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Re-reg trolls - how to root them out

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  • 20-04-2012 12:03pm
    #1
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭


    Despite the best efforts of mods, re-reg trolls remain a problem here. I've seen persistent users re-registering numerous times despite racking up masses of site and forum bans, and going on to repeat their behaviour for months or even years, riling bona fide users and wasting mods' and admins' time.

    The thing is that these people usually have an identifiable posting signature. They typically post in an unusual combination of forums, often post in the same threads under multiple names, and regularly cite and thank posts they've made under these other names.

    This is the kind of pattern that could be spotted automatically. Indeed, boards set up a novelty user matching service on Valentine's Day a couple of years ago that matched users based on exactly these commonalities in posting history (link).

    Assuming that boards doesn't use this kind of user history matching already (correct me if I'm wrong), would it be possible to do something like this on a rolling basis and make the results available to mods and admins to help them kick out the trolls?
    Post edited by Shield on


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    #2
    hullaballoo
    Administrators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,714 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭hullaballoo


    It's mostly based on behavioural observations and other identifiers. It's generally a matter of whether they hit the Mods/Admins radars whether they're banned for re-registering.

    There's little point wasting time coding for something like that because it's always going to be a judgement call in the end. Also, if they're trolls, they can be banned for being trolls and it doesn't matter whether they had a previous account.

    Likewise, there are plenty of decent users who started out their boards lives as trolls so again, a judgement call has to be made on whether they should be automatically banned for re-registering.

    Imo.


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    #3
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭darjeeling


    hullaballoo wrote: »
    It's mostly based on behavioural observations and other identifiers. It's generally a matter of whether they hit the Mods/Admins radars whether they're banned for re-registering.

    There's little point wasting time coding for something like that because it's always going to be a judgement call in the end. Also, if they're trolls, they can be banned for being trolls and it doesn't matter whether they had a previous account.

    Likewise, there are plenty of decent users who started out their boards lives as trolls so again, a judgement call has to be made on whether they should be automatically banned for re-registering.

    Imo.

    When I've seen someone who has been site-banned ten times getting their latest ban overturned in DR, while merrily posting away with half a dozen other accounts at the same time, I just think the mods might benefit from a bit of extra help in making their decisions.


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    #4
    AboutTwoFiddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 216 ✭✭AboutTwoFiddy


    darjeeling wrote: »
    When I've seen someone who has been site-banned ten times getting their latest ban overturned in DR, while merrily posting away with half a dozen other accounts at the same time, I just think the mods might benefit from a bit of extra help in making their decisions.

    Did you report it to a mod/admin?


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    #5
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭darjeeling


    AboutTwoFiddy wrote: »
    Did you report it to a mod/admin?

    I've reported suspicious users a couple of times in the past and seen them banned as re-regs, but I've always known they could just reincarnate.

    The thing I've learned is to consider before replying whether or not I may previously have seen other person in a different guise.


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    #6
    Dolbert
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,154 ✭✭✭Dolbert


    I've often wondered about this, if a rereg could be detected through IP recognition or something. There's one guy in particular who I've reported a bunch of times now, fairly easy to spot by his vocal hatred of feminists, the media, and eh, the Jews. Yet every week or so he comes back, trolling the same forums. I'm on his tail though :cool:


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    #7
    Otis Driftwood
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,925 ✭✭✭Otis Driftwood


    More often than not,serial re-reg trolls out themselves.Jake La Motta being a prime example.

    Frankly I couldnt be arsed.The effort of setting up a new email account then having to register on here would be too much just to get banned after 10 or 15 posts and having the posts deleted.


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    #8
    Micky Dolenz
    Registered Users Posts: 44,080 ✭✭✭✭Micky Dolenz


    You can usually smell them a mile off.


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    #9
    ducksmalone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭ducksmalone


    darjeeling wrote: »
    I've reported suspicious users a couple of times in the past and seen them banned as re-regs, but I've always known they could just reincarnate.

    The thing I've learned is to consider before replying whether or not I may previously have seen other person in a different guise.

    Do you enjoy the Forum?

    i would guess your not getting the max out of it as your concerning yourself with other posters behavior and posting styles.

    chill out and ignore the posters who seem to bother you.


