If the problem is differentiating between trolls and simply weak, airy, or badly formed comments/arguments, I think the obvious simple solution would be to do what has worked elsewhere and add a “Report” or “Troll-Alert” option to bring the comment/post to the attention of moderators or send it to a community-review queue.
It certainly seems easier to control for abuse of a Report feature than to control for trolling and troll-feeding using a single linear score that doesn’t even tell you whether that −2 is just 2 * (-1) (two people think the poster is evil) or whether it’s +5 −7 (five cultists approve, seven rationalists think it’s a troll) (unless moderators can see a breakdown of this?).
There is a Report button when I view comments that are replies to my comments, or when I view private messages. There is no Report button when I view comments normally.
Oh, you’re right! Didn’t remember that, but the inbox does have “Context” and “Report” links instead of the standard buttons.
Edit: I suppose a clever bit of scripting could probably fix it browser-side, then, but that’s a very hacky solution and there’s still value in having a built-in report button for, say, people who don’t have the script or often access lesswrong from different browsers/computers.
See Issue 272. The report button was removed during a past redesign, as (I gather) redesigners didn’t feel it was motivated sufficiently to bother preserving it. The issue’s been in accepted/contributions-welcome mode since Sep 2011.
If the problem is differentiating between trolls and simply weak, airy, or badly formed comments/arguments, I think the obvious simple solution would be to do what has worked elsewhere and add a “Report” or “Troll-Alert” option to bring the comment/post to the attention of moderators or send it to a community-review queue.
It certainly seems easier to control for abuse of a Report feature than to control for trolling and troll-feeding using a single linear score that doesn’t even tell you whether that −2 is just 2 * (-1) (two people think the poster is evil) or whether it’s +5 −7 (five cultists approve, seven rationalists think it’s a troll) (unless moderators can see a breakdown of this?).
Do you not see a Report button? There at least used to be one; I can’t see because I only see a Ban button.
There is a Report button when I view comments that are replies to my comments, or when I view private messages.
There is no Report button when I view comments normally.
Oh, you’re right! Didn’t remember that, but the inbox does have “Context” and “Report” links instead of the standard buttons.
Edit: I suppose a clever bit of scripting could probably fix it browser-side, then, but that’s a very hacky solution and there’s still value in having a built-in report button for, say, people who don’t have the script or often access lesswrong from different browsers/computers.
I do not see a Report button.
See Issue 272. The report button was removed during a past redesign, as (I gather) redesigners didn’t feel it was motivated sufficiently to bother preserving it. The issue’s been in accepted/contributions-welcome mode since Sep 2011.
Okay, if there’s no longer a Report button, I at least am willing to field PMs from people who think I should consider banning specific comments.
Nope, no report button here. Upvote/downvote on the left, Parent/Reply/Permalink on the right (+Edit/Retract when own posts).
I see no such button, FWIW.