The last few months I have been doing some research into the trolling phenomenon on slashdot.org. In order to do this as thoroughly as possible, I have written both normal and troll posts, 1st posts, etc., both logged in and anonymously, and I have found these rather shocking results:

• More moderator points are being used to mod posts down than up. Furthermore, when modding a post up, every moderator seems to follow previous moderators in their choices, even when it's not a particularly interesting or clever post [slashdot.org]. There are a LOT more +5 posts than +3 or +4.
• Logged in people are modded down faster than anonymous cowards. Presumably these Nazi Moderators think it's more important to burn a user's existing karma, to silence that individual for the future, than to use the moderation system for what it's meant for : identifying "good" and "bad" posts (Notice how nearly all oppressive governments in the past and present do the same thing : marking individuals as bad and untrustworthy because they have conflicting opinions, instead of engaging in a public discussion about these opinions)
• Once you have a karma of -4 or -5, your posts have a score of -1 by default. When this is the case, no-one bothers to mod you down anymore. This means a logged in user can keep on trolling as much as he (or she) likes, without risking a ban to post on slashdot. When trolling as an anonymous user, every post starts at score 0, and you will be modded down to -1 ON EVERY POST. When you are modded down a certain number of times in 24 hour, you cannot post anymore from your current IP for a day or so. So, for successful trolling, ALWAYS log in.
• A lot of the modded down posts are actually quite clever [slashdot.org], funny [slashdot.org], etc., and they are only modded down because they are offtopic. Now, on a news site like slashdot, where the number of different topics of discussion can be counted on 1 hand, I must say I quite like the distraction these posts offer. But no, when the topic is yet another minor version change of the Linux kernel [slashdot.org], they only expect ooohs and aaahs about this great feat of engineering. Look at the moderation done in this thread [slashdot.org] to see what I mean.
• Digging deep into the history of slashdot, I found this poll [slashdot.org], which clearly indicates the vast majority does NOT want the moderation we have here today. 'nuff said.

Feel free to use this information to your advantage. I thank you for your time.

Do you want to finger me? (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:51PM (#2850834)

Tee-hee!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Do you want to finger me? (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:56PM (#2850876)

Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Do you want to finger me? (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @04:11AM (#2853204)

Add me too please

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @10:01PM (#2852093)

yup bitchslapped...

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Fitascious on Thursday January 17, @01:17AM (#2852776) (User #127984 Info | http://slashzero.com/)

This whole -1 thing is screwed. I worked at Andover.net (now OSDN) back in January and Feburary of 2000. I was a contractor brough on board to help build the Slashdot cage at Exodus, in fact I wrote my name with a magic marker on the bottom of the Quad Zeon VALinux box that probably still runs the main Mysql DB. At the time I thought it was pretty cool to be involved with the whole open source scene...   You know what I learned? I learned that most of the "Famous" and "Big Names" in the linux scene are attention starved name dropping weenies.   It after my assigment at Andover.net ended that I realized the whole Open Source movement is over. Done with. There are way to many people with way to much ego. All of the linux people in charge of the project were too busy stroking their ego's and counting their stock options.   I thank CmdrTaco and all the rest for a good 2 or 3 years of entertaining reading, but times have changed, there is no energy left here. Time to move on, Open source has been assimilated by Corporate Practices. I sincerely feel that all that was good about Slashdot, and to an extent the Linux fenomenon is over. This Thread just ended any hope I had left. Time to bring on the next fad.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @01:27AM (#2852818)

Wouldn't that be Quad Xeon? I'll leave phenomenon alone =)

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Fitascious on Thursday January 17, @01:37AM (#2852856) (User #127984 Info | http://slashzero.com/)

Oh yeah... I phailed inglish class

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by AnalogBoy on Thursday January 17, @09:18AM (#2853749) (User #51094 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Thursday January 17, @11:17PM)

I do agree with you on the ego thing. I've met -so many- linux zealots who can't back their claims of superiority with one fact, yet, they hate windows.. for no reason except the stereotypical "It crashes all the time!" and "Microsoft is a Facist Monopoly bent on world domination!". I forgot who said it, but i like him or her: "Open Source; Closed Minds". It was a good idea. The problem was the application - Stallmanism ruined the OpenSores image, in my mind. I will never recommend a linux solution where a "Established" solution could take its place. Partially because of technical reasons ; but mostly because i wouldn't want to risk having someone adminning them who's too busy keeping their thumb up their arse to care about the company. Slashdot is flawed, fundimentally. Unfortunately, its kind of fun. Screaming 14 year olds, as is said, having pissing contests over l33tness when they wouldnt know the difference between ATDT and ATH0, or SysV and BSD if it got up and shoved a clue by four up their output port. Hey, its better than sitting at work staring at the birds frying in the satellite transmitters on a slow day! -- Just because you disagree with me does not make me a Troll, nor does it make my post Flamebait.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:57AM (#2854192)

Wow, i seem to have sprung a karma leak. USE YOUR MODERATOR POINTS INTELLIGENTLY IF YOU USE THEM AT ALL.. and stop thinking with your hormones.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1) by canadian troll on Thursday January 17, @11:57PM (#2860018) (User #527342 Info | http://kuro5hin.org/ | Last Journal: Thursday October 11, @10:57AM)

This whole place is fucked, i remember when a link was posted with some Xbox pics, i posted a jap site with way better pics... i got modded down. Somebody had problems syncing a palm to windows XP, i offered solutions to the problems... i got modded down. This is shite! Just because my name is canadian troll, doesn't mean that everything i say is a troll. -- Fighting the war,on drugs

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1) by canadian troll on Friday January 18, @12:02AM (#2860035) (User #527342 Info | http://kuro5hin.org/ | Last Journal: Thursday October 11, @10:57AM)

oh yeah, by the way... my karma is now -6, due to a PRO MS post. Somebody said all MS products were trash, i stepped in to defend the honor of DOS. -- Fighting the war,on drugs

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MS is evil!! -- my cheap shot at karmafying myself...

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by susano_otter on Wednesday January 16, @05:42PM (#2850764) (User #123650 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

You're new here, aren't you? -- Slashdot: the most successful troll ever!

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by negativekarmanow tm on Wednesday January 16, @06:23PM (#2851084) (User #518080 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @08:29PM)

Slashdot: the the most successful troll ever! Excuse me, there's a type in your .sig -- *sigh* since I can't post normally anymore : my journal [slashdot.org]

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by susano_otter on Wednesday January 16, @07:03PM (#2851347) (User #123650 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

No there isn't. -- Slashdot: the most successful troll ever!

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Pyrrus on Wednesday January 16, @06:48PM (#2851264) (User #97830 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

since everyone is going on about how they wanna burn karma and how slashdot sucks: mod this post down. -- "huhuhuhh, go away. we're like closed or something" --Butthead

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by mvdwege (wege34@zonnet.nl) on Wednesday January 16, @06:52PM (#2851298) (User #243851 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Fscking bullshit!!! All I've seen modded to +5 (Insightful) lately is the fscking Microsoft shills. FOAD, GOAT, HAND, Mart (who's expecting that the Microsoft employees^W shills will mod this to oblivion) -- What the fsck is this?

