The stompies wouldn't have to do anything under your scenario. Look at it this way. If ten people ask that a poster be warned, that's the only time the stompies actually have to do anything. If another eleven or thirty then say "No, Don't do it," then the stompies don't do anything. Do I have that correct?

Actually, I don't think so. As the proposal we just approved stands, one-plus-ten calls for a warning = warning. There's no provision for counting dissenting votes against a warning.

In that event, I'm not sure I see the need for a specified number of objectors to the warning. If it is a case of bullying (which AKAIK, is what we're talking about), I just think it'll be pretty transparent, and the stompies would be justified in stopping it regardless of how many objections.

That's my take. But there isn't anything specifically allowing this as it stands.

I don't see it written down anywhere, though.

Huh...you're right. I was thinking of this bit:

While we may occasionally mention Buffy or Buffista-related goods, please don't spam us. Thanks. Besides, we all have large penises already.

But it doesn't say what happens to spam, does it?

(I do remember it coming up on WX, and "delete the spam, ban the spammer" was such a clearly unanimous POV that I guess it never got formally written down.)

I think I'm confused so I'm going to try and work out what I hear is being said and someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

There's a concern that with the new system that some people, either current members or future members, may abuse the system in order to bully people and railroad them out of Buffistas.

The worry is that a group of people will inflate or create a conflict in thread with one person and then go to b'cracy and say "I want so and so warned, see what they did in this thread" and then 10 others will second that.

Then those same people will repeat the process until the person is banned.

Do I have that right?

I guess I'm not worried about the sitch that Gar and Trudy foresee because it would not only take 10 trolls coming in, but it would take them learning and following our rules. The trolls I have seen on this and other boards have been as one in NOT paying attention or caring about the local rules of the baord they happen to be in.

Laura it is not a hypothetical in the sense of wildy improbably possiblity. It does not require a change in our culture. All it requires is a group of trolls joining all at once.

Doesn't hypothetical just mean not happening right now? Because it's not happening right now.

I understand that there are roaming packs of trolls out there, and somehow we've just been lucky so far, but I'm pollyannaish enough to believe that we would be able to identify and deal with it, if it were to happen.

I also thought I remembered something about mercilessly sporking obvious spam. Huh. Some kind of weird collective hallucination, I guess.

And speaking only for myself -- other stompies may feel otherwise -- I really have no problem with deciding to resist obvious bully attacks without a formal vote.

I just think it'll be pretty transparent, and the stompies would be justified in stopping it regardless of how many objections.

That's my feeling as well.

I can add "Spam will be deleted immediately" to the etiquette page.

it would not only take 10 trolls coming in, but it would take them learning and following our rules.

Exactly, Scrappy. I mean, it could happen (and really, it would only take one troll with ten minions), but I strongly suspect that anyone that intent on destruction would get themselves sporked for being a jerk before they had the chance.

DX - a good point. But I don't think there would be problem getting objectiors, and perhaps some people in the group would feel more comfortabe if this happend only when there were objectors.

askye, your understanding is my understanding.

I tend to think that all we need is a general, underlying "Stompies will feel free to disregard formal policy for obvious exceptions not stated in the formal policy". That, in fact, takes care of spammer-deletion as well as obvious trollery.

Subtle trollery? I don't think trollery gets that subtle until after the community has already gotten ugly and begun to fall apart. If we're that much at each other's throats that Buffistas who know the rules and participate in the process are spuriously trying to get each other in trouble, then it's not a fault in our rules but in our sense of community. And I don't foresee that happening for a long time, because we are the original conflict-avoidant monkey-groomers.