Well, I really don’t agree that the post in question did not require a direct response. I base that call on the history we’ve had with this particular member. But IMO this is a no-win situation. The initial problem is the troll, arrogant ass, or what have you. They start it. After that it's up to each member to decide how to respond or not respond… especially on this sort of forum where there is little official moderation. And sometimes we don’t respond but just react because we are tired, or grouchy or have a cold, etc.
You can blame other members if you want for how they respond… that’s up to you. Some members respond by leaving the forum becaue it’s not worth the effort.
In some situations one can ignore the bad eggs like a king would ignore the proverbial children throwing stones at the castle wall. On the other hand there are times when provocation can’t be allowed to stand. That is, if it’s important enough to the members to have a functional forum where one can exchange ideas and learn something without being harassed or mislead, then it’s worth engaging and exposing the trolls.
I believe that with certain types ignoring them only postpones the inevitable conflict, which will be even worse if left alone. It’s like the ember which if ignored develops into an inferno.
If you have a person that just wants to rock the boat they will only rock it harder if they get no reaction.
As many already know, the person currently known as MCI2424 has been banned several times under other user names and this has now gone on for years. This is what is truly ridiculous. People have tried everything… some try to be nice, others try to ignore, and others would like to break some bones at this point. We are all at different places.
So, what to do? I’ve tried various things like ignoring, but I am now at a place where I’m inclined to think I should periodically reintroduce a troll like MCI2424 for the benefit of new members, so they know he is a poser pretending to have background and expertise that he does not; that he has been the chief asshole and saboteur under various user names for years now; that he is not the equal of anyone here and you take his “advice” at your own peril. When he does offer sound advice he only repeats things we have previously said and claims the ideas as his own. And what makes it particularly intolerable is that he has frequently attacked and derided members for having the very views that he later claims are his views and even his original thoughts.
Another thing that I think is really important to differentiate here is that many of us get into debates and step on each other’s toes… and this happens on about every web forum I’ve seen, but I consider those as family squabbles.
In the case of MCI it is not a family squabble. This is classic predatory stalking behavior by someone with nothing but contempt for the forum and its members. In his mind a forum with a name like Home Recording is his best hope to play the expert. I believe he is truly limited by his intellectual capacity to understand that there are veterans of the recording industry and experienced home recordists that have found homes on nearly every music/recording forum on the web. So, he keeps coming back because there are always new members, whom he sees as potential groupies, and I’m sorry to say he has probably fooled a number of people. Many of the older members are a threat to him because he can’t fool us, so he tries to discredit us, even reframing the issue to make us look like the instigators. This is classic, advanced troll behavior.
Why do I care? If I’m going to go to the trouble of participating here I’m not going to plant good seeds only to ignore the weeds. That approach to gardening is an exercise in futility.