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @12:12AM (#2852560)

No shit. And it's been that way for more than a little while. You'll also get modded down for saying Microsoft sucks even though it's a god damned fact.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Visit me online! [slashdot.org]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:48PM (#2850816)

Not to mention over rated, troll, flamebait, and off topic...

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:49PM (#2850826)

And compared to some of the gibberish that pops up on here, a damn sight more interesting.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @10:51PM (#2852231)

..not to mention "insightful"!

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:52PM (#2850842)

Yes, nothing like a troll to prove the parent correct. Mod this UP.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:05PM (#2850942)

Why bother modding up? Generalissimo Taco and the rest of the House UnSlashdotterian Committee have infinite mod points, so this post will eventually be modded into -1 hell along with the goatse links. To go back on topic, I am not suprised someone found security hole's in Oracle software.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:06PM (#2850954)

Man thats a really weak 'get back on topic' effort there. Nice one.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by warez_d00d on Thursday January 17, @12:42PM (#2854980) (User #122900 Info | http://www.trollmaster.net/)

Well said. Instead the editors seem to have decided to mod -1 the entire thread. Go fuck yourself, micheal!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Not true. Some Slashdot Janitors and Crack-addicted Mods have modded down posts of mine that were posted with a default '-1'. Jamie was made aware of this according to these journal entries. Don't even get us started on unlimited editor mod points and the Janitors that abuse those rights.
--
Michael Loves Me!

Re:Correction! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by fedos (boucharda@@@netzero...net) on Wednesday January 16, @07:45PM (#2851514) (User #150319 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Maybe Jamie was so quick to label you a troll because the word appeared in the email address that you sent from and you post at -1. Also, I don't see why the folks who write the code behind Slashdot should worry about trolls getting modded below the -1 minimum. Heck, from the number of trolls I've seen lately, they should specifically allow it to happen to folks that post at default of -1. Maybe a system should be put in place that permanently bans troll accounts after so many temporary bannings. Slashdot is supposed to be about the exchanging of ideas, trolls do not bring ideas to the discussion. -- Your ad here! Have your Soul or First Born ready, call toll free 1-888-FAUSTUS. Sorry, calf livers no longer accepted as

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1) by Tasty Beef Jerky ((tastybeefjerky) (at) (yahoo.com)) on Wednesday January 16, @05:52PM (#2850841) (User #543576 Info | http://www.deliciousbeefproducts.com/ | Last Journal: Monday January 14, @01:18PM)

You better have modded it up using a different account, otherwise YAAD! -- I'm the tasty treat nobody can resist! IM Me! AIM: Tasty Beef Jerky

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @07:18PM (#2851395)

Yeah, modded down to 0 from 3 in about five seconds. Jesus CHRIST the moderators SUCK here.

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by negativekarmanow tm on Wednesday January 16, @06:16PM (#2851017) (User #518080 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @08:29PM)

If anything, it only encourages more trolling as trolls giggle with delight when some jackass gives them a negative score. I'd say that pretty much sums it up. -- *sigh* since I can't post normally anymore : my journal [slashdot.org]

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by slashdot2.2sucks on Wednesday January 16, @06:17PM (#2851025) (User #516360 Info)

But I want those goat sex pictures and links clearly seperated from all others Maybe we need a new moderation -10 Goat Sex

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:28PM (#2851122)

No, you need to edit your /etc/hosts

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:27PM (#2851744)

that doesn't get rid of the dozens of stupid links that get in the way of the people trying to have a real discussion.

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by rm-r (jamesblanchard&yahoo,com) on Thursday January 17, @06:25AM (#2853430) (User #115254 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

maybe now that we've got the friends and foes structure we should be able to do our own moderation. I wouldn't be suprised if this is what the divine Taco has planned anyway... -- J-aims -- Yo, whatever happened to peas?

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by rhost89 (rhost.rhost@org) on Wednesday January 16, @06:25PM (#2851101) (User #522547 Info | http://www.rhost.org/)

Im personally anoyed at the negative moderations, say for instance you have hit the karma cap, you post something and it gets moded up to +5 (Still at 50 karma cap) the someone comes allong and you get moded down -2 for some reason or another, now your at 48. -- ~ I will bend your mind with my spoon. ~

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by susano_otter on Wednesday January 16, @06:40PM (#2851215) (User #123650 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Well, if the system recorded Karma earned past 50, it wouldn't really be "capped" at 50, would it? Especially if, as you seem to suggest, you'd actually have to receive additional negative moderation to remove those above-50 points prior to actually losing any of the first 50 points. Perhaps what you meant to say was that there should be no Karma cap. -- Slashdot: the most successful troll ever!

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by csbruce on Wednesday January 16, @06:50PM (#2851281) (User #39509 Info)

No, the issue is not with the 50-point cap, it's that you post a message the people mod up to say 5, and then some other people come along later and mod it down to 3. Through no fault of your own, if you were are 50 before, you're now at 48, even though your message is still modded up one point. It's the fault of the over-eager early moderators, something quite beyond your control. This has happened to me at least five times (though to 49). Rather than applying the mods individually, the net mod should be computed on a per-message basis.

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by susano_otter on Wednesday January 16, @07:00PM (#2851333) (User #123650 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Well, that makes sense. Thank you! Carry on. -- Slashdot: the most successful troll ever!

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @07:43PM (#2851505)

Who cares if you're at 50 or 48? If you're a good poster, you'll get back up to the cap eventually. If not, your downward slide just starts a little sooner.

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:13PM (#2851682)

You mean like kuro5hin.org? Yes, they have a better system, so why am I still here? Because the average posts they put up are boring or too intellectual. I like stupid commercial advertisements like Slashdot posts.

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Re:Wow, someone actually agrees... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:49PM (#2851836)

intellectual?? i think you mean pseudo-intellectual. those pompous assholes there think they know everything. it's funny to see how often they get trolled. it's basically a left-wing, bleeding-heart liberals site for computer geeks. and they barely cover tech issues anymore.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

--
♣ hilite version 1.5 now available. ♣

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by jeremy f (jmf_24@hotmail.com) on Wednesday January 16, @06:41PM (#2851224) (User #48588 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

I want this to be taken in zero offense whatsoever, but the fact that your post is currently at a +3 is testament to the inherent flaws of the /. moderation system. Which, in the current light of this thread, is quite ironic. And humorous. -- To e-mail me, reverse the characters, ROT-13, reverse this result, then ROT-13 again!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:58PM (#2850895)

Can you quantify what you mean? Offtopic, I guess so, but anyone could point out hundreds of (+5) comments on slashdot that are offtopic, but get (+5) because they bash Micro$haft. In the posts favour, it is very interesting and well written.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @12:17AM (#2852579)

Come on. You know that's not true. It used to be, but it just isn't now.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @05:59PM (#2850898)

