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Re: My impression of Sam
Robert — (archived)

You may be right that Sam's a troll, Davin. But that's not really the issue--trollness is a difficult thing to prove. The issue is what to do about the possibility, and the best advice I've heard--not just on this thread but over the years--is to ignore somebody you think is a troll. Trolls are doing it for the reaction, and you feed a troll by getting mad. I'd be feeding a troll by banning him/her, because in the twisted world of getting attention by being a shit, the ultimate prize is to get kicked out--it's a notch in the troller's gun. It's masochism, and doesn't operate according to rational rules.

Keep in mind that the HabitableZone doesn't exist in a vacuum. We have lurkers, perhaps ten for every poster. The Zone has a reputation, and in some circles (I lurk other places, too) it's not a good one. We're sometimes perceived as elitist and exclusive, sometimes arrogant. Perhaps, if Sam's a troll, he's somebody who's out to validate that negative impression. That's one possible payoff for a possible troll. Shall we play into his hands?

--Robert

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