GeezyRider 

I know you can block posts from individual forum members. Is there a way to block their threads so that you don't see the entire thread? Asking for a friend.

indyfabz

No.

phughes

Sadly no. I'm getting ready to log out completely for a while. At the moment though I simply look at the other sections here, but I used to like General. I may go back to the other forum.

genejockey 

My ignore device...

seypat

Under the current situation, I try to think of, then post a troll response in hopes of getting the thread closed or derail it. Not working so far. It's become second nature. For instance, as I was glancing at the title of this thread, the first response that came to mind would be posting this link:

:https://www.loctiteproducts.com/idea...t-for-you.html

genejockey 

Same here.

Trakhak

That's precisely the strategy that led to several regulars being given bans, which no doubt delighted the troll.

Just do what I do: look at the thread starter's name and, if it's one of the two newbie trolls you probably have in mind, scroll past. As recommended by genejockey earlier in this thread.

GeezyRider 

I know the practical and common sense thing to do is scroll on by. That is why I have developed a large callous on my index finger. I have also replied to this recent daily onslaught with troll responses but that doesn't phase the original troll posters and probably encourages them.

Realizing the General Discussion sub-forum has become a cesspool and avoiding is a foolproof solution. But sometimes both new and experienced riders have legitimate questions, concerns or observations that deserve consideration. Ignoring General Discussion altogether would be a disservice to those folks.

A Thread Blocker would surely be useful. I'm just not sure if red or blue would work best.

seypat

What botthers me the most is that a large percentage of those threads we are talking about, legit or not, are related to bicycle mechanics. Why are they still in General? They'd die quickly in the mechanics section. Using this thread as an example, it was magically moved to another part of the forum within 6 or 7 responses. Yet those other threads, despite being about bicycle mechanics, remain in General. That's why myself and probably others think it's an effort by management to increase site traffic. You have a star by your name, help us understand why those threads aren't moved to the proper place like this complaining thread was.

RCMoeur 

Sabotaging a thread to try to kill it? From what I see, what that does is annoy the people who are good-faith participants, and give the trolls fresh food. Worst of both. If it keeps up, all of BikeForums ends up like the legendary ruins of Usenet. If I see eleventyzillion threads in "New Posts", I'll look into the ones of interest, click out of it it's irrelevant or annoying, and ignore the rest. I see no need to try to control stuff that I don't need to.

Edit: And my "ignore list" grows as needed. Which helps.

Polaris OBark

Look on the bright side: No Abu Nidal prostitution threads in quite awhile.

Trakhak

Excellent point. All of us should consider hitting the red button in a post in such a thread and requesting that the mods move the thread to Bike Mechanics. See something, say something.

That said, the ingenious mock-innocence of the posters I'm thinking of would probably rope in the people in that sub-forum, too.

Polaris OBark

CX Wrench could save the universe (or at least bikeforums.net). [Shouldn't it be bikefora.net ?]

RCMoeur 

Oh, NOW you've done it...

Trakhak

That star merely signifies that I paid for membership during a brief period when a one-time payment (under 50 dollars, as I recall) conferred permanent full membership, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.

We don't need conspiracy theories here. The moderators are all volunteers, so increased site traffic wouldn't benefit them. I have no doubt that management knows better than to try to impose on them some bizarre scheme to bump up the stats. From the point of view of the mods, the principal effect would be an avalanche of complaints from outraged forumites. As we've seen.

As to why the threads don't get moved: the moderators have noted repeatedly over the years that they can't keep track of what's going on in every thread. See something, say something: in this case, hit the red button to the left of an offending post and suggest to the mods that the thread belongs elsewhere.

Yes, it's frustrating that the new, ultra-prolific General Cycling poster has been so adept at manipulating so many people here into frantically typing choleric responses -- while the only rules he himself breaks are unwritten rules. Again, ignore him and he'll either go away or subside into being a better member. It's possible, because it's happened before.

Edit:
Check out today's addition to the Banned Users thread in the News & Suggestions sub-forum. (I looked there after noticing that there were no threads started by the usual suspect on the first page of the General Cycling Discussion sub-forum.)

I suggest that the best way to signify our appreciation of the mods would be by refraining from commenting on that development in this or any other thread.

IBkatherine

Like many of you said, there are so many threads posted daily that it can be hard to keep track of all of them. The moderation team are all wonderful volunteers who are not apart of some bigger managerial scheme. They simply want the best for the site as they are also all active users here too. Like stated above, if you see a misplaced thread, please use the report button. This sends a note to the moderators and then they can move it to the correct place if deemed necessary.

smontanaro 

I don't hang out in General, so I have no direct experience with this problem, but enough people here are pissed off by this guy that I'm wondering if maybe he (it seems to always be a guy) should be banned. 🤷‍♂️

Edit: Or report the initial post and ask for the thread to be closed. Or volunteer to be this guy's personal moderator and close trolling threads...

Bogey Speedwell

……poor timing for me……I was just thinking of heading to Dubai 😆

cb400bill

Best line posted about this whole situation.

indyfabz

So it’s ok to troll but not to troll a troll. Got it.

I-Like-To-Bike

unterhausen

We still have the threads if you need a number.

Think about it this way. The people that troll newbies in the hopes they overreact and get banned have done it many times in the past and have been warned not to do it many times over a period of years. The newbies may not actually be trolling at first, they just have questions that may seem ridiculous to many of us. Then they get trolled, some of them answer in kind, and decide to start trolling. At some point we try to set them straight and they decide to fit in or get banned.

indyfabz

My comment was made based on the premise that the newb IS actually trolling as has been from the start, which is pretty obvious in some cases. At least to me.

"if it's one of the two newbie trolls you probably have in mind"