And, like an idiot, just undid my 4 moderations to this article, including undoing my mod down of this post.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Yes... meta-moderating... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Lethyos on Wednesday January 16, @06:58PM (#2851324) (User #408045 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Thursday January 17, @03:40PM)

That way I can have my shot at it. ;) -- I rate negative moderations to unfair. [slashdot.org]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Yes... meta-moderating... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by fedos (boucharda@@@netzero...net) on Wednesday January 16, @07:59PM (#2851599) (User #150319 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

I have read the journal entry your sig links to, and for the most part, you're right. Is this really necessary? Moderation Totals: Offtopic=3, Flamebait=1, Troll=1, Total=5. Come on idiots, at the very least, don't negatively moderate people already at -1! I just want to point out that this can happen from five people all choosing to moderate and only seeing the post at 0. Yes, in this case you would still meda-moderate a single negative moderation as unfair, but there is a legitimate reason that there were five negative moderations. -- Your ad here! Have your Soul or First Born ready, call toll free 1-888-FAUSTUS. Sorry, calf livers no longer accepted as

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Acaila on Wednesday January 16, @07:18PM (#2851394) (User #259043 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

How about haveing a set of core moderators (Say 4-5 carefully selected users) and when they mod something up. The poster of that comment gets some mod points to distribute. (Obviously they shouldn't be allowed to mod themselves up) That way only people who make meaningful contributions are able mod up other meaningful contributions. Just a suggestion I made up right now. Its probably full of holes. (Which I'm sure I'll hear about) -- Acaila Growing Old is Inevitable; Growing Up is Optional.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

• Post early - this ensures people will see your post, as most people use threaded/earliest posts first.


• Shorter posts are better - people hate reading really long-ass posts (this one is already starting to drag on.) The more succinct you are, the more likely people are to read your post. As long as you say one interesting thing in it, you'll get modded up.


• moderators love links - always include some relevant link, if you can. People love cross-references on slashdot


• Say something funny, even if you're a retard - some of the moderators on slashdot have terrible senses of humor and find anything funny. Take advantage of this! A +3 Funny is still 1 or 2 karma points.


• Ride +5 posts - if someone else says something insightful, take advantage of it. Try and get people to click on your comments, because most people have their accounts set up to display the full text of high-rated comments.




Anyone else have any suggestions? This is just stuff I've experienced.

- A.P.

--
Don't take yourself so seriously. You're not that important.

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:22PM (#2851073)

Anyone else have any suggestions? If you want to avoid getting your account bitchslapped, don't post "How to abuse the Moderation System" tips while logged in ;)

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by ArnoldYabenson on Wednesday January 16, @06:33PM (#2851162) (User #551283 Info | http://crazy.codetro...gs/computer_bomb.jpg)

That's not abuse, it's brown-nosing. The mod system is the way it is in order to promote cetain results, and most of his advice concerns how to give /.'s editors what they want. To take up another user's rallying cry, I agree that negative moderation should go. Moderation should be done in half-points, with no one person able to change the mod-level of a post (no one persion should be able to make anther person's post disappear). There should be a larger scale, from 0 to, say, 8 -- or even 10 -- so political dissenters won't be so likely to dwell with goat.se trollers. -- National CyberCrime Prevention Foundation [codetroop.com]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by fedos (boucharda@@@netzero...net) on Wednesday January 16, @08:04PM (#2851634) (User #150319 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

It's not brown-nosing either, he's telling you exactly what is said in Slashdot's Moderator's Guideline's. -- Your ad here! Have your Soul or First Born ready, call toll free 1-888-FAUSTUS. Sorry, calf livers no longer accepted as

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:31PM (#2851151)

In an OS discussion, you can try talking out your ass about how good VMS was. Since practically nobody knows any better, you are less likely to get modded down.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:38PM (#2851203)

I've noticed that phrases like "I'm know I'm going to be modded to hell for this", preferably attached to an insightful post, invariably draw a +1 moderation from a moderator who thinks he's so cool for "going against the /. mob mentality."

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:58PM (#2851325)

I'd mod them down, just because they're asking for it. Ha!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Getting karma's pretty easy. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:51PM (#2851287)

Really, any reference to karma inside of a post will draw positive moderation. "Hey, I've got karma to burn." "I'm just being a karma whore here, but..."

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Moderation Totals: Offtopic=9, Troll=1, Redundant=1, Insightful=4, Interesting=4, Informative=4, Total=23.

For all you fags rating this offtopic, suck it. I am sure there are all sorts of important comments about what an ass Ellison is or how evil PHB's believe when marketers say that something is unbreakable.

How many freaking times can you repeat the same crap? The answer - until you have farmed 50 points of karma.

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Mr. Slippery (tms@@@infamous...net) on Wednesday January 16, @06:25PM (#2851100) (User #47854 Info | http://www.infamous.net/)

Troll? That was a high intelligent post. Which doesn't prevent it from being a troll. The giveaway is the comparison between /.'s moderation system and government oppression of dissidents. He compared moderators (who express their opinion) to Nazis (who killed people by the millions). That's either trolling, or so dumb as to be indistinguishable. Godwin's Law as applied to /. would make a "troll", "flamebait", or "clueless" moderation appropriate. Too bad the last doesn't exist. -- Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | http://www.infamous.net/ You cannot wash away blood with blood

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by ArnoldYabenson on Wednesday January 16, @06:40PM (#2851214) (User #551283 Info | http://crazy.codetro...gs/computer_bomb.jpg)

He compared moderators (who express their opinion) to Nazis (who killed people by the millions). That's either trolling, or so dumb as to be indistinguishable. He never said "Nazis." The fact of the matter is that dissenters in matters of techno-politics often do get modded down (or up, some moderators are also techno-political dissenters) for the political content of their posts, without regard to the post's logic, originality, innate interest or quality of thought. The parallel he saw to oppressive government (not Nazis) does not invoke Godwin's law -- particularly since his post was the initiation of the thread. Besides, with all regards to Godwin. his "law" is full of shit -- it is too often invoked by Nazis who don't wish their nazism discussed. -- National CyberCrime Prevention Foundation [codetroop.com]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:41PM (#2851223)

Oh yes, dumbfuck. Go on nitpicking. Anyway, the lenght of this - completely offtopic - thread shows how much the /. gang care about Oracle and it's security issues... So your stupid addition is actually ok. It would be better to get a life, though.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:47PM (#2851827)

Agreed. Interesting threads will live and uninteresting ones will die by their nature. Okay, Slashdot admins: here's a challenge. Do a month-long test with no negative moderation and with no "offtopic" flag. See what happens. I'll bet it's good.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Kathy Blazer on Wednesday January 16, @07:11PM (#2851373) (User #551549 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Now it is at: Moderation Totals: Offtopic=19, Troll=1, Redundant=2, Insightful=7, Interesting=15, Informative=6, Overrated=2, Total=52. -- OSS Girlzzz Unite!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @07:28PM (#2851442)

