Assumed trolls

Texan,

I do not always agree with your posts. But I was a bit chagrined, shall we say, to see the arguments that cropped up in the showcase thread you mentioned. I do agree with this:

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What if someone "judged" to be a troll is actually not a troll? Have we not then made a serious mistake in abusing someone who came with an honest question? Likely running them off from a valuable source of information?

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Even if the original poster was a troll (which I doubt), good answers to the question might help someone who reads the thread & later on encounters the situation.

I'll admit that I am a person who assumes folks are good until they prove otherwise. But I still think that we shouldn't go around wild guessing that some new poster is a troll & then proceeding to try & slice them to ribbons.

Assume the best. Someone will probably benefit. If the poster is a troll, it will come out over time.
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Julie

You make a good point Texan (although I'm not familiar with the specific thread you are referring too).

I remember one of my very first posts on here...I ventured into a regional forum asking about the college choice of a player I had seen during the summer. Given my "Northern California" Location tag...I was promplty asked why the heck I wanted to know and was I REALLY from Northern California?

Nervous as I already was to post on this board...it sure kept me from posting again for a while.

Those of us who have been here a little while, expert or not, need to be careful not to quickly judge new posters. It takes a little while to get the hang of everyone's personality and to learn how to phrase our questions more properly.

Otherwise, we could find ourselves resembling that old phrase, "Old boys rule, newbies drool!"

I was also accused of being someone else when I first posted here. I am not sure who I was supposed to be. But, I think they found it odd that I didn’t want to tell everyone my real name. I didn’t feel comfortable here yet and had been warned repeatedly about posting too much info about oneself online.

I am sure there are “trolls” who just want to start trouble, but then there are people like me who just want to learn.

JMO, but I see a troll as one who will not and does not identify themselves, as though they do something top secret, and then they jump around looking to discredit others and very seldom do they offer anything constructive to the conversation. I thought we were all here to help others and each other. I guess thats being naive.

quote:

Originally posted by Coachric:
JMO, but I see a troll as one who will not and does not identify themselves, as though they do something top secret, and then they jump around looking to discredit others and very seldom do they offer anything constructive to the conversation. I thought we were all here to help others and each other. I guess thats being naive.

I don't care if they do identify themselves, if they jump around looking to discredit others and very seldom offer anything constructive, slice first timers posing legitimate questions to ribbons, then they are no better than the trolls.

I realize that to a few on this board, a public identity is everything. But a bad experience from some internet idiot "going postal" on you can make one very cautious about revealing one's identity. There are some folks on this board in whom I have placed that personal trust. But I will not again risk the hassle of placing that personal trust out to just anyone who happens to pass by this board.

I do understand where HowUbe is coming from on this.

quote:

Originally posted by MN-Mom:
Texan,

I do not always agree with your posts.

Ummm, any in particular?

quote:

Originally posted by HowUbe:
I was also accused of being someone else when I first posted here. I am not sure who I was supposed to be.

Too funny!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Coachric:
JMO, but I see a troll as one who will not and does not identify themselves

I do not have a problem sending a PM to MN-Mom if she would like to know my real name.

Definition of a troll: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

"In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy and antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion."


I hope that I have never been rude or offensive.

Texan,
I am not sure who closed the last topic, but mostly I see it as a signal that the discussion is over, time to move on and let it go.

Just as I should, but I have to admit, when I think I MAY have something of value to say, I have to speak up. I may not be as crabby or abrupt as TR, and we have had disagreements, but I fully understand some of the things he says sometimes, because if you have been here long enough, you kind of pick up on posters who have been either, #1 been asked to leave,#2 been given the shutdown, only to return again and start all over again. Some return and mind their business, others just to disrupt, again and again.

I also have no use of value for others who come on spouting advice and arguing with others, but will not give identity, even for credibilty purposes, as seen going on in another thread. If two people give advice, one a repected person in the business of baseball vs someone who claims to be in the business, who are you going to believe?
One does not have to give their indentity here, but I look at the HSBBW as someplace very special, unlike other boards and most are not afraid to speak up as to who their son is or who they are, unless they are someone else who has left and come back. There are many who do not like to share that information in public, but share with others behind the scenes who they are. Then there are others who just won't give it up because they think that gives them a right to be nasty. So who you gonna believe, someone who gets nasty once in a while and we know who they are, or someone who gets nasty and we have no clue who it is. I'll go with the one i know, because chances are that person has given great advice in past post, may be having a bad day, or something touched a nerve.

