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."

 

[Truth666]

pass the same message, I mean ...

[OWK]

Please don't use this thread to curse and slime Free Republic.

Kiss butt somewhere else.. the grown-ups are talking here.

[OWK]

Just stating the facts.

[AppyPappy]

Just stating the facts.

Oh my sides...

[OWK]

Oh my sides...

Do a few sit-ups once in awhile.

[L,TOWM]

I thought the grown ups were talking.

[AppyPappy]

< Ed MacMahon > Hohohohoho < /Ed MacMahon >

[OWK]

< Ed MacMahon > Hohohohoho < /Ed MacMahon > ;^]

[Dane]

Just stating the facts

Yeah, and the sky is also green.

[Catspaw]

Well, you know if you can't take responsibility for yourself, it's quite easy to blame someone else, kind of like Hitler blaming the Jews for all of his woes.

[Protagoras]

Please don't use this thread to curse and slime Free Republic.

That never happened and it's slimey to say it did.

[OWK]

Yeah, and the sky is also green.

Only if Jim says.

(oh wait... that's here).

[11B3]

Have you ever thought that maybe it was YOU that brings out the worst in otherwise normal people?

[tpaine]

Good lord Jackson! Your thread "Attack of the Nazi Trolls: A Lesson for Message Board Moderators"; -- is being Attacked by FR's Nazi Trolls!

[veronica]

Where I come from the word sh** is a curse word, and blaming FR for the fact that banned FReepers hightail it elsewhere is not just slimey, but absurd.

[MadameAxe]

Please don't use this thread to curse and slime Free Republic.

Yeah, this thread is only meant for you and your buddies to curse and slime Liberty Forum. How dare we speak up for ourselves!

[AppyPappy]

Dang. My Lame Filter must not be working.

[AppyPappy]

FOOD FIGHT!!!

[tpaine]

Can you show us the otherwise normal people here?

[veronica]

This is an article from a website, written by a well-known writer who is a Conservative, or at least writes for a leading Conservative website. Deal with it.