Okay, who else will mod this post? It's one of the most modded posts I've ever saw. I think when the first SlashBack article was posted, somebody got like 2nd post with the ascii-art goatse.cx anus dude, with the topic "How's This for Slashback?". I _still_ chuckle about that, and yes, I put +5 funny points on it at the time. I think the total moderations broke 100 and it ended up at +3 funny.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:44PM (#2851816)

Why is "offtopic" bad? Slashdot should be a friendly forum, where people allow their conversation to wind wherever it wants to.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1) by neal n bob on Wednesday January 16, @06:26PM (#2851111) (User #531011 Info | http://clinton.senate.gov/ | Last Journal: Tuesday January 15, @01:57PM)

on behalf of all trolls here - screw off sodomite. There are plenty of sites that manage much, much more useful and interesting discussion than this bunghole site without resorting to gestapo tactics. If you cockstones really cared about not reading troll posts, then you could freaking set to read at +2 or whatever and only read the posts that give verbal rimjobs to open source and jamie. It is a great delight to trolls and crapflooders to watch a site full of bitches who cry about censorship and free speech to be so hellbent on censoring certain people.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Water on Wednesday January 16, @06:30PM (#2851138) (User #19121 Info)

It is blue because it is in the developers section.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

나가 치즈를 좋아하는 것을 너의 무엇이든은 알았는가?

너의 무엇이든은 저 아니다 이렇게 신선한가 감각을 얻는가?

아무것은 " I 사랑 너 의 마스크안에 펀치같이 꿀 " 말하지 않 는다.

나는 경매에 나의 다리의 하나개를 매출했다.

너는 어두운 방안에 북쪽 향함 이다. 너의 간은 밝게 빛을내고 있다.

나의 애완 동물 뉴기니아 돼지에 한것을 아무거나가 단단한 나 귀에 의하여 원하지 않았다. 그것은 당나귀를 위해 감시병에 있었다 !

Let me suggest that you re-post this in a slashback where people have less of a dedication to being "on-topic". Also, perhaps there should be a thread once a month about Slashdot itself.

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by negativekarmanow tm on Wednesday January 16, @06:33PM (#2851164) (User #518080 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @08:29PM)

Repost? Now that would be -1 : redundant, wouldn't it? I'd hate to loose my newly acquired karma again. -- *sigh* since I can't post normally anymore : my journal [slashdot.org]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Kathy Blazer on Wednesday January 16, @06:59PM (#2851332) (User #551549 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Very good idea! We (the Slashdot community) should have some input on what goes on here. I know this is Taco's site, but we help pay the bills as-it-were. I normally don't post, but I don't want to see my beloved Slashdot destroyed! I love it so! :) -- OSS Girlzzz Unite!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Anything that has 34 mods (at the time of this post) has earned respect enough for anyone to read, for the controversy generated by the moderators alone. If thirty people can't agree on whether it's a good, relevant post or not, it's probably a good, relevant post.

--
"I chased that rascal to get it back, but gave up after dickety-six miles"

Re:One Idea (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @06:49PM (#2851275)

Big whoop. It's still offtopic. Just because a lot of people wasted moderation points on it just means that they're idiot moderators.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:One Idea (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @09:31PM (#2851977)

So what? And it's still offtopic and it's still a stupid post. It's ok when mods can't agree whether a post is insightful or informative or funny, but when they can't apparently agree on whether it's interesting or offtopic it's probably a troll, and the interesting mods are just trying to make a lame statement against moderation. Yes, they dis moderation by moderating, if that makes any sense.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:One Idea (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:58PM (#2859772)

Sure... it's informative, interesting, and offtopic. That doesn't mean you can't moderate it as interesting. Moderations are not mutually exclusive.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by ArnoldYabenson on Wednesday January 16, @06:46PM (#2851254) (User #551283 Info | http://crazy.codetro...gs/computer_bomb.jpg)

Jeezus, if I wanted to read somebody's "Blog," I would shoot myself first, or throw myself on top of a dangerous silicon explosion. -- National CyberCrime Prevention Foundation [codetroop.com]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by negativekarmanow tm on Wednesday January 16, @06:48PM (#2851265) (User #518080 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @08:29PM)

Another thing I could do is make my entire post a link to my journal page by forgetting to put in a tag. Exactly how many times do people actually follow links in the .sig of a user with negative karma? You'd have to be extremely keen on gay porn or a total /. newbie -- *sigh* since I can't post normally anymore : my journal [slashdot.org]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

* Logged in people are modded down faster than anonymous cowards. Presumably these Nazi Moderators think it's more important to burn a user's existing karma, to silence that individual for the future, than to use the moderation system for what it's meant for :

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:50PM (#2851839)

Sad. I like to post AC for the privacy...yet I'm penalized (in a community of security, privacy-consicious folks) for doing so. Frankly, I don't like AC penalization, I don't like the freaking 2 minute rule...I can't see why the Slashdot people can't cope with the occasional troll. *I* have not seen much of a troll problem, but I'm constantly getting frusterated because Slashdot ate another one of my posts because I'm typing too quickly.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

I have written both normal and troll posts, 1st posts, etc., both logged in and anonymously, and I have found these rather shocking results:

Statistics based only on your posts are definitely not enough. For starters, maybe you experienced more modding down because you don't post anything interesting, even when you mean to. Your assumption that there are concrete objective categories for modding is without merit. The distinction between troll and normal posts is a judgment call, if it were not the moderation system would not be needed.

even when it's not a particularly interesting or clever post [slashdot.org]. There are a LOT more +5 posts than +3 or +4.

Again, this is a judgement call, apparently it was interesting to enough people to get it modded up.

Digging deep into the history of slashdot, I found this poll [slashdot.org], which clearly indicates the vast majority does NOT want the moderation we have here today. 'nuff said.

I didn't even bother to check the results of this poll, anyone who points to a web poll as statistical evidence should have all of his conclusions immediately called into question, even if they appear to be solid, which your do not. Trying to prove anything by an easily stuffable poll is ridiculous. But for arguments sake let's say that each vote represents the opinion of one and only one person. Still the poll's accuracy is highly questionable. In fact if I were to predict the outcome of such a poll ahead of time I would have guessed that the greatest number would vote against the moderation system. Why? Because those that post anonymously or having nothing to say would have more reason to vote (negatively) since they are the ones constantly being modded down.

Of course as off topic as your post and my resultant response (damn I'll take two karma hits in one day) were I do commend you for trying.

As one final thought let me leave you with this, I disagree with the action of modding (not the fact that it exists) for the most part. But you need to remember that most likely the majority of the readers of slashdot are the young and the internet, that's a natural result of popularity and a sure reason to expect the lowest common denominator.

