As pretty much everyone here has noticed, we're in the midst of a Troll Infestation. Spurred mainly by Cindy Sheehan, trolls are flocking here en masse and making ridiculous comments and posting inflammatory diaries. I've been impressed with the ability of this community to police the trolls, and keep them from drowning out the site.
But I think we may be getting a little overzealous. There's been, to my mind an uncomfortable level of troll-rating and troll-labeling for comments we disagree with, but aren't necessarily obviously trollish, particularly when it comes to Cindy.
I think we all need to exercise a little restraint.
More on the flip...
This warning doesn't apply to obvious troll comments or diaries. If someone is using terms like "Krazy Kosies" "Commies" etc. (i.e. the usual troll nonsense) by all means, flame away. And provide me with some recipes I'll never have the talent to cook.
But a lot of the stuff getting troll rated lately has occupied more of a gray area. A respectful diary or comment questioning Cindy, a part of Cindy's protest, or any other progressive principle, isn't inherently trollish. We pride ourselves on being different from Red State. On allowing opposing points of view, and on allowing internal, uncomfortable questions.
But lately, we haven't been living up to this as well as we could, me included. In the past week or so, I've made a couple comments denigrating people who I thought were borderline trolls, and I was mortified when one of them made the top 17 comments list. Since I've been here, this site has always valued reason, logic and persuasion above outright dismissal and ridicule. I don't see any reason to let that change that now, just because the trolls are at the gates.
The point is, we're better than this. We're right on the issues. We don't need to silence anyone who voices dissent. We value questions, or should, because they make us a stronger Party.
So my advice (which I realize carries no weight from a newbie like me), if there's any doubt in your mind that someone is a troll, engage them. Show them why they're wrong, why you're right, and why they need to rethink their position. Only troll rate or post recipes if you're absolutely sure that the person is trolling. Cause we're not gonna win people over to our side by troll rating disagreement, and we're gonna lose a lot of what makes this site so great.