Newsgroup trolls are like taggers (graffiti artists). They do what they
do to get attention. If they don't get attention they go elsewhere. We
had a tagger in the neighborhood, and I did a little research on how to
get rid of him. Turns out that the main deterrent against taggers is to
remove their graffiti immediately. I got some graffiti remover gunk at
the local hardware store and used it to remove the graffiti from the
street signs in the neighborhood. He tried again the next night, and
the next day I removed it again. We never had another instance.
Trolls are the same way -- they want attention. And they get it. In the
form of angry rebuttals to their nonsense. Which just enflames them and
goads and encourages them. They get off on it, and they love to keep a
thread going as long as they can. Remember the saying,
"Never get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty and
the pig loves it."
Our current troll, "136.9.44.62" <[email protected]>, is like the
rest. Probably has no life, no friends, and probably no brains. A
loser. But we wreckers are feeding him just what he wants, attention.
So what's to do? The easiest thing to do is
SIT ON YOUR HANDS. Yes, SIT ON YOUR HANDS. Don't respond to his drivel.
If we all do this he'll go away.
The other thing to do is to report him to his ISP. This takes more
work, but the wreck has done it before with the COCK BALLS ... trool.
First thing is to be sure your newsreader is set to display headers.
Then email the troll's post including the long headers to his ISP's
abuse address. He's been using verizon.net for a long time and is a
well-known kook. Mail to [email protected] .
Report as many has you have time for. He'll be gone sooner or later.