Simply outline the rules of unconditional hospitality (i.e., “allow the Troll of Sorrow to comment at The Weblog”), and I will gladly follow them to the letter.

No thanks. Like I said, we’ve already won.

Seriously, (seriously…) perhaps there are a number of potentially serious discussions to be had about (in and beyond their undeniable trollo sacericity) the social construction and mitigation of “trolls” in a medium such as the internet. Which is to say, as wise or prudent as it may be to “bin” certain people as, say, redundant and bad faith dullards, egomaniacal whiny bitch friskers, or even alcoholics and occasional psychotics, and to therefore practice selective abstinence or better yet discreet acts of superseding brilliance, compassion and patience (after which of course it is necessary to promptly hang up). But as a wise man once said, unconditional hospitality either means hospitality on the part of The Weblog toward the Troll of Sorrow or it means nothing at all.

I mean after all, as hard as it’s citizens might try to recreate them, the internet remains an ungated community. At the further risk of making a mountain out of a crevice, perhaps neither should we be entirely immune to the humor value of such stark juxtapositions (say, the banal taunts of the lonely obsessive wretch vs. those who would eventually concoct elaborate fun at his expense, i.e. re-directed malice, and regardless of their attempts to mask a fundamental annoyance (perhaps justified) or hatred (hardly justified) by portending to be lighthearted. Not to get all moralistic (someone will undoubtedly scoff), but in the final analysis which figure is really the more pathetic?

However, this is a controversial view and I now put my tin hat firmly in place.

Most importantly, this all reminds me of a story by Mark Greif in the latest n+1 (by far more fitting and nuanced than the Elmore Fudd analogy I was briefly contemplating sticking into The Valve just now).

A discussion board I’ve been a moderator on for a few years, supposedly including discussion from all political views, is in the process of being ruined by wingnut trolls who sidetrack every thread. For a variety of reasons that I disagree with, the moderators have decided on a minimal-moderating policy which has led to this.

Seems to me that what trolls want is a) attention and b) to waste your time.

Anything but deleting plays into both.

Or, as other commenters have said, I may be missing something.

The Eskimo responsible for totally stamping out the study of language?

(OK, in penance I’ll read the next 10 posts on Valve.)

Well, I get that John Holbo is very clever. Is there a point beyond that?

We’re working on a way to get rid of this guy once and for all. This guy is totally Trollo Sacer.

One external admonisher said, “It’s arduous to get quarrel once I see bodies wish this.”

Sadly, I’ve lost the code, or I would help John out here.