'Are you for real?' - a question of trolling...or worse

[Cromm]

[TL : DR version: this board has pervs and trolls. Beware]


Okay, so at what point to you guys ask yourselfs "Is this guy for real?" I'm talking about the posts here. You have people asking about specific sexual encounters (which are against your own rules anyway), you have really strange questions that just aren't right, and you have (what would be to me anyway) obvious troll bait that's taken completely seriously.

Now, I'm a bit older than most of you guys (18, not 40 or something), a denizen of the infamous 4chan, I've seen a lot of strangeness on the net, and I've noticed something here that's just a little frightening...

http://i39.tinypic.com/2celniv.jpg

Basically, this particular board is getting nearly 4 times the trafic of the next most frequented boards. This could, of course, simply mean that there are more teenage boys wanting to talk about puberty than other things.... however, given the tone of some of the questions and the fact that most of the 'viewing' are guests and not members, I susspect something more sinister.

So I'd thought I'd offer my net savvy (if I say so myself) two-cents, and post this quick guide to spotting trolls and pervs. [It is only a guideline, and is by no means complete; take it with a grain of salt.]


Spotting trolls - Trolls are people who write posts that are designed to start arguments, or just create drama in general. They start the snowball rolling, and laugh at the responses to there posts. Ask yourself:

Do the posts they make lack cohesion? Does it sound like they're rambling instead of telling a story?

Do they post some really strange scenario that doesn't seem likely, and then ask for advice? "I was masterbating and I got my penis caught in the vacum cleaner, what should I do?"

Is the tone of their post/question not enkeeping with the seriousness of the content? "My bothers just asked me to suck him off and then he raped me, should I tell my parents?" or "My sister says if I don't have sex with her, she'll tell my parents I raped her. Should I do it?"

Does the post itself seem exceptionally likely to cause drama, and (more importantly) would a reasonable person have even bothered to ask something so odd? "Does anybody else here think their's nothing wrong with f***ing farm animals if they don't seem to mind?"

If you answered yes, they you HAVE to ask yourself "Is this guy for real?" Most of the time, common sense will lead you to the obvious answer: this guy has an active imagination, too much spare time, and just wants to stir up s***.


There are, however, some posts of another type. Posts that seem (in my opinon) designed to be masterbatory aides to the posters. These guys are pervs and, like trolls, should not be given attention.

Spotting pervs is more difficult, since often they're just lurkers (they don't post). But when they do, they're usually asking about some specific sexual situation, without any real reason behind the question (beyond the 'is this normal' stuff). Best way to keep them away: don't give them material they can use in their fantasies. Keep conversation about sex sterile and basic, or don't talk about it at all. When you're offering advice or asking a real question, talk about the mechanics and not the feelings.


Above all, keep common sense on your side and ask yourself: "Is this guy for real?"

Because if you have to ask, the answer's almost always NO.

[maeniel]

kudos

[toyota098]

cool

[Wayvrn]

Hello there 4chan brother, nice work.

[HelloWorld123456]

... right

I think you have a point ... There are pervs here asking through Private messages for a "show" or ... "lets have a chat" and then they ask you ... "Hoe long is your dick" then ... "Show it" ... There are a lot of pervs here ... And they declare themselves as "Str8" and want to see your dick ... I've got some Usernames of ppl asking for "A talk" ... I just ignore them

[Zazu]

I think you do bring up some pretty valid points in this thread.

Admittedly, there have always been quite a few topics in p101 that I've read and thought "hmm... this doesn't quite sound right", and there are some which I just don't bother replying to due to the sheer trolley nature to them. But after all, we are here to help people, and there's now way we can tell who is real and who isn't for definite, so sometimes I will try and provide some kind of valid answer.

I wouldn't be half surprised if perverts do come on here to read / create the p101 threads to get some kind of sexual thrill. Annoyingly enough, there's nothing more we can do about them other than ignore them.

There's a lot more to VT other than the p101 forums, so whilst I do feel uncomfortable with some of the things people post in there sometimes, I just think about the other great forums and the over-all great community that there is here :)

[Giles]

... right

I think you have a point ... There are pervs here asking through Private messages for a "show" or ... "lets have a chat" and then they ask you ... "Hoe long is your dick" then ... "Show it" ... There are a lot of pervs here ... And they declare themselves as "Str8" and want to see your dick ... I've got some Usernames of ppl asking for "A talk" ... I just ignore them

I send people pm's asking for contact through msn or skype... does that make me a perv... i dont think so. i think tht post is out of order. considering im 13 and i only send requests to people older than me... theres nothing wrong with that, if they dont want to show anything thts fine i offer and if they refuse i leave it. simple as.

[RyanNicky]

I send people pm's asking for contact through msn or skype... does that make me a perv... i dont think so. i think tht post is out of order. considering im 13 and i only send requests to people older than me... theres nothing wrong with that, if they dont want to show anything thts fine i offer and if they refuse i leave it. simple as.

agreed whats was being stated was biased

[Requin]

Okay....

so why have you put this in here? Moving to HQ.