I think we sometimes judge new posters too quickly, but honestly for me, I can tell who is really sincere looking for advice, who has an agenda, etc. I am sure I am not the only one who can tell the difference.

As in the case of the closed topic, I have to say that I am one who is pretty darn sure this is someone who is quite familiar with the HSBBW. If I am wrong, I will publically apologize, but I am sure will never because I am sure I am right.

So with that said, with keeping an open mind that this happens frequently, and that MOST of our new posters are REALLY new to this site, can we move on?

I don't see where the lady from Kansas did ANYTHING that reasonably could have offended anyone. I guess in the eyes of a few, this site is reserved only for a few, which is very unfortunate.

Texan,

"Ummm, any in particular?"

No, I can't think of any specifically.

Adding my opinion on the "mystery identity" issue:

I have spoken up a few times in the past with a reminder that it is NOT a requirement of this website for posters to share their identity. However, I can truly see both sides of this issue. Sometimes a member who has clearly identified themselves for everyone is ridiculed or discredited by an anonymous poster, and that seems unfair. So I guess the only time that I am uncomfortable with a poster remaining anonymous is when they choose to be publicly critical of another member who is not anonymous.

Like several others who have posted above, I was nervous and intimidated when I first posted about 5 years ago (on an earlier version of the site). If I had been required to tell who I was, and who my son was, I probably would have waited even longer to post and ask a question. I think my very first post was something like "It sounds like all the pitchers throw 90 mph and my 16-year-old tops out at 75, should he give up on ever playing college baseball?".

Gosh, as I was typing the above, I just remembered that a few members did post responses that seemed a little harsh at the time. A wonderful, caring mom sent me a PM that made me feel a little more accepted, and helped me to keep coming back and asking questions. Thanks, FutureBackMom!!!

Julie

quote:

A wonderful, caring mom sent me a PM that made me feel a little more accepted, and helped me to keep coming back and asking questions. Thanks, FutureBackMom!!!

quote:

Originally posted by MN-Mom:
A wonderful, caring mom sent me a PM that made me feel a little more accepted, and helped me to keep coming back and asking questions. Thanks, FutureBackMom!!!

Julie

MN-Mom I sent you a PM.

There have been a few ladies on the site that have been very nice to me, also. I won't name each one because I might leave one off, but they are the reason I didn't give up on this site completely. Thanks ladies.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
Texan,
I am not sure who closed the last topic, but mostly I see it as a signal that the discussion is over, time to move on and let it go.

You're right. I know, I know. I saw the caution light come on but went through it anyhow. Something to do with the thread being closed in between the time I had clicked the "reply" button but before I hit the "post now" button. "But occifer, the light was pink..."

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
Just as I should, but I have to admit, when I think I MAY have something of value to say, I have to speak up. I may not be as crabby or abrupt as TR,...

Glad you did. You're posts are always good. And nope, you're not even in the same league.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
I also have no use of value for others who come on spouting advice and arguing with others, but will not give identity, even for credibilty purposes, as seen going on in another thread. If two people give advice, one a repected person in the business of baseball vs someone who claims to be in the business, who are you going to believe?

I guess I'm different. Heck, I know I am. Been told that enough... What do I do? I analyze what is said. And if what has been said has credence - in & of itself - I could care less what the poster's credentials are. Some of the most foolish baseball-related things I have heard have come from people with "baseball credentials". {Shoot, why stop at baseball? I have heard some pretty stupid things come from the mouths of well credentialed "experts" in many fields.} And I have also learned some great things from guys like Tommy Lasorda.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
So who you gonna believe, someone who gets nasty once in a while and we know who they are, or someone who gets nasty and we have no clue who it is.

If someone gets nasty, regrettably I may end up replying sharply regardless of whether they are a newbie or an oldtimer. I didn't think the "Old Timer" tag came with the right to be nasty.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
As in the case of the closed topic, I have to say that I am one who is pretty darn sure this is someone who is quite familiar with the HSBBW. If I am wrong, I will publically apologize, but I am sure will never because I am sure I am right.

Wow, jemaz & I shouldn't have slept through Kreskin's class.

Don't quite understand the hang up on identity/ credentials as people may have their reasons for not wanting to disclose personal info. Besides, does the HSBBWEB actually verify everyone's true identity and background... afterall this is the internet.

Furthermore, just because someone is a coach or has been around the game for 25 years in some capacity dosen't necessarily mean you are getting sound advice.

IMO it's best to take and weigh any advice regardless of the source...do further research and make your own determination as to it's value. To be perfectly honest, I have found much of what the many labeled "trolls" around here spew to be useful information!

nydad, very well put and I agree 100%