Just wanted to chime in ...
Anurag wrote:
2009/2/18 Kenneth Gonsalves lawgon@au-kbc.org:
frankly I do not understand this. Neither of them are newbies. Both of them are valuable members of this list. What are you going to achieve by moderating them for a week? Are you going to counsel and reform them? Or do you feel 'punishment' will make them 'repent' (if they have committed some crime)? This whole 'crime and punishment' outlook does not sit well in a community like this. Agreed, obvious spammers should be banned (not moderated). Newbies doing things because they dont know the rules should be politely corrected by peer pressure. Apart from that, nothing constructive will be achieved by moderation which is an archaic concept from the dark ages and more suited to places like china where the whole country is under moderation.
+1 to everything Kenneth said in his mail. I agree moderation is not really a good long term policy even if in the short term it might seem effective. The punishment method only encourages the trolls to wait for the next chance they get.
Not allowing their posts in seemed like the best way to stop them from posting even after repeated request, and give some time to cool down.
Actually, the best way to stop a troll is not to even dignify it with a response.
For example, I am choosing to do that Dinesh's latest 'i didn't do anything wrong' troll post too. He is a troll and not worth my bytes.
In any case, the thread /was/ amusing and entertaining besides being insightful too, as kenneth pointed out. I was waiting for Godwin's law to be invoked ...but i wonder if that happens in Indian mailing lists. Maybe, there is something else that is more relevant to Indian sensibilities which parallels godwin's law.
Anyone know of any such thing ?
cheers, - steve