards mods and users as well. I look in on it every now and then if I need a laugh. There seems to be around 5 active users.

Personally I'd let them be linked as hiding them makes them more attractive than they actually are. I've linked an image of some of their topics to give you an idea of the "brainstrust" over there. All link information has been removed mods

Pretty sure them boys (and girls?) got in trouble off the crowd that runs it for doxing. ..


And when they stopped doing that....relevancy/interest fell off a cliff....don't see the point in keeping the name secret though...who'd bother there balls to read through all of it anyway

The_Valeyard

The only reason I keep my account open these days for the gaming forums, sci fi forums or forum games. Other than that I'd be gone from boredom and the road boards is on. I enjoy Reddit a good bit more and help mod on couple subs. I dont think boards is an echo chamber quite yet, but I dont think views that differ from the liberal side are tolerated.

RDM_83 again

The_Valeyard wrote: »

The only reason I keep my account open these days for the gaming forums, sci fi forums or forum games. Other than that I'd be gone from boredom and the road boards is on. I enjoy Reddit a good bit more and help mod on couple subs. I dont think boards is an echo chamber quite yet, but I dont think views that differ from the liberal side are tolerated.

Reddit is the definition​ of an echo chamber site though it's just there is lots of separate chamber s

D0NNELLY

gandalf wrote: »

Have you ever looked at the tripe they post over there?

Think James McAvoy in Split.

gandalf

D0NNELLY wrote: »

Think James McAvoy in Split.

My thoughts exactly

The_Valeyard

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Reddit is the definition​ of an echo chamber site though it's just there is lots of separate chamber s

I prefer the layout and style of posting. I also enjoy the funny and very active comedy sections and basically a sub on nearly every topic you could wish for.

I also really enjoy TIL and explain like I'm five.
Just a bit different but works.

But you are right part of reddit is an echo chamber such as reddit Ireland which is uber left wing. But sure look, Theres something for everyone

Dublin Pintman

Reddit is a joke, I got banned from r/Europe after one comment about the Stockholm massacre. Go there if you want to see real censorship.

No wonder the 'other' site came into existence.

The_Valeyard

Dublin Pintman wrote: »

Reddit is a joke, I got banned from r/Europe after one comment about the Stockholm massacre. Go there if you want to see real censorship.

No wonder the 'other' site came into existence.

Not even sure that's active. The leaks were interesting though. See some real feedback going on behind the scenes.

Dublin Pintman

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Not even sure that's active. The leaks were interesting though. See some real feedback going on behind the scenes.

A quick rundown?

The_Valeyard

Dublin Pintman wrote: »

A quick rundown?

Not appropriate for here. Do not want to get carded. Think most people on boards got a PM for a direct to it, but it's long since deleted.


Just the internal feedback or suggestions that go on behind the scenes.

biko

The problem for me is that OP equals often valid criticism of Muslims with "hate" and "bullying" (the most popular buzzwords at the moment).

If you have a problem with a post OP do report it but trying to label all discussion of Muslims/Jews or whatever as "hate" just means you also stroke with the big brush.

Criticism or worrying about immigration of Muslims is not "hate", but trying to label it as "hate" means you're trying to oppress this discussion.

M2c anyway.

PS, boney this is not directed at you personally but rather at the trend of polarisation in AH

Little CuChulainn

There are some proper hateful people on AH and it really shows in the terrorist related threads in particular. Look at the first post regarding the most recent victim of the Sweden attack. "You reap what you sew". Followed by a few jokes. Look at the thread about the ex SF member who admitted waterboarding someone, a case which is still before the courts. People rejoicing over a person being waterboarded. I feel sorry for the mods there. They truly are seeing the worst Boards have to offer.

Will I Am Not

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

There are some proper hateful people on AH and it really shows in the terrorist related threads in particular. Look at the first post regarding the most recent victim of the Sweden attack. "You reap what you sew".

That passes as proper hateful with you?

I'll just quote the full post because you're being a bit disingenuous there.

A woman in her 60s have died from injuries sustained during the terror attack in Stockholm earlier this month.

The irony is that she was a politician for the Green Party, a party that actively have worked for open borders, no identity checks of immigrants etc.

RIP, but as you reap...

The big problem for me is that people find something like this "proper hateful"

Little CuChulainn

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

That passes as proper hateful with you?

I'll just quote the full post because you're being a bit disingenuous there.



The big problem for me is that people find something like this "proper hateful"

If the first post about a 60 year old woman dying is about her politics and how she brought it on herself then yes that comes across as proper hateful to me. A person so engrossed in their own political view that the death of someone is the secondary concern to some feeling of being right. But seeing as how we are quoting let's look at the follow up post.

Death by Political Misadventure.

Although I do admire how you skipped my second example to focus solely on the one related to Muslims. It's like an obsession.

Will I Am Not

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

If the first post about a 60 year old woman dying is about her politics and how she brought it on herself then yes that comes across as proper hateful to me. A person so engrossed in their own political view that the death of someone is the secondary concern to some feeling of being right. But seeing as how we are quoting let's look at the follow up post.



Although I do admire how you skipped my second example to focus solely on the one related to Muslims. It's like an obsession.

The policies she campaigned for tie in with how she died. People can ignore that all they want for fear of looking callous or something but that's up to them.

Who said the death was secondary to that poster? The part you have a problem with is 4 words tagged on to the end of the post.

I didn't "skip" your second example. I commented on the post from the thread I was actively engaged in.

Little CuChulainn

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

The policies she campaigned for tie in with how she died. People can ignore that all they want for fear of looking callous or something but that's up to them.

Who said the death was secondary to that poster? The part you have a problem with is 4 words tagged on to the end of the post.

I didn't "skip" your second example. I commented on the post from the thread I was actively engaged in.

Yes my issue is indeed with the part where the poster attempts to put some of the blame on the victim of a murder. It's prevalent through all the terrorist threads though.