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by ArnoldYabenson on Wednesday January 16, @07:15PM (#2851388) (User #551283 Info | http://crazy.codetro...gs/computer_bomb.jpg)

While online polls in general are not to be trusted, and even a poll that prevents stuffing by reuiring login reflects a self-selecting sample, the fact that /. had such a poll is a nod toward democracy that lacks any follow-through. If the results were anti-moderation, obviously some further investigation and discussion is called for. Whenever a new version of Slashcode is made available, there are lots of suggestions for ways to improve moderation options, but I don't recall ever seeing any substantive discussion of the topic with participation of the real powers behind /. In short, the poll does not have to be accurate to be significant. What it signifies is subject to interpretation. -- National CyberCrime Prevention Foundation [codetroop.com]

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

just on your web polls argument (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Ghoser777 (<fahrenba> <at> <uiuc.edu>) on Wednesday January 16, @07:16PM (#2851389) (User #113623 Info | http://fahrenbacher.com)

your logic for why web polls are bad doesn't hold in this case. don't mind the all lowercase, my shift key is broken. the main argument against web polls is that they aren't a random sample of the target population, but in this case it is. a good counterpoint is, though, that some people may be more inclined to vote than others, so that could skew votes one way or the other, and usually those who vote will have axes to grind. so in short, i have changed my mind by the end of my post and now agree with you. -- James Tiberius Kirk: "Spock, the women on your planet are logical. No other planet in the galaxy can make that claim."

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

> The last few months I have been doing some research into the trolling phenomenon

> More moderator points are being used to mod posts down than up.

>Furthermore, when modding a post up, every moderator seems to follow previous moderators in their choices

> Logged in people are modded down faster than anonymous cowards.

>Once you have a karma of -4 or -5, your posts have a score of -1 by default. When this is the case, no-one bothers to mod you down anymore

>A lot of the modded down posts are actually quite clever

• Re: the herd mentality. If a post receives multiple "up" moderations and later gets meta-moderated favorably, the bonus karma is to be divided amongst the moderators in question. What seems to be happening now is that they all get 1 point, and what I propose is that they all get 1 / N points.
  
• Encourage diversity of viewpoints by adding another category: "good contrarian argument", or some such. If favorably meta-moderated, give an extra karma bonus to the moderator(s) in question.
  

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by bwt on Wednesday January 16, @07:12PM (#2851375) (User #68845 Info | http://bioinformatics.ucsf.edu/bwtaylor)

Another reason is that +5 actually means "3 or more" people willing to mod up exist. (Assuming it was posted by a logged in user with good karma so it starts at +2). Why are mods limited to +5? Why can you only moderate a few messages under an article?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

I like slashdot... it moves quickly, but theres plenty of insight and humor, even among the trolls. This proves it. It's sad tho, to see points used up in this little war. Points are just points after all, and anyone who wants to can read unrated and raw, can do so.

my prediction on your final score... +2

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @10:13PM (#2852131)

Yup, been there, done that. A great way to waste your moderator points.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:53PM (#2851851)

Reading this *thread* it appears that the vast majority of Slashdot readers are unhappy with the current direction of the moderation system.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @10:15PM (#2852135)

Well, I mostly don't get involved in these debates. But this is just FUCKED UP. You will never make me believe that all those -1 Off-topic mods where done by earnest moderators. Prove: normally there would be more variety (off-topic, troll, redundant, what not). I'm convinced that someone did abuse their power to mod this entire thread down. And I don't like it. See, I think the moderating system works pretty well as it is (it's not perfect, but what is). HOWEVER, if someone that has the power to do so silences an entire thread, that's just pathetic. In fact, I would ask anyone that does not agree with this behaviour to report this as abuse to Rob Malda (aka CmdrTaco). In other words: email the guy [mailto]. Don't forget to add a link to the original thread: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=26315&cid=2850 660 [slashdot.org] I can't find where now, but somewhere he asks us to report abuse.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:How about this (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @07:19PM (#2851405)

But then I will probably just be bitchslapped by an editor AGAIN.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:How about this (Score:-1, Offtopic) by krow (brian@nOspam.tangent.org) on Wednesday January 16, @07:25PM (#2851431) (User #129804 Info | http://tangent.org/~brian/ | Last Journal: Monday September 10, @04:42PM)

It happens :) -- You can't grep a dead tree.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:How about this (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:32PM (#2851772)

Are you the same Krow that is at slashcode? If so, can you please explain how this entire thread was bitchslapped? Even your posts went from +2 to -1

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:How about this (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:57PM (#2851865)

then how about making not allowing moderations in journal discussions? i've posted and seen journal discussions getting modded which is plain stupid and a waste of time.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @07:28PM (#2851445)

Yeah, I noticed that too. Very disappointing. And the moderation system is flawed, of course. But we knew that already.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Procrasti on Wednesday January 16, @07:37PM (#2851481) (User #459372 Info)

Actaully, I was hoping they were going to let the moderations run a little longer, just to see where everyone's post would end up -- but then again, strictly speaking, its offtopic. You see, the moderation system works - its all offtopic... oh, well, its only karma

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @11:02PM (#2859791)

Offtopic, but also interesting. :-) Is it more interesting than it is offtopic? Of course, with the editors sending the entire thread to -1, you can't tell.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:47PM (#2851830)

The funny thing is , the /. community WANTED this to be discussed, this is why there are so many high moderations. Stupid editors

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:17PM (#2851694)

Due to excessive bad posting from this IP or Subnet, comment posting has temporarily been disabled. If it's you, consider this a chance to sit in the timeout corner. If it's someone else, this is a chance to hunt them down. If you think this is unfair, please email jamie@mccarthy.vg Methinks the editors have awoken. I must say I've never quite believed the /. editor conspiracy theories, but this looks VERY suspicious. Ow well, my negative karma is safe for a while again.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @09:46PM (#2852049)

you know if this was happening on some other site instead of here, michael or timothy would be posting a YRO article now, "USERS BEING CENSORED BY ADMINISTRATORS", with michael throwing is 2 cents about how this was trampling on our 1st amendment rights. Then a few days later, Jon Katz will write an article "INTERNET USERS RISE UP AGAINST FASCIST EDITORS", where he would drop buzzwords left and right about how the Internet has degraded from its original purposes. .

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Very Interesting, but perhaps you should have.. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:49PM (#2851834)

Do you honistly thing the fuckwad editors would put this as a story?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Very Interesting, but perhaps you should have.. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:56PM (#2851862)

Bullshit. This is a single action on the part of one of the Slashdot admins. The community was happily discussing this.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Finally, the system of doing moderation and allocating moderation points (assigning the task of moderation and meta-moderation) is totally broken from a UI point of view, which is why I opted out of the whole mess a long while ago. Why should there be 3 seperate activities, some gated or restricted, and some partially hidden from view? And use-it-or-lose-it moderator point assignment? And forcing a choice between moderation and posting? It is a kludge, a bad design. There should be only 1 activity, done in the open, that can contain a comment (to rebut or agree, and/or to justify moderation of it's parent), and logged-in users can also vote on the parent post - including other "moderation" posts. Voting totals cascade up the tree, with reversals for negative moderation (if the system includes it - I have seen posts that really justify it - see this recent post for a comment on such).

Maybe some of the other ideas of the current system should be kept - but the entire system is crying out for a redesign. It is choking on a chain of bad choices, each one which may have seemed justifiable at the time but whose culmative effect is to lower the quality of the site (which I find myself visiting less and less over time).
--
--
If it's not source, it's not software.

