Attack of the Nazi Trolls: A Lesson for Message Board Moderators

Richardpoe.com ^ | 10-27-03 | Richard Poe

[SJackson]

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 at 13:41

Attack of the Nazi Trolls: A Lesson for Message Board Moderators

In a recent blog entry titled, "I've Been Red-Baited!", I wrote, "I'm not familiar with LibertyForum.org, but it appears to be an anti-Bush, anti-war message board with a distinctly anti-Jewish undertone."

A member of LibertyForum.org named Max Soldo (aka "thoughtcriminal") has responded by e-mail and provided further clarification of LibertyForum's political orientation. He writes:

This forum is a libertarian forum, and is devoted to the libertarian concept of unabashed free speech. With that principle in mind, most posters aren't libertarian as many fringe types have taken advantage of this policy (which includes a no-banning policy) to run amok...hence the preponderance of anti-Jewish posts on this forum.

All of this raises interesting questions for any message board moderator -- such as myself -- who has tried his best to allow a relatively high level of free expression. Inevitably, Nazi trolls find your forum and begin probing your defenses. If you allow them to post messages, they immediately spread the word to other Nazi trolls and soon your message board is infested.

At that point, all the normal people stop posting. It's a bit like when a fight breaks out in a bar and everyone stops talking and turns to watch the fight, transfixed. Suddenly, your message board becomes an arena for Nazi trolls and people arguing with Nazi trolls.

This is called "free speech."

I decided long ago that allowing Nazi trolls to occupy my message board and drive off everyone who does not share their idiosyncratic obsessions is a very poor method for encouraging "free speech." Therefore, I make frequent and forceful use of such allegedly un-libertarian methods as censoring and, when necessary, banning troublemakers, brownshirted or otherwise.

Apparently, the decision-makers at LibertyForum.org have adopted a different approach. As a result, their self-styled "libertarian" message board has become, by Mr. Soldo's description, a playground for non-libertarian "fringe types" to "run amok."

"It does get quite ugly at times, but that's the price one pays for sticking to one's principles," writes Mr. Soldo in a subsequent e-mail.

Well, if that's the price, I don't think I'm willing to pay it. I will add the sad fate of LibertyForum.org to my growing list of reasons for rethinking whether or not I wish to continue calling myself a "libertarian."

 

[Dane]

Free speech is worth it.

Does it come without warts? No

Uh, "one who knows", I think you meant to say, "yes", as your last word in your above italicized passage.

But what the hey, I don't proclaim myself as "one who knows", what does a little peon like me know.

[Bob J]

And I admire LF for sticking to it's original philosophy, but when you allow anyone to post, even Nazi's, don't blame that on Jim.

[Dane]

And I admire LF for sticking to it's original philosophy, but when you allow anyone to post, even Nazi's, don't blame that on Jim

JMO, but the "one who knows", knows demo/carvilian rhetoric very well.

[cyborg]

Wow I'm surprised that people don't realize that anytime anything is unmoderated on the Internet, it attracts the freaks, fringe elements,racists, perverts, and other socially diseased people. Frankly, I prefer order to disorder, which is what 'any posts goes' websites generally degenerate into.

[tpaine]

"Implied" threats?

You should see my dossier of real ones..

[dirtboy]

But what the hey, I don't proclaim myself as "one who knows", what does a little peon like me know.

That's OK, Dane, we keep you around as FR's token wart.

[OWK]

And I admire LF for sticking to it's original philosophy, but when you allow anyone to post, even Nazi's, don't blame that on Jim.

I didn't.

I rightly criticized Jim for encouraging skinheads he didn't want here, to post at LF.

It was a cheap shot on his part.

We'll get over it.

[yonif]

yonif posts about Israel a lot, but I don't remember him getting out of line over "killing Arabs",

I have never said such a thing. You are correct SJackson. Prove me wrong, John Galt.

[yonif]

Ping.

[OWK]

In any gathering of 50 or more, there's someone dressed in garish clothes, with toilet-paper stuck to the bottom of their shoe, dancing around waving their arms hoping desperately that someone who matters will notice them.

That's you on FR.

[aloysius89]

excellent, excellent. I know I'm risking a flame, but I was thinking of writing a book on logical fallacies. Can I use this post as an primo example of ad-hominem attacks?

[JohnGalt]

Here we go...the quote you are responding to was taken out of context, I assume, unintentionally, by SJackson. Please read the actual post.

I posted specifically of your performance on another thread when you suggested that natural disasters strike the United States when Israel is slighted.

Could you post a link to the site you sent Brian S so people don't get the wrong impression?

[Dane]

I rightly criticized Jim for encouraging skinheads he didn't want here, to post at LF.

It was a cheap shot on his part.

We'll get over it.

JMO, you "getting over it" will happen as you are celebrating your thousandth birthday on Earth, which, IMO, you(OWK) are no doubt planning.

[tpaine]

We differ on the reasoning behind the forum, not on 'nuance'..


Here's the trump card on that issue:

"Free Republic is a place for people to discuss our common goals regarding the restoration of our constitutionally
limited republican form of government. If people have other agendas for FR, I really wish they would take them elsewhere."

Thanks, Jim
226 posted on 2/7/02 4:01 PM Pacific by Jim Robinson

[OWK]

will happen as you are celebrating your thousandth birthday on Earth, which, IMO, you(OWK) are no doubt planning.

I'll be 943 next month.

[Cato]

Instead of a nice, free-wheeling give and take (such as we enjoy here at FR)

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You freaking fascists calling the CENSORSHIP at FR free-wheeling give and take is a hoot. Better check yourself first. Now go back to goosestepping with Bush and Company. When your Leader(in German it is ....) started this stupid Colonial War to avenge the attempted hit on Daddy and IT"S ABOUT OIL BABY, I said we would be losing a soldier a day. Wonder what those soldiers and their families think of the Leader now. And we get to pay with our TAXDOLLARS for all this if things were not bad enough. And Saddam didn't even have a thing to do with 9-11.

Well, that's the problem with folks whose philosophy relies on the fundamental assumption that people will be self-policing.

-Yeah, that is a problem giving people LIBERTY and FREEDOM OF SPEECH when they don't toe your line.
Hitler and Stalin had a SOLUTION. Is this your solution also??

I just love your Laura Bush Vanity Page-----YECHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

You are losing viewers, writers, readers and monetary support to LibertyForum.com and that's a fact Jack!

Bush is a turd,
CATO

[JohnGalt]

Acts of God: America's Warning Not to Divide Israel
CBN ^ | June 26, 2003 | Jennifer James
Posted on 06/28/2003 8:49 AM PDT by yonif

[yonif]

Now, I don't care for the pronouncements on the joy of killing A-rabs or the French, the bombing of civilians or the folks on this site (Brian S and Yonif) who believe that the United States is struck by a natural disaster when the US slights Israel.

I never have said any of that regarding Killing Arabs. Regarding the natural disaster, yes, I did post one article on the issue from CBN but it is something I do not believe in at all. Does every article you post on freerepublic something you believe in? I don't think so.

[OWK]

Too much caffeine?

[JohnGalt]

Whatever, bro.

Interesting take on the issue.


2 posted on 06/28/2003 8:49 AM PDT by yonif
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