[Rutherford The Brave]

[TL : DR version: this board has pervs and trolls. Beware]


Okay, so at what point to you guys ask yourselfs "Is this guy for real?" I'm talking about the posts here. You have people asking about specific sexual encounters (which are against your own rules anyway), you have really strange questions that just aren't right, and you have (what would be to me anyway) obvious troll bait that's taken completely seriously.

Now, I'm a bit older than most of you guys (18, not 40 or something), a denizen of the infamous 4chan, I've seen a lot of strangeness on the net, and I've noticed something here that's just a little frightening...

http://i39.tinypic.com/2celniv.jpg

Basically, this particular board is getting nearly 4 times the trafic of the next most frequented boards. This could, of course, simply mean that there are more teenage boys wanting to talk about puberty than other things.... however, given the tone of some of the questions and the fact that most of the 'viewing' are guests and not members, I susspect something more sinister.

So I'd thought I'd offer my net savvy (if I say so myself) two-cents, and post this quick guide to spotting trolls and pervs. [It is only a guideline, and is by no means complete; take it with a grain of salt.]


Spotting trolls - Trolls are people who write posts that are designed to start arguments, or just create drama in general. They start the snowball rolling, and laugh at the responses to there posts. Ask yourself:

Do the posts they make lack cohesion? Does it sound like they're rambling instead of telling a story?

Do they post some really strange scenario that doesn't seem likely, and then ask for advice? "I was masterbating and I got my penis caught in the vacum cleaner, what should I do?"

Is the tone of their post/question not enkeeping with the seriousness of the content? "My bothers just asked me to suck him off and then he raped me, should I tell my parents?" or "My sister says if I don't have sex with her, she'll tell my parents I raped her. Should I do it?"

Does the post itself seem exceptionally likely to cause drama, and (more importantly) would a reasonable person have even bothered to ask something so odd? "Does anybody else here think their's nothing wrong with f***ing farm animals if they don't seem to mind?"

If you answered yes, they you HAVE to ask yourself "Is this guy for real?" Most of the time, common sense will lead you to the obvious answer: this guy has an active imagination, too much spare time, and just wants to stir up s***.


There are, however, some posts of another type. Posts that seem (in my opinon) designed to be masterbatory aides to the posters. These guys are pervs and, like trolls, should not be given attention.

Spotting pervs is more difficult, since often they're just lurkers (they don't post). But when they do, they're usually asking about some specific sexual situation, without any real reason behind the question (beyond the 'is this normal' stuff). Best way to keep them away: don't give them material they can use in their fantasies. Keep conversation about sex sterile and basic, or don't talk about it at all. When you're offering advice or asking a real question, talk about the mechanics and not the feelings.


Above all, keep common sense on your side and ask yourself: "Is this guy for real?"

Because if you have to ask, the answer's almost always NO.

If you don't like the fact that people post questions of such nature dont answer them. It truly is as simple as that, but you cant just call everyone a pervert. Sometimes people are just curious, its not like these people are going to come to your house and hunt you down or something. Also I'm quite sure if a perv wanted to get off, he'd watch porn rather then ask a bunch of people on the internet what they do. As far as the trolling goes, thats well taken care of and really is no need to address it. The mod, g-mods and admins do a great job with trollers and handle the situation very very seriously.

[wolfman775]

Some very good points.

[Perseus]

The trolls on 4Chan are much different than the ones on this website. I mean, it's that big of a deal if someone wants to be all stupid and goofy and post some fake little thread, it is stupid none the less, but it has no huge impact on this website in hte long run.

[Whisper]

Hack the majority of puberty away
bring it back to one general forum like it used to be
and enforce stricter rules

problem solved

It used to be basic puberty questions ONLY
then we extended into STI questions
and then it snowballed
I looked in there the other day and theres a thread about autofellatio its like WTF

I'm sick of n00bs that don't contribute to the rest of the site and have nothing to do with why VT was created in the first place
Puberty's always packed with problems we burn through staff so quickly there cause its such a shitty area of the site

put an end to it
Fuck'em

[Antares]

Okay, you have some good points there.
But also remember that the 50 something people viewing the forums are not members. They are guests. Guests have very limited permissions. For instance, they can't contact members or go their profiles. They can really only read some posts.
Within those 50 something people they are also guinuinely trying to figure out more about their bodies and getting help. That is not a bad thing.

The staff knows that there is some sinister stuff that goes on behind the scenes. Hence the reason for all the rules and regulations that some view as strict. They are there for a reason. To try to keep "pervs" at bay.

I am not going to say that an overage person has never joined this site or did anything bad, but in my opinion, this is one of the more secure teen sites on the web. And speaking on behalf of the staff, we pride ourselves in that.

I am not sure how you made the leap from P101 pervs to trolling but trolls will be trolls and trolls will be banned. Simple as that. If you think someone is a troll, simply report them and the problem will be solved and we will get on with our lives.