Until I'm modded down to 0 or -1 too, here is your chance to be informed about one of the most controversial posts moderationwise I have ever seen. It sure is interesting and offtopic. I believe it is more interesting than offtopic. Anyway, this post won't last long, so it should better be brief too.

One of the -1 gems on /. (was +4 when I first read it), how many more we have to see until people stop not looking at low scores!
--

Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down!

Trouble in paradise.... (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Eric E. Coe ((ecoe) (at) (reportweb.com)) on Wednesday January 16, @08:23PM (#2851724) (User #2252 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

With this level of activity, in the face of such stiff moderator opposition, on an issue of vital importance to the /. community - something is seriously wrong (see my previous post above). Moderators are self-selecting themselves as censors, to enforce some sort of groupthink PC. Trolls are posting more and more outreageous stuff, just to attack the system. CT, it may be too late to save /., this is no longer such a fun site, a place for a community to form - it's just your JOB. Bleah. Maybe you should just forget about the whole thing??? (Or maybe you have no choice - house and car, too many debts, wage slavery chaining you to a task you no longer love? I've been there.) -- -- If it's not source, it's not software.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

THIS PLACE IS FUCKD! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @08:29PM (#2851751)

First of all only the parent is offtopic, all replies kept the topic of the parent, so why do we have all these off-topic mods. And why has 100 odd posts, some of which were at +2 - +4 now all -1? Its censership. The /. crew don't want us talking about this, so they fucked all the posts off.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

GPL (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @09:02PM (#2851883)

Offtopic is GPLed, if you make any derivative work, it must be released with Offtopic tag too.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:GPL (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @05:06AM (#2853289)

now THAT's funny! all these "mysteriously sudden" -1 scores are a little refreshing actually. It's nice that those people who browse at -1 get to see something other than ASCII porn

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:156 mod points spend on thread (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @09:19PM (#2851930)

this thread proves what a farce this system is. if 30+ moderators think the parent is worth modding up, it probably is worth talking about. the moderators modding down this thread are basically using their points as punishment. some of the most innocuous posts by logged-in users are getting -1. don't they have better stuff to mod up instead? of course this is all predicated on the assumption that the editors haven't had a hand in any of this, but knowing them, it's an unrealistic assumption.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:156 mod points spend on thread (Score:0, Offtopic) by damiam (supernerdNO@SPAMbellsouth.net) on Thursday January 17, @11:34PM (#2859924) (User #409504 Info | http://dmoore.myip.org/ | Last Journal: Friday January 18, @12:02AM)

Actually only about 80 points spent on this thread. The rest are all scripted editor mods. -- What's wrong with the /. moderation system?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Eric E. Coe ((ecoe) (at) (reportweb.com)) on Wednesday January 16, @08:33PM (#2851774) (User #2252 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

What gives is editors have unlimited points for moderation. It's censorship from the top. Of course what this entire thread deserves is to be re-parented to the top/front page (but the software probably doesn't allow that). Beacuse it is a matter of utmost importance to the /. community. -- -- If it's not source, it's not software.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @09:31PM (#2851980)

Welcome to /.'s vision of "Freedom of Speach". The freedom is controlled by the elite few that have the only *real* power. Now doesn't that sound familier?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

The main problem with this moderation system is the total lack of visibility to anybody except the editors. For all their talk about open-source and freedom, they don't even practice it on their own site!! The moderators who mod comments are totally hidden from public scrutiny, so when editors throw their points in, who the fuck knows what's going on in there?? Moderation plays a very big role in shaping a discussion, and if the editors mod stuff it is conflict of interest when users comment about the site, the editors, etc.

Bottom line is the editors are unbelievable hypocrites who put up a facade of freedom and openness when their own site is the perfect example of a fake democracy.

Re:This Thread Proves The Pettiness of Editors!!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Ars Technica on Wednesday January 16, @10:03PM (#2852097) (User #551577 Info)

Word. You don't know me, but this is my new rpg account.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

me too (Score:-1) by ArchieBunker (root@[127.0.0.1]) on Wednesday January 16, @10:37PM (#2852186) (User #132337 Info | http://www.naawp.org/)

That stupid fucktard CmdrTaco Jamie Michael must have modded down the whole thread. You can kiss my black ass taco. -- http://members.aol.com/erichuf/Linux4.html

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 16, @11:33PM (#2852394)

I lost track of time, was that 40 minutes or so?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

(Score:-1) by dead_puppy ({puppy_dead} {at} {hotmail.com}) on Wednesday January 16, @10:59PM (#2852254) (User #532541 Info | http://slash.geekizoid.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday January 16, @09:18PM)

right on, brother. but, hey, if they can't afford to hire competent, experienced programmers to write a blog system, then how are they gonna afford competent, intelligent editors to run it? -- You finding Ling-Ling's head?

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Mr Thinly Sliced (dannospam@huntthepickle.org) on Wednesday January 16, @11:15PM (#2852289) (User #73041 Info | http://www.huntthepickle.org)

Nice to see you getting into the swing of it Johnny boy .-) FYI - there was ~100 posts in this thread, a lot of which were 2/4 some 5. All got slapped down to -1 between page refreshes for me. Someone scripted em down. Nice isn't it.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE (Score:-1, Offtopic) by syn3rg on Thursday January 17, @09:31AM (#2853806) (User #530741 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

>Offtopic=34, Flamebait=1, Troll=2, Redundant=2, >Insightful=8, Interesting=25, Informative=8, >Overrated=2, Underrated=1, Total=83 hmmm Total=83, (obligatory reference) a Beowulf Moderator Cluster? Going through my karma like a dot.com through VC.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:My complaint to CmdrTaco and his response. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by vidarlo (vidarloBOYSEN@vestdata.no minus berry) on Thursday January 17, @05:56AM (#2853372) (User #134906 Info | http://vestdata.no/~vidarlo/linux)

This has, as far as I can see, nothing to do with Oracle debate going on. This is something that should be put in AskSlashdot. -- -- A flying wizard

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:My complaint to CmdrTaco and his response. (Score:-1) by Anonymous Pancake on Thursday January 17, @06:16AM (#2853411) (User #458864 Info | http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Friday January 11, @05:13AM)

whats the point of having a moderating system if it's complete at whims of the owner of the site? I guesse after reading this we know how much moderating by the community REALLY plays a party in things. Not too much at all apparently. -- Canada #1 The greatest nation in the world

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Moderation Totals: Offtopic=42, Flamebait=1, Troll=3, Redundant=2, Insightful=9, Interesting=29, Informative=9, Overrated=2, Underrated=3, Total=100.

Pretty amazing.

