patrick.net

-unban
+unbanning

If they become truly obnoxious again - you could warn them and then ban them. If they're willing to take a verbal beating, let them post away!

If they become truly obnoxious again

I do not know how that is possible without being in the context of a joke.

As I've noted in the past, I'm not a fan of banning anybody. I think erasing individual offensive comments is the way to go and banning should be reserved in situations where the erasure approach becames logistically challenging.

astrid,

WordPress doesn't have admin facilities adequate to really police individual comments on a blog of this high of volume. Blogger or TypePad would be better for that, but we're stuck with what Patrick has.

Unless you're volunteering to become our full-time admin... ;)

Peter P

I agree entirely.

An idea I had was to make use of the categories (right now everything is "uncategorized"). We could create some topic areas, and essentially have an admin/author be the steward of that category and threads therein. Not that we can't still have open authoring and cross-category authors, but each area could have a resident "expert" or "overseer".

Unless you’re volunteering to become our full-time admin

Can we reprogram the jukubot into an adminbot?

I'm a little torn here. I have no problem in dealing w/those that might have an opinion that differs w/mine. It's just that from inception this has always been a Housing Bear Blog! That's what we do here.

At times it's felt like having a cross country skiing or back packing blog and repeatedly having to deal w/people that aren't into it attempting to steer the conversation or convert people! I don't go to Housing Bull blogs and slam people or their ideas. (I get enough of that in real life).

When affordability is no longer an issue and honesty is standard in the REIC we'll have done our jobs. As far as I can tell, we have a long, long way to go.

We also need to get TrackBacks working properly. Right now this WordPress will receive TrackBack pings (I have many through to my blog), but it won't transmit them.

It would be helpful for those of us with our own blogs. For example. Astrid could link her greenapples stuff here simply by commenting with a BackTrack, that way she wouldn't have to run a commentary in both places. Same with some of my own stuff.

Well...... that's not entirely true. I have been to the SDCIA and LMFAO (but did not post, at least not there). They're bulls and that's "their right" and their blog. Oh, and I've been to Casey's but at the rate that thing's going he'll be on Oprah by December so it's not exactly like it was a secret.

It’s just that from inception this has always been a Housing Bear Blog!

It is still true. But all ingredients are now in the stew. Here comes the slow cooking time. What should we do?

Peter P,

I get my jollies at flippersintrouble and forsakencraft where the buffoonery is laid bare for all to see. But you're right, at times it feels like "checking the turkey" and NO we're still not there yet!

WordPress doesn’t have admin facilities adequate to really police individual comments on a blog of this high of volume. Blogger or TypePad would be better for that, but we’re stuck with what Patrick has....We also need to get TrackBacks working properly.

Yes. I completely agree that significant content/functionality upgrades means better blogging software/tools, plus a FT web admin or two. I contemplated doing a simple online poll a while back, and WordPress doesn't even have a canned solution for that. Far too limiting IMO. However, this is ultimately to be determined by Patrick and his limited budget (both money & time). For now, we must make do as best we can.

More importantly, this blog needs a new direction. We need to decide if we want to formally expand into other areas. After all, Reality Parser can be more than a Realty Parser.

I believe this may be a far better solution to the ennui/topic drift issue than simply welcoming in trolls, whose trolling may start out as "cute" and funny, but quickly get very tiresome and poison the well. Those who occasionally check the sidebar links on the main page, know there already are other subject pages (politics, general economics, etc.). These would dovetail nicely with RE and give everyone the opportunity to expound on other subjects in greater depth without fear of going "off topic". Again, a couple of FT admins and better page layout/organization with some good perma-links would work wonders for this site.

Randy,

I'll be happy to take on more administrative duties here. Unfortunately, full time coverage will be impossible, unless major advances in cloning technology and bioethics are made within the next several weeks.

Unfortunately, full time coverage will be impossible, unless major advances in cloning technology and bioethics are made within the next several weeks.

:lol:

I don’t go to Housing Bull blogs

Do those still exist? I'd like to check out a few of them... any good suggestions?

FWIW, I don't care too much about trolls. Unless it becomes lame (i.e. name calling), then whatever.

I have always been surprised at this blog's vehement anti-troll stand, considering that when the market was going up, we were the trolls of the RE market.

Trolls who dissent should be welcome, as long as they post something substantial, like good links or arguments.

$0.02 from a bay area lurker...

HARM

However, this is ultimately to be determined by Patrick and his limited budget (both money & time). For now, we must make do as best we can.

I think time is the primary budget constraint for all of us, most importantly Patrick. As for platform, my own blog is Typepad, professional option, and that runs me only about $200/yr for a pretty large bandwidth. Well integrated ad revenue could cover the bandwidth overruns, at least in large part. The other platforms have "tip jars", where people can donate a buck or two if things get tight.

Maybe I'll email Patrick about the possibility of re-implementing in Typepad or Blogger.

I also think that after this thread exceeds 100 individual comments on the subject, we should take some action, and not just let this sit on the shelf.

