Are trolls a prevalent thing on Physics Forums?

[Cha0t1c]

This is only my second day here and I've already encountered a couple of trolls...Are there generally many trolls on the site or was it a coincidence?
I certainly hope it is the latter...I like physics forums and I don't want it to be corrupted by trolls!

 

[fresh_42]

We usually remove trolling posts, if reported, so - if true - it is a coincidence. You have complaint being trolled on a thread titled Anti-viral Activity of Anise Extract.

The post and your answer has been removed, although I hesitated to do so. @chemisttree 's answer was rather ironic than it was trolling. What do you expect by such an invitation? Anise against viruses? This is ridiculous in my opinion - scientific paper or not. I accepted your report as you specifically have asked for the effects of a certain substance and gave a serious reference. However, medical publications in general are a topic on its own, especially in the realm of a current event.

We are normally intellectual people here, so sarcasm and irony is part of our nature. This is different from trolling. I'm even convinced that @chemisttree was thinking you were the troll.

 

[berkeman]

This is only my second day here and I've already encountered a couple of trolls...Are there generally many trolls on the site or was it a coincidence?
I certainly hope it is the latter...I like physics forums and I don't want it to be corrupted by trolls!

Trolls are few and far between here. First because they generally can tell by reading the PF rules that they won't be tolerated, and second because they are usually reported to the Mentors quickly and dealt with quickly.

And sometimes they self report (not intentially I would guess...) Your posts are now under review...

I didn't say anywhere in my post that other people are not doing the same things that I do. However, not all people do these things, and that's the difference between brilliant engineers and average engineers...
I don't know man, but I think there's something wrong with your numbers here...I've read in many many places that software engineering salary could get much much higher than that figure of yours. Plus, I've asked multiple people who are working in the field about the salary range and their response was that it could go well beyond $100K for good developers. So please, could you provide a legitimate source to support your claim?

 

[Cha0t1c]

We usually remove trolling posts, if reported, so - if true - it is a coincidence. You have complaint being trolled on a thread titled Anti-viral Activity of Anise Extract.

The post and your answer has been removed, although I hesitated to do so. @chemisttree 's answer was rather ironic than it was trolling. What do you expect by such an invitation? Anise against viruses? This is ridiculous in my opinion - scientific paper or not. I accepted your report as you specifically have asked for the effects of a certain substance and gave a serious reference. However, medical publications in general are a topic on its own, especially in the realm of a current event.

Well bro, you guys misunderstood my question...This is a topic on phytotherapy and it is a legitimate field in biological sciences. I was taught about those stuff in school and my question was about it.

 

[berkeman]

Well bro, you guys misunderstood my question

Is it your nature to stumble into new places and call PhD level intellects "bro" (fresh, not me)? Is that how you go into job interviews, and preface your statements of purpose for undergraduate and graduate school applications?

 

[Cha0t1c]

Is it your nature to stumble into new places and call PhD level intellects "bro" (fresh, not me)? Is that how you go into job interviews and preface your statements of purpose for undergraduate and graduate school applications?

Usually when posting online people tend to be more casual when addressing each other...I am used to it this way

 

[berkeman]

Usually when posting online people tend to be more casual when addressing each other...I am used to it this way

And we usually are also, although there are a number of very advanced folks here that I would never call "bro". But whatever.

I think we've addressed the question you started this Feedback thread with -- no, we do not tolerate trolls here. If you see a poster/post that you think is trolling, please click the Report link in the post to let the Mentors know about it so we can try our best to respond. Much as others have clicked the Report link on your post at the top of this thread.

The PF can be a great resource for you. Please feel free to send me a private message (PM) if you have further concerns or questions. (click on my avatar and "Start a conversation") We are definitely here to help.

 

[russ_watters]

This is only my second day here and I've already encountered a couple of trolls...Are there generally many trolls on the site or was it a coincidence?
I certainly hope it is the latter...I like physics forums and I don't want it to be corrupted by trolls!

How much time have you spent on internet forums? In my experience, trolling is pretty rare on PF compared to other places, and we work hard to make it that way -- more frequently, the complaints are about heavy-handed moderation.

But what we do give on PF (looking at your first few posts...) is hard, blunt feedback. Evidently that grates on you, but ask yourself which will be more helpful: hard, blunt feedback or cheerleading bad decisions?

Usually when posting online people tend to be more casual when addressing each other...I am used to it this way

You can't have both, so pick one:
1. A forum where people act professionally and ask intelligent questions of experts and get quality answers (and accept a little hand slap if the question's quality isn't great).
2. A forum where people call each other "bro".

 

[symbolipoint]

?

Usually when posting online people tend to be more casual when addressing each other...I am used to it this way

??

 

[symbolipoint]

Usually when posting online people tend to be more casual when addressing each other...I am used to it this way

So many members on this forum choose a pseudonym or some personally chosen username for privacy purposes. Often we do not know their ages, genders, level of majority nor juvenility, level of education. Such cheap casually forms of address such as "bro'" or "dude" or "babe" should be kept for people you met and know directly in real life outside of any online forum, when in the appropriate setting. Maybe since we are all as like, dressed the same way while participating on the forum, we might call each other "Comrade"?

 

[Cha0t1c]

How much time have you spent on internet forums? In my experience, trolling is pretty rare on PF compared to other places, and we work hard to make it that way -- more frequently, the complaints are about heavy-handed moderation.

But what we do give on PF (looking at your first few posts...) is hard, blunt feedback. Evidently that grates on you, but ask yourself which will be more helpful: hard, blunt feedback or cheerleading bad decisions?

You can't have both, so pick one:
1. A forum where people act professionally and ask intelligent questions of experts and get quality answers (and accept a little hand slap if the question's quality isn't great).
2. A forum where people call each other "bro".

Of course I'll choose the first, and I indeed find PhysicsForums to be a place where I find high quality answers to my questions...A good example is my first post here on this forum, people were helpful and the answers were respectful.

I would like to apologise for any misunderstandings that could have happened today...I didn't know the rules to this forum and I got frustrated by being told that one of my posts was flagged as inappropriate.

Thanks for being understanding of my situation.

 

[russ_watters]

Thanks for being understanding of my situation.

You're welcome. Culture shock on PF is common for newcomers.

P.S. I hope you consider it unusually deferential that a post that offended you was removed despite the moderator not really agreeing that it was offensive!

 

[Cha0t1c]

You're welcome. Culture shock on PF is common for newcomers.

I am active on Quora and on Reddit.
On Quora, it is usually easier to guess the rules, or in other words you can't be impolite because most people there have avatars and credentials, however Reddit is the complete opposite, I remember calling someone sir once and they told me to never do it. So yeah, it was indeed a culture shock to come here from Reddit.

 

[strangerep]

we might call each other "Comrade"?

Aaargh, no, that's communist! We don't allow politics here.

 

[chemisttree]

Wow! I’m a troll? My comment regarding the elderberry syrup wasn’t meant to be negative in any way. I often respond this way to have a poster think about their problem in a different way. Here is something from my own medicine cabinet.

 

[chemisttree]

And elderberry syrup provides protection against the flu by a variety of mechanisms discussed here:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190423133644.htm

 

[Vanadium 50]

we might call each other "Comrade"?

Nyet, tovarich.