Re:Whoa! Re: The first Slashdot troll post investi (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:18AM (#2854004)

The Most Controversial Post On Slashdot Ever™ now has one hundred moderations to it. Moderation Totals: Offtopic=42, Flamebait=1, Troll=3, Redundant=2, Insightful=9, Interesting=29, Informative=9, Overrated=2, Underrated=3, Total=100. Pretty amazing. ADDENDUM: Apparently an editor decided to abuse his power (ie. his unlimited mod points) a few seconds prior to me posting the above comment - and indeed, *all* comments in this intriguing thread dropped to -1 Offtopic in an instant, as in previous instances reported by others. It's a rather sobering experience to witness an incident that in it's part serves to mark the decline of a formerly great news/discussion site. Looks like some of the most dooming Slashdot conspiracy theories were true... It will be very interesting to see if this thread, or at least the post that started it, gets archived (readers win) or not (editors win - site loses).

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Welcome to the Slashdot Matrix. (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:28AM (#2854060)

well, to all the trolls, it's not really a surprise an editor "bitchslapped" this thread apparently, more than once. The users really don't have any real power here, it's only a facade. The only power lies with the editors.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:35AM (#2854091)

amazing that every new post at this time is STILL getting modded down!

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

the tighter they squeeze, the more posts will slip through their fingers.

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by pmc on Thursday January 17, @11:32AM (#2854423) (User #40532 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Let's try again - my reply was eaten. I have a post above that was marked down offtopic twice, both moderations about 20 minutes apart. At the same time as the first moderation the reply to my post was marked down, also as offtopic. So they have got a little more devious - instead of straight to -1 they're taking off a point at a time to make it look less obvious. Now I'm having trouble posting this again - I've posted dozens (if not hundreds) of posts from this machine and have never had this difficulty before. Posted just now to another article - absolutely no problem. Something fishy is going on (and no, it is not the delay between articles - the problem was there before I posted to the other thread). -- Shame of Slashdot [slashdot.org]

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Re:Larry Ellison (Score:1, Flamebait) by pmc on Thursday January 17, @11:53AM (#2854570) (User #40532 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Larry Ellison is a braggart and a blowhard. However, his words do contain a kernal of truth, and must be interpreted with moderation to get the true message. When he says "unbreakable" he means "less breakable". When he says "100 times faster" he means slightly faster. Unfortuately, when he says National-ID card, he means it. -- Shame of Slashdot [slashdot.org]

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Re:Larry Ellison (Score:2) by nusuth (ozbozkurt@nOSPam.fisek.com.tr) on Thursday January 17, @06:00PM (#2857961) (User #520833 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Ofcourse a database can only be "less breakable" not unbreakable and I'm willing to excuse the term. But 3 buffer overflows, discovered in a short amount of time does not sound very "less breakable" to me either. Neither "100 times faster" sounds like 1.5-3 times faster according to Oracle's own adds (IIRC they were comparing with an IBM database.) I don't think we have to be so forgiving about his BS. It is not much different than MS, really, each new version of windows DO add something, and IS faster on some tasks when they claim releases are "unlocking the full potential of PC." It is a matter of degree, but yours seem to be a bit too forgiving. Oh, that, and the parent thread. Reading it may illimunate what may possibly happen if government can track all your actions and act without any wisdom and respect for different ideas. -- Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down!

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Re:Larry Ellison (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @08:52PM (#2859211)

Moderators, mod this up as 'insightful' and 'funny'... Make sure you read the parent's of this post. It shouldn't get modded down, well, at least its ontopic :) Mod the other ontopic posts up too, they might last a while.

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Look at parent post (n/t) (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @12:42PM (#2854985)

N/T FOO

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by pmc on Thursday January 17, @12:54PM (#2855105) (User #40532 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Its like finding a needle in a haystack. Yes, Oracle as the 800lb gorilla in the database world, but this does not mean that their products are bad. They are propriatory, sure, but almost all databases have got their own tweaks to the standard that allows them to operate more effectively. There is nothing more irritating than trying to port from one product to another and finding a feature on one that makes you rlife easy entirely missing on the other one, which compells you to try and reinvent the wheel yet again, except that your wheel is buggy and slow and takes lots of your valuable time to try and get this cackhanded implementation working. Anyway, eds abusing the mod system is true. But another thing to look at about Oracle is that their influence is actually quite small for their size - probably because Ellison is seen a quite an abusive person and not to be trusted. This lack of trustworthyness should also be applied to the people marking down so violently this thread. But that is another matter - Oracle is happy in its market and is showing no stomach for cancerous expansion like Larry's old friend BillG. A little reverse engineering on my part here to see how the abuse is being done. Oracle biggest weakness is that it is a one trick pony - best hope that people want the trick for a long time to come. -- Shame of Slashdot [slashdot.org]

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @01:59PM (#2855733)

Just wait till the next slashback or other slashdot related article.

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"A 'leftist nerd' is a contradiction in terms, and therefore cannot exist." -- 80md

Re:Editor: I'll take a 3-point karma hit too (Score:-1, Offtopic) by pmc on Thursday January 17, @03:34PM (#2856721) (User #40532 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Ah - more karma to burn. Do I care? Not really. Anyway, much to my surprise, the moderation is not robomoderation. Some human being is, almost unbelievably, doing these by hand. What a sad person - hi there Mr Sad! (waves). The question that we should be asking is "Who is Mr Sad?". For the first time in my life I understand the trolls. -- Shame of Slashdot [slashdot.org]

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Re:Editor: I'll take a 3-point karma hit too (Score:-1, Offtopic) by SnowballTux on Thursday January 17, @03:51PM (#2856900) (User #550558 Info)

Seems like Mr roboman has gone to sleep now though... I'm sure if he's *really* pissed off he will just re-start tomorrow.

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Re:Editor: I'll take a 3-point karma hit too (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @04:16PM (#2857100)

Some human being is, almost unbelievably, doing these by hand. What a sad person - hi there Mr Sad! (waves). Mr. Sad's name is Jamie McCarthy, and he calls modslapping threads "grunt work" in this post: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=24252&cid=2641 410 [slashdot.org] For the first time in my life I understand the trolls. Welcome to our frustrated, pissed off, disenfranchised little world [n3.net]. We can teach you more about Slashcode and how the system really works than anyone else; but at a price. Prepare to be bitchslapped, modslapped, IP banned, $rtbl'd, and lose all your moderation priveleges. We offer knowledge at a cost. Blue or red?

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Re:Editor: I'll take a 3-point karma hit too (Score:-1, Offtopic) by TheGreenLantern (thegreenlntrn@yahoo.com) on Thursday January 17, @04:35PM (#2857234) (User #537864 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

You know, I couldn't have said it better myself, and I'm not just posting that to temporarily put another +2 in this thread. -3 Karma is definitely worth it. Kudos. -- My socks possess more power than you, plebian.