Well, we just experienced "capitulation week", which was a general buy in from the mainstream media. Shockwaves are being felt across the country, slowly working their way to the two "real estate fortresses" on the coast (NYC and SF BA for those keeping score). Flippers are being squeezed in the outer burbs but rents are rising -- will SF hold? A tiny pin prick or will blood flow freely in the streets?
Hand to hand combat... mano a mortgage broker...
Smithers, release the trolls... Oh the humanity....

After thinking about it a bit more, I'll say I agree with the general sentiment here. The obvious trolls have no solid ground to stand on (especially in the Marina...), and their occasional posts don't detract from the overall threads. I'd also add that when possible, we should "out" trolls using different handles (ie, CR = MP = etc), so that the discussion doesn't derail inappropriately due to a troll pretending to make innocently naive comments.

eburbed,

That's a good question. Does anyone know of any "raging bull" blogs we can agitate? I mean other than SDCIA? Those poor guys. They're so demoralized and defeated it's sad.

It will be funny to see if forsakencraft's "radio show" gets hammered by delusional half starved realt-whores!

Does anyone know of any “raging bull” blogs we can agitate?

How about condoflip.com?

ConfusedRenter, please use your real handle if you are really MarinaPrime.

Not really a blog, but we could find some way to subvert this site?

random user,

That's a good point. Even in my rinky-dinky backwater Oregon town The "Carmel of Oregon" (sheesh) I got so tired of looking at over priced listings I thought, "We could be looking at some of the greatest real estate prices never paid!"

Should we pass a "Troll Amnesty and Responsibility Act"?

Oh btw, that's exactly what realt-whores are doing. How hard could it be to find some delusional seller with $ signs in his eyes? They go ahead and list the place at a price they KNOW will never move and then use this ninny so they can say "Oh, you think THIS place is expensive!"

Information should be welcome, regardless of whether it fits your paradigm or not.

@randomuser,
Absolutely true, but I woudl say that the information has to be presented accurately. What has irked me about CR/MP/FR is re-posting the same over-bid listing over and over again to give the appearance that many places are going over listing. Bad data is worse than no data at all.

Should we pass a “Troll Amnesty and Responsibility Act”?

How about calling it a "Troll Reprieve and Amnesty Policy" (TRAP)?

How about calling it a “Troll Reprieve and Amnesty Policy” (TRAP)?

Excellent.

the same over-bid listing over and over again to give the appearance that many places are going over listing

I bet you do not like those Center for Consumer Freedom sites then.

Well here's one desperate seller:

http://salem.craigslist.org/rfs/226083986.html

Uh.....dude, this is hardly Portland let alone BA. Instead of throwing in a Mercedes how about a Ford F-150 and rifle rack? Dumbass.

I bet you do not like those Center for Consumer Freedom sites then.

Uh, what makes you think that? ; )

And one of those broad spectrum Seasonal Affective Disorder lights in case a Californian buys it.

Is there a light available for Bubble Affective Disorder (BAD)?? This is the condition where an FB thinks their McAlbatross is worth X amount, they try to sell, and they learn quickly they can't sell for that price and are depressed, but still refuse to lower the price.

Randy,

Actually, I compiled a list of our better blog improvement suggestions from a while back and sent them to Patrick. If you can provide him with some specific suggestions and simple feature comparisons (i.e., Typepad vs. WordPress, etc.) that would be a big help I think. Please also CC me, Peter & SQT, thanks!

skibum,

I'm surprised at you (especially being a physician and all). BAD (Bubble Affective Disorder) is just one of many 'symptoms' of the root disorder AEDS (Acquired Equity Deficiency Syndrome).

And uh.....ain't no sitting in front of a light you bought a Costco gonna help.

I have always been surprised at this blog’s vehement anti-troll stand, considering that when the market was going up, we were the trolls of the RE market.

Trolls who dissent should be welcome, as long as they post something substantial, like good links or arguments.

And herein lies the problem. True-blue "trolls" (not bullish posters) by definition DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING OF VALUE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION, DISSENT OR OTHERWISE. Posting real contrarian/bullish dissenting bubble evidence, or debating the validity of a "soft landing" does NOT make one a troll. By that definition, Randy H, Peter P or practically anyone here could have been considered a troll at one time or another.

Trolls don't engage in real give-and-take debate. Trolls just incite flame wars, make childish taunts and personal attacks, and repeat the same "my single data point proves there's no bubble, blah, blah, blah" ad nauseum. Again, this may start off being "cute", then pretty soon gets tiresome, then finally ends up drivign away quality posters.

Information should be welcome, regardless of whether it fits your paradigm or not. Rather than just banning that information, wouldn’t it be better for the blog if someone was motivated enough to rebutt with actual information about how 5 other houses in the Marina didn’t sell?

Information --contrary or not-- is always welcome. If trolls actually provided real information vs. repetitive BS, outright lies and flames, they would not be classified as trolls. Again, honest dissenter does NOT = troll.

Luckily I have a pretty thick skin, but I can easily see how others wouldn’t stick around.

It is good to have a thick skin.