Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Calling All Troll Busters!

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Calling All Troll Busters!

It is high time we had a meeting of the minds on troll busting. In glorious years past, we have had several monster trolls. Eating funny food in France, for instance. Spending a bundle on a suite in New York. Hollering "Toot Toot" out the window of a cab. All were classics. Eventually, most trolls are exposed. But it is important for the troll buster to work with a certain style and flair. A true troll buster reads the troll, but stays quiet until the troll makes a mistake. Claims to speak a foreign language, but can't, for instance. Internal inconsistencies. Getting some small details wrong. And then the troll buster pounces and explains why it is a troll. Lately, several of you have been too, um, overly enthusiastic and have accused someone of being a troll, sometimes as the very first response on the thread. But a troll is a mystery, you see. You can't just hop on a thread and immediately pronounce it a troll. You might actually be wrong if you do it this way. No, you MUST have evidence, and you must lay it out convincingly for all to see. Until you have evidence, you must hold your fire. If you wish to troll bust, fine. But please try to restrain yourselves and do it properly.

Thank you, your honor.

Recently a particularly clever troll appeared on the europe board. Many of the forum regulars went for the bait and a wild melee ensued. Along came a troll buster who presented rather convincing evidence that they had all been the victim of a troll. They all went to the defense of the troll making excuses for the troll's "errors" and "banished" the troll buster from the forum. Be carefull. Trollbusting is a dangerous and thankless task. Never use your real name when acting as a troll buster.

And, who made you, Mr/Ms Troll Buster, the arbiter of troll busting protocol. I'll expose a troll any damned time I feel like it.......like right now!

You people make me sick! Haven't you got anything better to do than pick on me. GET A LIFE! What is a troll anyway? I swear I'll never come back to this board again! People please! Ignore these nasty and negative posters. Just go back to answering my nice innocent travel questions.

<heavy sigh> Herding trolls = herding cats.

Please don't leave Ms.Troll. There are many kind and considerate people here who will be glad to answer your questions. Don't let those nasty troll busters scare you away. They just need to GROW UP. They should just go away and stop picking on nice folks like you.

I've never understood all the animosity toward trolls on this site. It is cruel and hurtful--I was a troll in the school play in 4th grade, and everyone clapped and told me I was good. And my mom took a picture of me in my little troll suit and it's still in the family album. Besides, who's to say who is or is not a troll? I thought Richard Nixon was rather toll-like, and he became President of the United States. And how about Danny DeVito? Can anyone claim he is not an actual troll? Yet, he has millions of fans. And I think it's high time we come up with a less-demeaning name for such people than the ugly-sounding name "troll." How about "shrewd, conniving, mean-spirited person who is intending to do harm"? Or "SCMSPWIITDH" for short.

THIS IS A TRAVEL FORUM!!! Leave it alone! Go Away! Get Lost! As far as I'm concerned XXX, you and those other troll busters are nothing but a bunch of racist bigots! I'm frustrated,disgusted,angry,mad... Out damned post! Die! Die! Die!

For gawd's sakes people... don't answer this forum! Can't you SEE that this very posting is a troll? Let's let the evidence speak for itself; my proof will follow the original quotes in all CAPS: "It is high time we had a meeting of the minds on troll busting." WE ALL KNOW TROLL BUSTERS DON'T MEET; THAT'S MET FOR FODORS CLUBS IN AREAS LIKE SAN FRANCISCO. In glorious years past, we have had several monster trolls. Eating funny food in France, for instance. Spending a bundle on a suite in New York. Hollering "Toot Toot" out the window of a cab. All were classics.

