Let's face it, the internet as a whole has a troll problem. Whether it be Facebook, CBM, or one of a million other sites and communities, negativity is the latest digital currency. I don't know about you, but I, for one, have grown weary of it.
Last week I announced two new Facebook pages that we had created to help DC and Marvel fans get their headlines a little easier without having to wade through other headlines that they may not be interested in (read the post -
Tired Of The Marvel And DC Trolls? So Are We And We've Decided To Do Something About It!). While the real intent behind the post was to announce the new Facebook pages (
DC Only News,
Marvel Only News), the topic of trolling blew the post up. I mentioned that the new pages were to help combat social trolling, but I didn't think the topic would take over the post! I think 700+ comments on a site annoucement article may be a new record...
You know CBM has a problem with trolls and I know it. Today I'm announcing our new "Zero-Tolerance Troll Policy." It's pretty self-explanatory, but I'm going to spell it out so that there is no confusion on the new policy. In a nutshell it really boils down to this - If it isn't something you would say face-to-face with another person, don't bother typing it. If you think it's something that *might* trigger the moderators, again, don't bother typing it. THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE! Trolling is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated on CBM.
When will the "Zero-Tolerance Troll Policy" take effect?
The newpolicy will go into affect Monday, February 13th. Comment moderation until then will be monitored more closely, but the real crackdown and penalties won't go into effect until then.
Why is CBM coming down so hard on this?
Trolling has become a huge issue and detracts from what CBM is for. Despite what some believe, trolling does NOT make money for the site. Registered users account for roughly 1% of the site traffic, and users that actually take the time to comment on the site account for even less. ComicBookMovie.com is for everyone to find, enjoy and discuss their favorite movies and comics. Not to mention the constant trolling and flaming web-wide drives me nuts. I can't do anything about that on other sites, but I can control what happens on mine and hopefully make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.
What type of comments will result in an automatic ban?
Comments that meet any of the following criteria will result in an automatic account ban:
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Comments that attack other users (name-calling, death threats, etc.)
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Comments containing racial slurs or hate speech
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Re-posting the same comment(s) repeatedly, whether in different articles or the same article
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Posting irrelevant memes or images/comments meant to start flame wars ("Marvel" comments/memes in "DC" articles and vice versa)
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Pornographic comments/images - PG-13 only
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Comments that attack the site, it's users, or its contributors and staff
Are there other comments that can get me in trouble?
Obviously there are other types of comments that can get you in trouble, resulting in automatic comment deletion and even get your account banned:
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"First" comments that don't add anything to the conversation or are relevant to the article/post (automatic deletion, possible account ban)
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Memes/comments that have nothing to do with the post (automatic deletion, possible account ban)
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Political comments that aren't related to the post (automatic deletion, possible account ban)
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Provocative comments/images - PG-13 only (automatic deletion, possible account ban)
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Commenst that attempt to get around the site's language filter - PG-13 allowed with the exception of the "F" word (automatic deletion, possible account ban)
What do I do if I don't like someones comment?
There are a couple of options for handling other users' comments, but you have to be careful in how you proceed. Users sharing their *opinion* is allowed and isn't necessarily trolling. Just because someone disagrees with you DOES NOT mean they are a troll. Make sure you can distinguish between opinions and actual trolling.
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Report the comment using the "Report" button/link. Reported comments end up in our "Hall of Shame" and are reviewed periodically throughout the day by the CBM moderators. Reported comments are either deleted, the report is deleted (in the event of comments that were reported incorrectly), and the user account can ge disabled.
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USE THE "BLOCK" BUTTON - If you just don't like another user, or are tired of seeing their comments, opinions, etc., use the "block" button.
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Tag me in the comment thread and I will review the comment myself. There are several users out there that do this, but it's an option for any and all.
What happens if this doesn't work?
At that point there will be no other option than to remove comments from the site. I hope and pray that it doesn't come down to that and that people can begin acting their age when online, not just on CBM but on the world wide web as well.
What do you think about the new policy? Will it help? As always, leave your comments and feedback below.