[byee]

I read an inetresting study very recently (I read a lot, so unfortunately I cannot cite this or that particular reference, but you can try to gooooogle it and confrim, if you like) that showed that the internet is really safer than most people's darkest suspicions. That people tend to be fairly civilized, that they tend to respect certain societal boundaries, and that people of all descriptions and ages typically interact appropriately. And, also like real life, there are some 'people of disrepute' out there who you need to be vigiliant for and protect yourself from.

I think you need to use some common sense when sharing info about yourself, and certainly in contacting or continuing friendships with people you have llimited experience and knowledge of. Most of the wackos and pervs out there are relatively easy to spot, the questions they ask and the things they want to do are fairly obviously inappropriate. Stay away from them, or when it becomes clear that they're not savory, then stop all contact.

Most problems occur when people disregard the warning signs.

[Requin]

You missed the porn stock we had earlier. Provides a prime example of what people do on the internet.

Although I think that was quite rare. Isn't this similar to what Jon posted? Only with less shouting? :P

[MyNameIsJack]

yes, i got a message from a guy asking me if i could add him to my msn, but i just ignore that type of message..

[Whisper]

yes, i got a message from a guy asking me if i could add him to my msn, but i just ignore that type of message..
dont EVER ignore that
if you feel pressured or threatened in ANYWAY
you tell the staff in a pm
and it WILL be sorted
okay

VT's a safe haven
not a pedobear house

[Sugaree]

If you have a problem with the P101 forums, then just IGNORE THEM. I honestly have no idea how you could make the jump between perverts and trolls like that, and imply that they are the same thing. The P101 forums were meant to help people, members and guests, with any problems they might have. Sure, I've seen a fair share of trolls and perverts on here, but that's on a rare occasion now, considering that I don't go to the P101 forums as often as I used to.

If someone on here PMs you to get your contact info and they don't seem to be the most savory of people, then we have a report button for that and the staff will handle it. If a user is going around the forums causing fights and stiring up shit, then you can also report those, which, again, the staff will handle. Simple as that.

Judging by most posts, you can tell who's real and who isn't, but for some, you just can't. That's why you can't really tell any difference on here. It's the internet and it's not like you'll be able to tell who the pervs are. Sure, some of them are obvious to spot, but there are some that are smarter than others and they use that to their advantage. If we didn't have the kind of staff we have now, the P101 forums would be even shittier than they are now. I have to agree with Kodie and join all of the puberty forums into one big one with stricter rules.

You do bring up some good points, but you're still new yourself, and you haven't made any major impact on this site. This guide is pretty basic, but you need to be more noticable and make a name for yourself on here to be recognized.

[Death]

Cromm, I fail to see why you have a problem with the amount of people looking at the boys' puberty page. People likely have qustions (in my experience, it has been more complex) and even if they just like looking at it for whatever reason, that doesn't make them a pervert and it isnt somehting that I would worry about. As for trolling, that's a different matter and I can see how that can be a problem.

[Oblivion]

If something is against the rules, or too explicit... Report it. It's as simple as that. Our site, especially P101, is heavily moderated for that specific reason. Problems are usually dealt with within minutes of a report, unless it's a borderline rule, and hard to place. Obvious trolls and such are easily dealt with. We have to be careful though, because there are a wide variety of people, doing a lot of weird stuff.
I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially since I hate turning people away. Unless it's completely ridiculous, I'll usually try to answer a users post.

[YourFriend]

Even if there are any pervs here(which is highly doubtful), they cant come in contact in r/l with some1 here....

[Sugaree]

@YourFriend - I wouldn't say that there aren't perverts on here. I'm sure that a few of them come on here just to get off. You can't really say that a puberty forum, even though VT was never intended to be one, can attract pedos, and I'm always weary about new members that join.

[Antares]

dont EVER ignore that
if you feel pressured or threatened in ANYWAY
you tell the staff in a pm
and it WILL be sorted
okay

VT's a safe haven
not a pedobear house

Lol. Pedobear house :P


I think the key to avoid all situations on this site is to utilize your BRAIN!
Don't give out your MSN to people you don't really know too well or could be someone you don't want to know.
Block them if you feel you want to ignore this person.
Report them so othe rpeople arent put int hat situation.

[MoveAlong]

I really don't think there are as many actual pervs on here as there are TROLLS.
Freakin stupid ass people who have no life so spend their time on the internet away from their real friends and post bogus stories in the forums to laugh at the replies because, actually, we do take "should I fuck my dog?" seriously on this website.
Many people do.
but the worst of them get taken care of. There's really nothing we can do to stop them. Except report more and maybe not be so gullible.

Honestly I don't see a suggestion here, just a rant about it.

[redcar]

Spotting trolls - Trolls are people who write posts that are designed to start arguments, or just create drama in general.
Interesting how that is just what has happened here...

[Sugaree]

Does anyone else find it strange that it's been over 24 hours since this was posted and he has yet to answer us? A coincidence?

[wolfman775]

I think not!
Actualy who knows, mabey he's on holiday somwhare hot?
Or he could just be trying to get us to argue pointlessly. Mabey he is what he is supposedly warning us about? He is a new user after all.

[Serenity]

Alright I think that's enough.

Locked.