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Editor: I'll take a 3-point karma hit too BUMP (Score:0, Offtopic) by mwalker on Thursday January 17, @08:12PM (#2859030) (User #66677 Info | http://slashdot.org/)

Count me in. Please mod me down 3 times to -1 Offtopic. I know that you refuse to take responsibility for your actions [sourceforge.net] - you won't even admit that Editors are different from Slashdot users in priveleges and visibility. It's absurd. I know that the last revision of the moderation guidelines is dated 1999 [slashdot.org]. And I know you won't even read my post before you moderate it to -1. I know this because you've already IP banned me, removed my moderation priveleges, and removed my metamoderation priveleges. All this is your right. Slashdot is privately owned, I take nothing for granted here, if you delete my account, so be it. But as I have said, as the parent poster has said, as everyone else has said: please, grow a pair and take responsibility for what you're doing. Please, at the very least, tell the god damned truth. I admire the way you people skewer large corporations [mccarthy.vg]. But wielding the sharp sword of Truth bears with it the responsibility of being Truthful in your dealings with your readership. And let me tell you, modbombing an entire thread with a 10,000 pound Offtopic bunker-buster while claiming that the moderation system is self governing while refusing to message people when you've Editor-moderated them is going to peg anyone's bullshit meter. Moderation is not Censorship. I would never claim that; it's a stupid position and if we throw it up it's easily shot down. Moderation simply governs visibility. What people talk about determines what people know and learn about at Slashdot. It controls the propogation of memes. And you are hellbent on suppressing this meme. I'll refrain from speculating about your motivation... but consider how angry it makes you that the MPAA is trying to suppress memes about copy protection and the MPAA. Now step into the shoes of the people who are pissed off about modbombing and find themselves suddenly pounded into -1 oblivion the moment they open their mouth. That's where the bile comes from. It'd be nice to take your rhetoric seriously but 300 Offtopic moderations make the hypocrisy too deafening to hear anything over. -- burn 3 karma! [slashdot.org]

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Re:Someone mirror this thread!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @03:14PM (#2856484)

Has someone mirrored it yet?

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Re:Someone mirror this thread!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by bonch (dscubaIII3@hotmail.com minus threevowels) on Thursday January 17, @06:17PM (#2858135) (User #38532 Info | http://www.audiogalaxy.com/bands/bonch/ | Last Journal: Thursday January 17, @06:04PM)

I saved it. I know I'm risking lowering my karma even more with this, but that's fine.

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Re:Someone mirror this thread!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @06:27PM (#2858219)

You can't keep an insightful post censored. [attbi.com]

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My fist, her face
Same time, same place

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Inthewire (david@mummware.com) on Thursday January 17, @09:38PM (#2859450) (User #521207 Info | http://www.diarymons....asp?AuthorAliasID=1)

Fuck. I'm a retard. I didn't bother to look at the day, just the time. Now I'm surprised it's still as lively as it was last night. -- See an entire thread get bitchslapped to -1

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come on now..are these guys professionals or 10 year olds who just had their toys taken away from them?

Re:Holy Cow!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Mr Thinly Sliced (dannospam@huntthepickle.org) on Thursday January 17, @09:55PM (#2859539) (User #73041 Info | http://www.huntthepickle.org)

(For anyone who does't see the parent post, its an entire thread that got bitchslapped down to -1 by the editorial staff of /.) It seems that they like to have full editorial control which really seems to be the pot calling the kettle black doesn't it. Check Jamies page out where he cries about how the movie press promote what they have an interest in, and discount what they don't. Time for me to turn into a troll I guess. All the funs gone out of posting on here now. Mr Thinly Sliced

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Re:Holy Cow!! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:11PM (#2859601)

this only thing this site had going for it anymore was the readers. readers who could give real insight and analysis (karma whores aside) to counteract the incredibly idiotic comments of the editors and jon katz. i think most non-trolls here had understood the moderation system to be mostly fair, and everyone accountable. But the blatant underhanded actions of the editors has proven to everyone else this is not the case. How will these readers react when they see the how the editors in truth hold absolute power, and wield it when they see fit? My theory: most will lost interest in contributing, and lose all respect for this site as this distinguished person has, and the last redeeming piece of slashdot will be gone, and slashdot will be dead.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:38PM (#2859695)

Last time I checked an individual moderator could get no more than 5 moderation points at a time. For this to happen through peer moderation, a horde of moderators would have to closely watch this thread for several days. Nope, can't be.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @10:54PM (#2859751)

not to mention this story is over a day old, not on the front page. a moderator would have to linger here and mod down like crazy, which really serves no purpose. my guess is an editor has a script to automatically mod down this entire thread every XX number of minutes. it's a really sad commentary on the part of the editors. and they STILL haven't bothered to respond on the record to this crap.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @11:00PM (#2859775)

8 minutes from post to 3 -1 mods. amazing!! Conclusion: robomoderation

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The stories posted themselves are not closely fact-checked. Without the tireless eyes of the thousands of Slashdot readers examining the stories, this site would be worthless. Only because they check your information, dig deeper, and share their knowledge does this site become useful.

This abuse of moderation is against the entire spirit of open-source software. Without being able to bring faults into the light, Linux (and other operating systems) would not have grown into the stable system that it is today. Without competition and cooperation, open source would fail miserably.

You, Mister Editor, are actively attempting to kill Slashdot by moderating down all posts in this thread. You will succeed in driving us "trolls" to other websites, or to found our own... leaving Slashdot in the rubble of history.

I demand the following things from Slashdot:

• An honest accounting of what happened with this thread; in particular, who is responsible for downmodding every post of this thread.
• An explanation of why this is happening. Why the democratic masses are being overridden by the few.
• A return to open-source methodologies, especially including technical adjustments to ensure that this abuse of power cannot take place again.

If Slashdot wants to be the powerhouse in the open source movement, it needs to be responsive to its users -- or it will lose them.
--
Never play leapfrog with a unicorn. Or a juggernaut.

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @11:02PM (#2859787)

This one dropped even faster. 2 to -1 in less than 5 minutes.

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by chipuni on Thursday January 17, @11:07PM (#2859811) (User #156625 Info | http://www.furtherconfusion.org/)

Actually, it was less than two minutes. I was impressed. I do hope that the moderators realize that a link to this very discussion is shooting up the moderation queue over in Kuro5hin [kuro5hin.org] . Unless they delete the parent to this message completely from their system, they're going to get an awful lot of bad press... -- Never play leapfrog with a unicorn. Or a juggernaut.

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Get it through you head. We don't like this. This is extremely unprofessional and just plain paternalism. You guys would be all over it with a YRO article if another site did this. You have shown yourselves to be utter hypocrites.

What's wrong with the /. moderation system?

Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @11:34PM (#2859925)

Funny that this was down to -1 by the time I was able to refresh the page. I doubt any real moderators are wasting their points moderating everything here to -1. Something that has 150+ moderations has to be interesting (offtopic or not.) I think we should link this thread from sigs and regular posts for a while. Posts may get moderated down -- but a sig can never be offtopic. :-)

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Re:The first Slashdot troll post investigation (Score:0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 18, @12:01AM (#2860034)

Kinda proves the point: Moderating down is the more common choice. ;) It's just that apparently nobody has to waste a precious modpoint on this thread, 'cause where these -1s come from, there's an unlimited supply of 'em.

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Here's a hint editors, you are looking like bigger fools every time you mod down this thread, and turn the majority of users against you or your policies.

Stop it now and save yourselves before it is too late.

Re:Mod this down! (Score:-1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 17, @11:45PM (#2859971)

Is this inverse trolling?

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