For gawd's sake, people... don't answer this topic or this poster! Can't you SEE that this very posting is a troll? Let's let the evidence speak for itself; my proof will follow the original quotes in all CAPS: "It is high time we had a meeting of the minds on troll busting." WE ALL KNOW TROLL BUSTERS DON'T MEET; THAT'S MEANT FOR FODORS CLUBS IN URBAN AREAS LIKE SAN FRANCISCO. "In glorious years past, we have had several monster trolls. Eating funny food in France, for instance. Spending a bundle on a suite in New York. Hollering "Toot Toot" out the window of a cab. All were classics." ANYONE WHO USES "TOOT TOOT" MUST BE A TROLL. "Eventually, most trolls are exposed." LIKE RIGHT NOW, BUCKO. YOU'LL BE MORE EXPOSED THAN THAT "ACTRESS" IN THE MOVIE "SHOWGIRLS!" "But it is important for the troll buster to work with a certain style and flair." WHICH IS SORELY LACKING HERE, SHAKESPEARE. "A true troll buster reads the troll, but stays quiet until the troll makes a mistake. Claims to speak a foreign language, but can't, for instance. Internal inconsistencies. Getting some small details wrong. And then the troll buster pounces and explains why it is a troll." RULES FOR TROLL BUSTING? I THINK NOT! BESIDES, MANY OF THE TROLL BUSTING OF LATE IS IN REGARD TO ONE OR TWO POSTS BY THE ORINAL POSTER, WHO DOESN'T FOLLOW THRU LATER. (Why haven't you answered the responses, oh great troll buster?) "Lately, several of you have been too, um, overly enthusiastic and have accused someone of being a troll, sometimes as the very first response on the thread." WE CAN SMELL THEM LIKE RIPE SOCKS ON A MARATHON RUNNER! AND, WHEW, YOU STINK! "But a troll is a mystery, you see. You can't just hop on a thread and immediately pronounce it a troll." TROLL!! TROLL!! (See, you're wrong!) "You might actually be wrong if you do it this way." THE INTERNET IS A FORM OF IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION -- MUCH LIKE MISPRONOUNCIATION IN DAILY CONVERSATION. BY YOUR OWN DEFINITION, YOU ARE WRONG TO INITIATE THIS CONVERSATION. "No, you MUST have evidence, and you must lay it out convincingly for all to see." HOW DO YOU FINGERPRINT ON THE WEB, SHERLOCK? "Until you have evidence, you must hold your fire." AHA! YOU CAN'T HOLD FIRE -- IT WOULD BURN YOU -- UNLESS YOU HAVE MAGICAL, OTHER-WORLDLY POWERS. Thus, making you, A TROLL!!!! Case closed.

The above poster write curiously like Oaktown Traveler. Notice the caps and the parenthetical remarks. hmmmmmmmm

What's this I hear about Mole Busting? Didn't I suffer enough insults on this forum last year? You people are sick.

Not Oaktown Traveller. Nor Blues Traveller, either. But COULD be related to Mr. Killjoy and Dr. Bitterpants...

Yeah right Judge Whopper, you're that clever in your dreams!

Good one, Judge Whopper. You're coming along nicely. Now, will someone start a really good new troll so that we can hone our troll spotting skills? Maybe something involving cats hacking up hair balls on an airplane?

Judge Whopper: You lawyers make me sick. Judges are lawyers aren't they? Don't you have anything better to do than pick on poor innocent people. Of course, posters new to the board will make mistakes. Where you ever a newcommer? Their posts might be sloppy, yes. But that doesn't make them a troll! Your logic escapes me. Evidence? What evidence? I don't have time for your evidence. Why don't you go find a real case to try? Leave those of us here trying to learn about travel alone. I think Fodor's should make all of you troll busters register with your real name and e-mails. Stop hiding behind anonymity with your childish, stupid posts.

Yea Right, you almost had me! (I was expecting you to build up to a classic Nicholson with "You can't handle the truth!") Of COURSE judges are lawyers...we have to be INBRED to be IN BED with each other! Thinking of you while not wearing anything under my robe and playing with my "gavel," Judge Whopper

Guess they don't call you Judge Whopper for nothing! Can I take it then, that you are a man judge?

He's a man, and I don't think he'll let you take it.