Ability to see neither the comments, nor quotes of blocked people

[Rokonuxa]

I just wanna be able to not have every single discussion I am in cluttered by a certain anime reference, some sport enthusiast, a person that wants everyone to know about them having that talos game and the one who seems to have technical problems.

These trolls jump on every suggestion and shoot it down with "it does not exist, therefore it should never exist" and then use disgusting tactics to derail threads for the anime reference mod to lock.

If blocking was a bit more extensive, nobody would be drawn into this maelstroem of strawmen.

[FFL2and3rocks]

Blocking someone already hides their comments, but quotes are just formatting, so there's really nothing to block there.

[Rokonuxa]

It still always seems to result in the derailing of threads. I have seen how they work and unless this is fixed or every single person on steam suddenly stopped responding to every single troll, this is going to keep happening.

[FFL2and3rocks]

If they're derailing a thread, you can report their posts, but I don't see how they could change the way blocking works in order to essentially remove someone from the thread for you entirely. Other people aren't going to have the same people blocked, so they would still change the flow of the discussion even if you block them. Maybe you just don't like someone, but they are still allowed to take part.

[Rokonuxa]

I described how, by not showing comments that quote blocked people.

They can take part, but I dont need to be shown the fire.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Rokonuxa:

If blocking was a bit more extensive, nobody would be drawn into this maelstroem of strawmen.

How? If you block someone and don't see those posts, that still won't prohibit them of participating in the thread and other people responding to them.

Which is what the current block system does, as it hides those post and you only can see the content if you click the "show" button. So in essence, no difference.

[Rokonuxa]

I will try to again explain what happens and why this would help:

2-4 trolls enter a thread
They re-write and repeat the same arguments against whatever OP is asking about.
In responding to them, they start honing in on the most miniscule mistake, a spelling error, any amount of hyperbole... and act like that invalidates the entire point.
through several pages, they keep this up until the thread either dies, or they rile up everyone against them, reporting everyone using something that can even remotely be construed as an insult to get others banned.
After a while, the tread gets locked by certain mods who seem to be specialized on fulfilling these trolls wishes to stop any discussion on potential steam changes.

Unless literally nobody replies, this is a guarantee. With every single comment about these things happening in the thread, there are more who fall into the trap.

By doing what I suggest, this battle of attrition can potentially be nipped in the bud. That is what moderation is btw, a battle of attrition. Either constantly hold the horde back or let forums be overrun by trolls. As is, it looks more and more like some of the trolls are in the moderation team, locking threads where this happens for being "off topic"


Thus, completely hiding both blocked peoples comments AND the comments quoting these blocked people, there is a slight improvement guaranteed to the whole mess.

[Crazy Tiger]

Except that it doesn't prohibit them from participating in the thread and other people responding to them.

All you're suggesting is that you don't see those posts and the ones who quote them, it doesn't change anything about the flow of the thread except for your own participation.

[Rokonuxa]

That assumes that I am the only one blocking the trolls.

[Crazy Tiger]

Not everyone blocks people they disagree with.

Quint and Start_Running (latter one of the people you're referencing in your OP) often debate lengthy in threads, they don't have each other blocked for example. You or other people blocking anyone of them won't stop the flow of the thread when they participate.

[Rokonuxa]

First you imply it requires any, then every person to block them. I still believe that my suggestion can help.

And dont call thinly veiled trolling "the flow of the thread", if it was about conversation, they would not repeat the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

[Crazy Tiger]

Can you explain how it will really help?

I'm telling you how I read your suggestion. You want posts of a blocked person and posts of people who quote that blocked person completely hidden for you. How does that influence the posts of other users and therefore stop the "trolling"? It only affects what the person doing the blocking sees, not the thread in general cause other people who haven't blocked them still can and will engage them.

It might give you more mental peace, but it won't stop a thread from being locked due to going off-topic, for example. I was assuming your suggestion was about the latter, but perhaps I'm wrong and it's about the former?

[Rokonuxa]

If just half the people in a thread block half the trolls, it should already show massive effects from what I saw in threads infested by them.

They thrive on saying stuff so ridiculous that you cannot help but answer in some form, like needing to figure out how an earworm ends or why a program is spitting out a cryptic error. If people can not see the comments on a click, as it is right now and are not exposed through those who fell for it quoting the trolls, the trolls would need to put in enough effort to make them not getting banned from the effort near impossible.

That is my hope at least.

[Nx Machina]

If everyone agrees there is no need for discussion or forums and this thread you created becomes meaningless.

[Rokonuxa]

exhibit A, one of the users who enters suggestions or question posts to infinitely repeat increasingly ridiculous counterarguments and strawman arguments until someone snaps and insults them, whereupon the mods wake up and either ban the insulting user or lock the thread.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Rokonuxa:

exhibit A, one of the users who enters suggestions or question posts to infinitely repeat increasingly ridiculous counterarguments and strawman arguments until someone snaps and insults them, whereupon the mods wake up and either ban the insulting user or lock the thread.

To be fair, it's also an example for what I said. You may have blocked them, but I haven't so I could still engage them and it then could still result in a locked thread.

But if I understand your previous post correctly, it's more about not being able to show the comments and therefore not run into a ban due to getting angry. Correct?

It seems the suggestion is thusly more about mental peace and self protection from snapping and getting banned, which is something I can understand. Usually I always say "Block, report and move on", but the latter isn't always easy for people. Personally I can mentally ignore users, but everybody is different and what goes for me doesn't necessarily go for others.