Sick of trolls! 3719

As mentioned else-thread, I scan 90 newsgroups each day (I only read perhaps 10), so I get pressed for time. I do use killfiles.

Perhaps. I do know what you are referring to - do you recall a person about Matt Welsh or Al Viro? They could all be extremely caustic, and little tolerant of fools, but their posts always contained the technically correct answer to the problem posed (if, of course, there was enough information provided to give an answer). I don't recall seeing complaints about their posts. Their abrasiveness was tolerated because it wasn't vindictive or random. I haven't seen any posts from BAM or Matt - no idea where they've gotten off to. Al was never a prolific poster, and the only reason I know he's still alive and kicking is that I see stuff from him on mailing lists and change logs.

In several of the more generic computer security newsgroups that I scan, there used to be a person whose answers and general posts were so completely wrong that the "regulars" in the groups used to post a warning followup to any post the kook made warning everyone that any information posted by the kook was not only wrong, but also harmful, and warning not to mail that individual. It took a while - perhaps a year, but I've seen no posts or even indications of a post that might be from the kook in over two years. (First regular to see a post from the kook that didn't have the warning followup posted one immediately. Technically, the warnings probably met the BI criteria for newsgroup spam, but don't think the warnings ever saw a cancelbot.)

I do. In fact, one of the subjects in my killfile is the "Killfile FAQ".

Indeed.

Old guy