THE IDIOT

Posted By: Glenn HaumanPosted On:

I’m recommending to Glenn that, if it isn’t a massively difficult thing to set up, we institute a password procedure for postings. I hope this wouldn’t pose a major inconvenience to folks. There is, of course, the simple alternative of forbidding any follow-up responses, so it’s just me, but I’m not *that* in love with the sound of my own voice (or, y’know, typing.)

The tragic aspect is twofold: That it would be due to the actions of essentially one person, and that it’s *exactly* that sort of inconvenience that the jáçkášš gets his jollies from. Since he’s on AOL, we’re going to explore the possibilities of tracking him down and getting him thrown off the service entirely. Meantime, please bear with us. I want this to remain a forum wherein people can interact rather than just see what I have to say. I was warned that if we allowed feedback, precisely this kind of thing could happen. It’s pathetic to see that it has.

And again, just so there’s no confusion: It’s not actually Brian Bendis causing all this trouble. The gutless creep naturally hides behind someone else while he hides in his parents’ basement causing this stuff.

PAD

44 comments on “THE IDIOT”

  3. Yeah, password protection (coupled with the use of cookies) would help. A little. A crafty person would be able to get around that, though.

    Do you log all IP info? Perhaps if you publicly posted this joker’s IP address(s), some of us equally-crafty computer users could exact a more fitting revenge.

    On another messageboard I post on (and formerly modded), I got one dude’s IP address, which told me everything I needed to know to get his phone number, address, connection type (the guy connected through his mom’s home-business-based fax machine), and other personal info (his name, as well as those of his mom, dad, and brother). A quick call to his mom might be a more direct approach to all of this.

    Where I come from, it’s important to let people know who they’re dealing with, and when someone gets out of line… well, there’s always “ramifications,” you’d say.

  4. Actually, I was thinking along the lines of once we know who this child is, giving his name and address to Bendis so he can go over and beat the kid senseless for impersonating him.

    No, wait, the child would probably enjoy that. We’d better stick with telling his mommy so he loses his computer time.

  6. Dumb question #46244, series numbered due to joint EPA/NIMH regulations:

    Would any of the technical specifications or legal precedents accumulated by Harlan Ellison in his lawsuit vs. AOL be of any use in tracking and banning the Bogus Bendis Blogging Blot?

  7. Passwords would be a smart idea. And to Robert: check the “Acting Like Women” thread, some of his handiwork is visible. There were also similar and more vulgar occurances, but most were cleaned out already. This was especially annoying because it made it difficult to post when the prankster was getting his jollies.

    Chris

  9. I just want to apologize to PAD and Glenn for giving this guy any ammo when I rationally, I guess, discredited some of the stuff “Bendis” Said. Peter had said not to reply to the guy, but as I noted last night, I started my reply to “Bendis” a few minutes before Peter posted his advice. So anyway, if I went too far in giving this guy ammo, then I’m sorry.

    Of course this may be the new strain of Tourette’s I have where I have this compulsion to apologize 🙂 (No offense to those who really have Tourette’s)

    Charles F. Waldo

    Also for any people besides me who may care, the website where I post my column is having a few hiccups at the moment with its servers. The forum works, but I think you have to register for that. But the columns right now are only showing stuff up to 3-15-03, the last two weeks have been “swallowed” for now. Again, anybody besides me, who may care.

  10. Thanks. I appreciate you taking the trouble to *let* us talk with (and occasionally back 🙂 ) to you.

  11. If you feel that a password procedure is what’s needed, then so be it. Or even to set up an actual message board. There’s a free server, if you’re interested, called http://www.proboards.com and I think it works just like Infopop software. If you like, you can probably set up an account on their system, and then you’ll be able to block such awful posters more easily if it’s needed.

  13. Add another data point to the “passwords are fine” category over here.

    TWL

  14. Count me in as well. Yes, a password would be, IMHO, the best way to go. I mean, disagreeing is one thing, being a (bleep)hole is quite another.

  15. Passwords work great. Not meant as a plug, but we use a password on my site, and we havn’t had any problems yet. It’s fairly simple, even coding it in by hand… uhm, not that’s you want to go through THAT of course 🙂

    But yeah, a password’d be fine. And, PAD, I wouldn’t worry that this guy’s getting his jollies becasue you do this dueto him.

    Trolls like him don’t NEED reaction to get their jollies. I just saw a similar thing on a webcomic message board not more than an hour ago.

  16. Frankly, when I first stopped by here a few weeks ago I was very surprised one didn’t have to register to post.

  17. You do what you have to. But I wonder if it will stop spammers and trolls. They can be persistent.

  18. Agreed on passwords. They’re no big deal, and they’ll help get rid of this bloody ŧwáŧ.

  19. Good luck with your search. I never did understand why people get there jollies off on ruining other peoples fun.

  20. Passwords are no big dea. A minor inconvenience to deal with a minor inconvenience. Show the troll the respect he deserves: none.

  22. I’m pretty new to the community so the idea of a password doesn’t bother me a bit. So far it seems like most of the regulars who’ve posted are on board with it.

    Anything to keep things civil and reasonably mature.

  24. I hate to see this sort of thing go on. But I will gladly offer my services to twist this person’s face off if you would like. They don’t call me the “angriest man in comics” for nothing. Sorry for resorting to violence , I am a conservative, you know. Oh, passwords are cool.

