K
Keith Thompson
I have never used a killfile in comp.lang.c. Most of the time,
I've read, or at least skimmed, every article that appears on my
server in this newsgroup, other than obvious spam.
I am now sufficiently sick and tired of the trolls that I'm going
to start using a killfile (or, more precisely, a score file,
the mechanism used by my newsreader of choise). This is not a
"plonk", in the sense that I don't intend to specifically announce
who's being added to my score file (though I might choose to do so
at times). The initial entries will be those who are, in my opinion,
obvious trolls.
I am making no commitment of any kind here. The choice of when I
start using a score file, whom I add to it, and whether to bypass
it and read certain articles, or even reply to them, will continue
to be entirely mine. This is not a game in which the trolls can
score points by goading me; it is merely my personal decision about
how I'm going to read this newsgroup. And I'm sure I'll see some
of the trolls' words when others post followups to them.
I don't expect most readers of this newsgroup to be particularly
interested in this announcement, and I expect the trolls will,
as usual, try to make fun of it. So be it.
I make this announcement for two reasons. First, readers should
be aware that, if I don't respond to something that seems to call
for a response, it may be because I deliberately didn't see it.
Some of the posters whom I consider to be trolls sometimes post
actual technical information; I won't be seeing it. Since I happen
to be among the most prolific posters in this newsgroup, and almost
all of my postings here are followups, that might be significant.
Second, I'd like to gently encourage others to do something similar
(I know a number of people already do). The trolls are, in my
opinion, doing serious damage to the integrity and usefulness of this
newsgroup. The more the trolls are silently ignored, the better off
we'll be. I claim no leadership role here; this is just my advice,
which anyone is free to ignore. I recognize that getting everyone
here to agree on any course of action is virtually impossible.
I don't particularly want this to spawn a long discussion thread.
I'd much rather discuss C.
I've read, or at least skimmed, every article that appears on my
server in this newsgroup, other than obvious spam.
I am now sufficiently sick and tired of the trolls that I'm going
to start using a killfile (or, more precisely, a score file,
the mechanism used by my newsreader of choise). This is not a
"plonk", in the sense that I don't intend to specifically announce
who's being added to my score file (though I might choose to do so
at times). The initial entries will be those who are, in my opinion,
obvious trolls.
I am making no commitment of any kind here. The choice of when I
start using a score file, whom I add to it, and whether to bypass
it and read certain articles, or even reply to them, will continue
to be entirely mine. This is not a game in which the trolls can
score points by goading me; it is merely my personal decision about
how I'm going to read this newsgroup. And I'm sure I'll see some
of the trolls' words when others post followups to them.
I don't expect most readers of this newsgroup to be particularly
interested in this announcement, and I expect the trolls will,
as usual, try to make fun of it. So be it.
I make this announcement for two reasons. First, readers should
be aware that, if I don't respond to something that seems to call
for a response, it may be because I deliberately didn't see it.
Some of the posters whom I consider to be trolls sometimes post
actual technical information; I won't be seeing it. Since I happen
to be among the most prolific posters in this newsgroup, and almost
all of my postings here are followups, that might be significant.
Second, I'd like to gently encourage others to do something similar
(I know a number of people already do). The trolls are, in my
opinion, doing serious damage to the integrity and usefulness of this
newsgroup. The more the trolls are silently ignored, the better off
we'll be. I claim no leadership role here; this is just my advice,
which anyone is free to ignore. I recognize that getting everyone
here to agree on any course of action is virtually impossible.
I don't particularly want this to spawn a long discussion thread.
I'd much rather discuss C.