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    #10
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭darjeeling


    ducksmalone wrote: »
    Do you enjoy the Forum?

    i would guess your not getting the max out of it as your concerning yourself with other posters behavior and posting styles.

    chill out and ignore the posters who seem to bother you.

    If I didn't find this site an enjoyable and interesting place to post and read, I wouldn't be here. Credit for that is due to the mods, who keep the muppetry down to a minimum. This thread, which is my only one on this subject in over 4 years, is just to ask if there's a way of helping them do that.


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    #11
    Boards.ie: Danny
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,609 ✭✭✭Boards.ie: Danny


    The Valentines day thing is a simple enough script that is based on users who post after others, who they PM etc. A troll is unlikely to do that since their previous accounts have probably been banned. Similarly, a troll usually outs themselves in time and appear on the radar. We have given the mods tools they need to perform user comparisons to verify their suspicions or the obvious. Couple the tools with mod experience/intuition and the vast experience of the Admin team and we're pretty much doing all we can do at this stage.


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    #12
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    TBH, I don't spend a lot of time on trying to detect re-regs. If someone is a dick, gets banned, and re-regs to continue being a dick, they get banned again. Not much difference between a re-reg troll and a fresh troll, in terms of what gets done about them.

    As long as it's easier for a mod to ban a troll than for the troll to re-register, the mods come out ahead in the long run, although as you've pointed out, there's usually a couple of troll posts slipped through each time. The ability to easily delete all of a troll's posts would be handy there.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #13
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭darjeeling


    Boards.ie: Danny wrote: »
    The Valentines day thing is a simple enough script that is based on users who post after others, who they PM etc. A troll is unlikely to do that since their previous accounts have probably been banned. Similarly, a troll usually outs themselves in time and appear on the radar. We have given the mods tools they need to perform user comparisons to verify their suspicions or the obvious. Couple the tools with mod experience/intuition and the vast experience of the Admin team and we're pretty much doing all we can do at this stage.

    OK, I suppose there's no use implementing such a method if it wouldn't be that effective and if the mods have enough tools at their disposal already, but thanks for considering it.


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    #14
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    Re regs are rather easily spotted if you are a boards member long enough. They generally are the ones with an in-depth posting knowledge and history of the poster that they are attacking despite being only registered yesterday and having 3 previous posts.


    99% are pests.

    1% are funny but still require removal but admins and mods are chuckling while doing it.

    Perhaps 1% is over generous.


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    #15
    Unknown Soldier
    Registered Users Posts: 2,124 ✭✭✭Unknown Soldier


    AckwelFoley wrote: »
    Re regs are rather easily spotted if you are a boards member long enough. They generally are the ones with an in-depth posting knowledge and history of the poster that they are attacking despite being only registered yesterday and having 3 previous posts.


    99% are pests.

    1% are funny but still require removal but admins and mods are chuckling while doing it.

    Perhaps 1% is over generous.

    Snyper is a veteran.

    Knows sh1t.


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    #16
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    Unknown Soldier wrote: »
    AckwelFoley wrote: »
    Re regs are rather easily spotted if you are a boards member long enough. They generally are the ones with an in-depth posting knowledge and history of the poster that they are attacking despite being only registered yesterday and having 3 previous posts.


    99% are pests.

    1% are funny but still require removal but admins and mods are chuckling while doing it.

    Perhaps 1% is over generous.

    Snyper is a veteran.

    Knows sh1t.

    I see what you did there.


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    #17
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    darjeeling wrote: »
    If I didn't find this site an enjoyable and interesting place to post and read, I wouldn't be here. Credit for that is due to the mods, who keep the muppetry down to a minimum. This thread, which is my only one on this subject in over 4 years, is just to ask if there's a way of helping them do that.
    And it's a fair question.

    We also have to consider though that different people can be sending back very similar info (flatmates, family, OH) or may be posting from work or a college computer, so while the techie stuff is very helpful / objective, there is a limit to what it can do ... and as Danny says, there's a Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns whereby it might be possible to develop additional tools but at a fair cost of time and resources, while they would produce marginal enough added value to what is already available. For the moment anyway ... tech is always moving on. Unfortunately, though, what usually happens is that a wonderful new tool gets developed that can be used by everybody, and a week later someone develops a way to get round it! :)


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