Someday, someone might request a suspension or ban, but if enough of us who usually would speak in support, don't, because we don't want to attract personal attention from the troll, then the people who would rather sing kumbayah will sing kumbayah, warn you for using naughty words instead and the troll will stay.

Point taken, Cindy, but I don't think it's likely to happen. This is a board with 900 registered users. We are not a monolith. And regardless of how uncomfortable you may feel about speaking out publicly (and I understand entirely), there are always going to be other Buffistas who will be willing to speak publicly.

If someone offends me, I'm going to say something about it. And if he or she scares me, I'm even more likely to say something about it. I don't use my real name here, I don't say precisely what I do or where I work, and I'm not going to let assholes dictate what I do or don't say online. Fuck 'em.

And I know for sure there are other people here who would respond similarly. I'm not going to be scared into silence by the trolls.

3) It is impossible to prevent trolls from becoming registered users.

These three givens are entirely mutually exclusive.

Unless we do something about 3 - i.e. new screening methods, or we change the requirements of 2 and allow a backchannel forum that not all registered users can access, we won't have a "safe haven" for these discussions.

Does everyone feel that immediate access (registration and response email) is core to the Buffista experience?

Because I don't see any harm in a delayed process. It would cut down on the drive-bys and would ensure that people are certain they want to be registered and participate in this community. Most people seem to be indicating that they lurked for some period of time (both registered and un-) before they put fingers to keyboard.

It's not any sense of security. But it would certainly slow down the genuine trolls. They tend to be about a impatient as they are cheap.

Feeling uncomfortable in a forum one once thought of as a second home is awful. But usually, nothing has changed. It's just our perception of it that's been shaken up.

I can remember finding out that some members of a closed community were saving entire boards, day in day out. That they had a complete copy of everything I had ever said. Now, this was a community that took "said here, stays here" to an absurd level of seriousness. It was the gospel upon which everything else was based. The idea that my words were being immortalised on someone's hard drive was a huge slap in my face. I never posted the same way again. I never will. Sometimes, as ugly as that is, there's just a lesson to be learnt there. And everyone has to learn it.

Forcing registration to view isn't going to solve one iota of a problem that basically boils down to etiquette and respect

well that was just.. odd

It [...] would ensure that people are certain they want to be registered and participate in this community.

Zoe's registered six times so far. Anathema registered at least four. I don't think that a lack of persistence or patience characterised either of them.

(Julie - I think you hiccupped.)

Cindy, I don't think there should be legislation made because you're uncomfortable speaking up.

This is not the bater.

Sometimes, as ugly as that is, there's just a lesson to be learnt there. And everyone has to learn it.

And we've all learned it. I realize that things I say here are open to the whole wide world to read. It's something I already knew but was recently reminded of.

Fact of the matter is nothing on the net is truly private. Locking threads isn't going to change anything. It's simply going to foster the illusion that things are secret.

Cindy, I don't think there should be legislation made because you're uncomfortable speaking up.

This is not the bater.

Allyson - I don't deserve the condescension. You asked me a question, I answered honestly. And no it isn't the bater, and I don't want it to turn into it, either.

But Cindy, I wasn't being condescending, and I'm sorry you're seeing it that way. I can't think of another way to say, "I don't think you're being rational, and think you need to rethink some stuff" without sounding condescending.

People tell me to cool down, a lot, and sometimes I go do that.

I think you need to go rethink some stuff. This issue seems to be about you, what you feel might happen, in an almost paranoid sort of way. This is how I am reading you. It seems panicky for no good reason.

Fact of the matter is nothing on the net is truly private.

Ain't that the truth!

I don't think that a lack of persistence or patience characterised either of them.

True, but if we know anything about the next problem it's that it won't be anything like the last one. Or the one before that. I'm not trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted, I'm looking to preempt new and different problems without asking this community to change its nature. Or its rasion d'etre.

Slowing down the registration process can only make for dedicated community members. And I'm not sure how that's a bad objective.

You're right, they may not be dedicated to the side of good, but there's a process for dealing with them. That doesn't change whether the process is secretive or performed in wide open cyberspace.

And, basically, short of keeping them from interfering with the flow around here, there's nothing that can be done about someone that wants to say bad things about you (me, Cindy, Tim, lezbeans or bitterchicks) out there in cyberdom. So I think we need solutions that work towards keeping them from interfering with the flow around here.

But I don't think going into lockdown mode is the way.

Slowing down the registration process can only make for dedicated community members.

How do you define "dedicated", and is it unilaterally positive? If it's not, and since we know it might shut out people who aren't negative (I don't lurk. I didn't lurk. My registration to post gap is under a day, at every board I've registered for. I consider myself dedicated, but I'd not become a "new" Buffista with those rules. I also like to consider myself not a detriment), I don't see a compelling upside.