  25. I’d be fine with a password. While it’s not thrilling to need a password for half the sites out there, this latest incident seems to suggest it’s a necessary evil.

    Just curious: Is there a list of unacceptable activities that would keep messages off the site? So far, multiple postings and falsifying one’s identity (identity theft?) seem to be the only ones that get deleted. What about profanity? (I’m not normally inclined to this, but certain topics — such as the @#$%ing awful DREAMCATCHER movie — certainly invite it.)

  27. I don’t know if it’ll help much now, but I’m the designer of a new high-tech message board system (written in PHP).

    Even though it’d take a while to convert it to a blog-type format, I’ve implemented a few simple security measures that might help this forum.

  28. Is this the same yahoo who called you a British cigarette a kabillion times a week or so back? Kinda makes me wish for the good ole days of the Young Justice message board, when all you had to do was tell a young punk that you’d no longer acknowledge his presence, that he was dead (wasn’t that from “The Paper Chase?”), and it took a lot of the wind out of his sails.

  30. No complaints from me. Most message boards require passwords, anyway, so I wouldn’t mind. ‘Course, I’ve only posted, like, 4 times, but what the hey…

  31. This isn’t message board, though. It’s a weblog. Y’know, where we respond in word form to various stimuli delivered in word form. Where we respond to somethin’ but we don’t start nothin’.

    Debateable vocabulary aside I’m against passwords because it would kill casual responses.

    As in, any place where I have to prove it’s me isn’t very casual.

  32. I had mixed experiences with getting registered and passwords. Usually it is no problem but getting this done should be easy to do, also for people who are not very computer literate.

    The most extreme case I encountered was with trektoday. The system refused to accept my real name for getting registered (and I refuse to post under anything else) and numerous emails in which I asked for help were ignored. Eventually I gave up. Either they don`t want me or can`t be bothered.

    Should a password be introduced here I can only hope that I won`t have problems. It is one of my favourite places on the net and I would like to also post in future now and again.

  33. “The most extreme case I encountered was with trektoday. The system refused to accept my real name for getting registered (and I refuse to post under anything else) and numerous emails in which I asked for help were ignored. Eventually I gave up. Either they don`t want me or can`t be bothered.”

    Ive had the same problem with TrekToday. I would love to post there, but it never seems to let me sign up. There is always some problem that always keeps me from getting in, so I just peruse the boards w/out posting.

    But if passwords are the only way to keep this forum going, then you should do what you have to do.

  34. Do lurkers need passwords? Kidding. Passwords are fine with me. ZebraCharlieTango out.

    Later,

    chuck elam

  35. Dibs on “Swordfish”!

    (i.e., yeah, passwords are fine, as long as Glenn doesn’t enable the Groucho feature)

  36. Ageed, passwords are okay with me as well. Maybe with it could be a “how many posts/how long since first post” number associated with it. Or not.

  37. I just started visiting this site this past week after seeing Peter at I-con and Glen plugging the site at the X-men/Hulk Movie/What is Peter up to now panel.

    I generally don’t respond to message boards, but found that this site was so easy to respond to, and everyone so nice without the ussual flame wars that one sees, that responding might be fun and interesting, and so far it has been.

    I would hate to think that because of one person so many people have to be inconvienced. Registering, getting a screen name and password etc.

    But having read the messages and seeing Peter actually respond to many if not all the comments, I must say I would be willing to put up with the inconvience of a password set up, though I don’t know if I would have started commenting in the first place if one was in place.

    SPB

  38. Well, I’m a casual poster, and I’d be willing to go through the registration/password/screen name process. I love this site, and I’m willing to go through some extra crap to make sure it stays a fun place to be.

  39. Speaking as a programmer (and a lurker on this site) I would recommend adding a “flood control” timeout, so that people cannot post more than once every 10 minutes (or whatever you think is a fair interval).

    You could also get the system to email you if anyone posts a message over a certain size, large messages would be a good indicator of a spam post. The message could even be prevented from appearing on the site till you’ve checked it, but moderating might take up a lot of your time!

    But this combined with the flood control would make it tricky for anyone to post more than 1 spam message before you catch them.

    You could also block “free” email systems like Hotmail and Yahoo, because spammers can sign themselves up to a bunch of those accounts with a minimum amount of hassle. He’ll have to rely on ISP mail accounts or have his own mail server if you do that.

    Oh and sorry if I’ve given this a**hole new ideas… 🙁

  40. Howdy. Passwords would be fine.

    I’m a newby here let me get my props in: PD, you rock. I really dislike when your books get cancelled (YJ and Supergirl – WAAAHHHH!!!!) but your ability to balance the comical with the incredible keeps me coming back. i look forward to Fallen Angel, even if it’s not about Linda Danvers – WAAAAHHHHH!!!!

  41. If a password is what it takes to block idiots from fouling the nest for the rest of us, then so be it.

  42. I’m more of a lurker than a poster, but I’ll add my hash mark to the pro-passwords column. It’s increasingly becoming the norm.

  43. I have no problem with passwords,. but I fail to see how that would help. Trolls may not be able to call themselves “Bendis”, but it won’t keep them out AFAICS.

Comments are closed.