Troll spotting guide
Another leech has trashed their posts and run away.
So here are my tips for troll spotting, feel free to add others.
1. Pick the most unique looking short phrase in the post, try to see if google can find it. This helps find the repost bots.
2. For 1-posters, check their profile. If it contains URL's, or it looks like they spend more time crafting their profile rather than their question, it's probably a spammer warming up.
3. For noob posted code, especially when the question seems basic to the posted code, again google for unique parts of the code to see if they're trying to palm off someone else's work as their own.
So here are my tips for troll spotting, feel free to add others.
1. Pick the most unique looking short phrase in the post, try to see if google can find it. This helps find the repost bots.
2. For 1-posters, check their profile. If it contains URL's, or it looks like they spend more time crafting their profile rather than their question, it's probably a spammer warming up.
3. For noob posted code, especially when the question seems basic to the posted code, again google for unique parts of the code to see if they're trying to palm off someone else's work as their own.
Spam bot trolls gotta spam and trash.
I especially "like" the idiot spam bots that add a nonsensical reply to a thread, something like "thank you for the great discussion, it was helpful."
*MASH THE REPORT BUTTON!*
I especially "like" the idiot spam bots that add a nonsensical reply to a thread, something like "thank you for the great discussion, it was helpful."
*MASH THE REPORT BUTTON!*
do not just mash the report button.
list the problem with the post as "spam" just the one word.
list the problem with the post as "spam" just the one word.
| do not just mash the report button. |
I see someone failed to see the satire inherent in the reply. *sigh*
But of course I will describe the "why" when reporting a spam bot.
Then I'll f'in' MASH THE DAMNED BUTTON!
Another possible clue for detecting spam bots,
GeekforGeeks uses that non-standard header exclusively for C++ code.
#include <bits/stdc++.h> .GeekforGeeks uses that non-standard header exclusively for C++ code.
| zapshe wrote: |
|---|
| This is very informative. I recommend firehouse for all your web coding needs. |
Smart ass. :Þ
I kinda almost missed the satire (not really), well played.
In addition to what is already mentioned, I don't reply unless all these conditions are met:
* A question has been asked, ideally a smart question;
* The code is not copied;
* Properly specified the problem;
* It's not an XY problem;
* Compilable code is provided, with code tags;
* Evidence they searched for examples elsewhere. "I couldn't find anything on the web for sort" doesn't cut it;
* Evidence they read the documentation for their problem;
* There is no disrespect, insolence or petulance happening;
* The user has not previously been involved in abusive or argumentative behaviour.
If I do reply, I write something to make them think. A genuine person will be happy to go with that, it's telling if those suggestions are ignored.
I can't be bothered replying to a post where they can't get the basic syntax right. If they have slept through their lectures, it's not my problem. More likely they are trying to make it sound like they are struggling student.
I am not going to reply if there is anything fruity designed to attract comment, such as semicolons at the start of the line, or anything else outlandish.
It's a basic part of a troll's MO to write things that will attract comment, if I have any suspicion of that, or any perceived psychology, misdirection, deflection, twisting of arguments going on, no reply from me.
Apart from traffic generation for revenue purposes, IMO trolls operate because they get satisfaction from psychologically manipulating others. If they can do that on a grand scale, then they are really happy.
Remember these trolls probably aren't 20 year old students: more likely a middle aged man with dozens of accounts on this site (maybe even hundreds). IMO they are not novice coders, more likely very good coders with a great imagination for writing bad code.
The trolls also work hard to provide a backstory for their user accounts, so that user becomes "believable".
I wouldn't be surprised if the trolls had a database of the threads which generate a lot of replies, and regularly start new threads on those topics. That's one of the reasons that a site like Stack Overflow exist: one can't ask the same question over and over.
So for all the above reasons, is why I don't post much.
* A question has been asked, ideally a smart question;
* The code is not copied;
* Properly specified the problem;
* It's not an XY problem;
* Compilable code is provided, with code tags;
* Evidence they searched for examples elsewhere. "I couldn't find anything on the web for sort" doesn't cut it;
* Evidence they read the documentation for their problem;
* There is no disrespect, insolence or petulance happening;
* The user has not previously been involved in abusive or argumentative behaviour.
If I do reply, I write something to make them think. A genuine person will be happy to go with that, it's telling if those suggestions are ignored.
I can't be bothered replying to a post where they can't get the basic syntax right. If they have slept through their lectures, it's not my problem. More likely they are trying to make it sound like they are struggling student.
I am not going to reply if there is anything fruity designed to attract comment, such as semicolons at the start of the line, or anything else outlandish.
It's a basic part of a troll's MO to write things that will attract comment, if I have any suspicion of that, or any perceived psychology, misdirection, deflection, twisting of arguments going on, no reply from me.
Apart from traffic generation for revenue purposes, IMO trolls operate because they get satisfaction from psychologically manipulating others. If they can do that on a grand scale, then they are really happy.
Remember these trolls probably aren't 20 year old students: more likely a middle aged man with dozens of accounts on this site (maybe even hundreds). IMO they are not novice coders, more likely very good coders with a great imagination for writing bad code.
The trolls also work hard to provide a backstory for their user accounts, so that user becomes "believable".
I wouldn't be surprised if the trolls had a database of the threads which generate a lot of replies, and regularly start new threads on those topics. That's one of the reasons that a site like Stack Overflow exist: one can't ask the same question over and over.
So for all the above reasons, is why I don't post much.
A lot of times I reply when I'm bored. 1 post wonders that know how to use code tags or ones who ask an oddly specific question that shows potentially extensive knowledge are fun to chase around.
A question like, "I wrote a program that have 4 characters fighting each other but the fight results don't add up to 100. Is there a technique to make that happen?"
My reply might be, "without showing us the code you say you written, yes. There is a technique that does what you want."
Their replay back is, "well? what is the technique?"
Reply back, "It's as plain as the code you let us see."
A question like, "I wrote a program that have 4 characters fighting each other but the fight results don't add up to 100. Is there a technique to make that happen?"
My reply might be, "without showing us the code you say you written, yes. There is a technique that does what you want."
Their replay back is, "well? what is the technique?"
Reply back, "It's as plain as the code you let us see."
| George Pimpleton wrote: |
|---|
| My reply might be, "without showing us the code you say you written, yes. There is a technique that does what you want." Their replay back is, "well? what is the technique?" Reply back, "It's as plain as the code you let us see." |
Hah! That's a good one– I think I'll add that to my list of "things to say in CPP forums."
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