What's wrong with trolling anyway?

I just don't get why people think the forums have gotten so bad lately.
If anything, they seem pretty tame to me.

There are some hotly debated issues, which might not interest everyone, but it's pretty easy not to click on those threads.
There aren't many direct personal attacks.
Burchey hasn't threatened to fight anybody in months.

Threads drift endlessly, but that's a feature, not a bug.
Posters try to be funny sometimes.
Thank god for that!
Climbing is meant to be fun, even when it's most deadly serious.

Here's an idea-
If things are going off the rails in a thread, sure, maybe flag it, but also speak up in the thread.
Part of the reason the over 50 thread has been almost unfailingly positive, despite deep political differences amongst its participants, is that folks get called out when they start getting feisty.
If a bunch of boomers can do it, surely the rest of MP can keep things civil enough.

Maybe I'm missing something here and there's some evil I'm insensitive to.
But I'd really like to know what people actually think is wrong with the forums.

It’s easier to piss and moan about route names behind a keyboard than it is to actually go make real social change.

A sense of humor, verified by an independent third party, should be required to participate in the forums.  That’s the only change I would make. 

Nothing wrong with "trolling". People make a choice to condone trolling when they respond to it. With no response, the "trolls" will disappear.

Everything!

There should be a difference between trolling and outright hostility.
I saw your post on the Wind River thread.
I don't know who flagged it, but it was definitely on the hostile side.

I'm starting to think that what people really dislike is the hostility, name calling, etc, not the silly threads or goofy answers.

I am not put off by most vitriol, but can understand why others might be.

FWIW, the angry verbal attacks are much fewer now than they were in the distant past.
Remember Bearbreeder and his feuds? 

Mark E Dixonwrote: There should be a difference between trolling and outright hostility.
I saw your post on the Wind River thread.
I don't know who flagged it, but it was definitely on the hostile side.

I'm starting to think that what people really dislike is the hostility, name calling, etc, not the silly threads or goofy answers.

I am not put off by most vitriol, but can understand why others might be.

FWIW, the angry verbal attacks are much fewer now than they were in the distant past.
Remember Bearbreeder and his feuds? 

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.  Trolling is a gentleman’s game.  It’s only funny if you aren’t a jerk. 

Here fishy fishy...

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