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."

 

[JohnGalt]

So by exercising property rights on his own forum, he doesn't think he is a libertarian anymore?

What is down is up, and what is up is down in Mssr. Poe's world, or lets cut to the chase: Mssr. Poe does not know the first thing about liberty.

[veronica]

FYI, Richard Poe writes for FrontpageMagazine David Horowitz's website.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Not only Nazis.

How Forums Are Being Taken Over By Pro-Arab Groups, Who Flood The Forums With Hate Propaganda

Palestine Report has ax to grind w/ FR Website

[Catspaw]

Well, it looks like those trolls from Stormfront and the National Alliance have found a home.

[AppyPappy]

LF is very hard to read. Many of the replies are simply pointers for other people to follow rather than comments. Much like a bump on FR but occupy more real estate.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Well, whodathiunk it? You mean that allowing a stream of anarchist types to take over a message board crowds out and runs off the normal ones?

[AppyPappy]

Actually, many people there are former freepers.

[Neets]

I am SHOCKED!! Shocked I tell ya!!!

[Catspaw]

I bet I know which ones are former freepers....if they're the ones posting anti-Jewish stuff, that is.

[SJackson]

So by exercising property rights on his own forum, he doesn't think he is a libertarian anymore?...What is down is up, and what is up is down in Mssr. Poe's world, or lets cut to the chase: Mssr. Poe does not know the first thing about liberty.

I'm don't see where he's saying that at all, simply commenting on the evolution of a "libertarian" forum, which, imo, is anarchist at best, a fascist pseudo hate site at worst. Personally I don't associate them with libertarianism at all.

[AppyPappy]

Yup. That's them.

[OWK]

How many purges of these same skinheads did Jim make from FR...??

Did you notice that with each one, he said "why don't you go over to LF or LP, where you'll be more welcome"....

Thanks a bunch.

[r9etb]

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

Instead of a nice, free-wheeling give and take (such as we enjoy here at FR), the inability or unwillingness to call bad-actors to account causes the sort of thing Mr. Poe describes -- turning the asylum over to the inmates.

[Protagoras]

You mean that allowing a stream of anarchist Authoritarian types to take over a message board crowds out and runs off the normal ones?

Two evils.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Why the hell would they be wanted here? All that scintillating "the holocaust didn't really happen, Jews are at the root of all financial, news and entertainment organizations" type stuff.

If Jews had half the power these guys claim they do, I'd be beating the doors down to the synagogue, looking to convert and wondering when I got my first TV studio and newspapers from the ZOG......

[DumpsterDiver]

Actually, many people there are former freepers.

Are you sure you're not thinking of www.libertypost.org?

[AppyPappy]

LP is libertarian than LF

[SJackson]

I'm shocked.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"If Jews had half the power these guys claim they do, I'd be beating the doors down to the synagogue, looking to convert and wondering when I got my first TV studio and newspapers from the ZOG......"

Bwahahaha! Me too.