Rzz

I think all but our occasional Troll(s) would agree that their elimination would be helpful. However, without creating user names and passwords in the software, I don't see how a Moderator could solve the Troll impersonation problem. Your better Trolls are sly and only detectable by the person they are impersonating. How would a Moderator know which posts are an impersonator, and which are not? Beyond that, it's obvious from the posts below that most here are not interested in a Moderator.

I'll briefly try to reply to your questions, however I don't want to spend too much time on your forum because I'm concerned the impersonator will some how get wind of it, come over here and start causing problems on your forum.

Frances - actually the person who impersonated you really didn't say too much other than you wanted to get in touch with me to find out how a moderator may be used on the DC forum. I understand your reluctance to give your email address and I'd advise you to contine this practice. You may want to set up a yahoo email account that you can use in these kinds of situations. I hope this idiot leaves not only you alone, but leaves both forums alone. We are convinced there is just one maybe two causing all these problems. However, I can assure you the two email addresses I told you to look for and email if you wanted to contact me, they are both long time contributors, I know them both and are very trustworthy. One of them is a cop.

Troll Patrol- You have a good point about how we would know who is really who, but that would only be a problem at first. Some we would know just by there post and the way they communicate. Some may be able to keep there same names, but some would have to establish a new forum name. However, once it is established as yours, we would know from that point on if somebody was trying to use it. Here's how. Every internet provider assigns an IP# for each computer that is using there service. Whenever that computer sends something out(like a post on a forum) the IP# goes with it. So for example once you had established the that you are officially using the name Troll Patrol the moderator could see the IP# that goes along with that name. If someone else tries to use that name and it is seen the IP#'s don't match we know it's an imposter. We then would block the imposters IP# from the forum and they could not post anymore with that number. By the way the IP# tell the moderator nothing personal about the person using it. It could be easily determined who the internet provider was and what city the IP# was in, but that's it. Now there is a catch. One can have his IP# changed, but it's a pain in the butt doing it. Hopefully the impersonator would grow weary of having to continually change his IP# and would just give up and go away. Think of a phone with caller ID and call block. Call comes in, caller ID shows the #, the person enters that # in their call block system and that phone number can no longer call them. Now this person can get around it by going to a different phone, but then the receiver will block that #, then the person would have to go to another phone and the receiver would block that number -or- the person could keep calling the phone company and requesting a new numbe be asigned to there phone. Well the IP# block is sort of, but not exactly the same thing. So if the impersonators really want to continue, they can and there is a way around it, but we can make it a big hassle for them to do so and that would hopefully and eventually discourage the impersonators. So you are correct in that some people may have to change their forum name at the begining, but once you had a name that would be it and we could tell if someone was trying to use it. However, the chances are pretty good everyone would be able to keep their forum name unless someone got established it first.

Rzz:
If in fact you go ahead using IP numbers to authenticate established posters ID's and this is successful in discouraging the Troll, the Troll will simply switch and spend more time with our Forum where creating havoc will be easier. At that point we will have no choince but to beg for the same relief.

When that happens (and I can't speak for all) we'll need a Moderator to do Troll Patrol as well. Hopefully that's all he or she will do, as other than Trolls, we moderate ourselves fairly well. That's not to say some posters aren't highly opinionated, get angry at times and throw verbal darts. For all the good that has come out of this Forum, I say let it rip just as it has been.

It makes perfect sense that the whack job of yours would be more attracted to a sight dealing with the penis than the hand. Let us know of your progress. As I'm predicting, we will need help as well if you take action. This Dick of yours will be moving more in our direction.

The criteria mentioned in the last posting are good, but the problem is that it would be easy to get around them. As someone who has been "trolled" on a couple of occasions, it is hard to see how a moderator would or could identify the roaming troll.

I personally think that the "troll" may have invented this whole idea and the best thing is to drop the subject. Someone said it best, let the forum be free.