Quote: antastic

The best way to improve things around here is to follow your own self-interest. Nothing motivates a business more than losing business. If the business is not motivated, it simply goes under and a new and better business takes its place.

Quote: rkingfish

Definition of Troll, courtesy of the non-politically-correct Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary: "A mischievous dwarf". For the purpose of Epinions application, I would amend that to read "A mischievous intellectual dwarf".

My definition of Troll: Anyone whose employment of self-centered actions for the sole and deliberate purpose of ego gratification or outright disruption; be it veteran or newbie, detracts from my enjoyment of the Epinions experience.

Your definition may differ. This is simply my opinnion...

(To which I am entitled)

Quote: antastic

I appreciate the clarification.

Quote: antastic

As it stands, I am forced to settle for your other astute advice: choosing not to ring my hands over it.

Quote: sageandsavory

I think that you made a wise choice.

Quote: CyndiA

A lot of good people have left and not because they added no value to this site.

I'm not comfortable celebrating suppression and the "packing off" of others.

The thorn in your side may be the bright spot in my day.

Quote: sleeper54

The site gives us plenty of tools to foster those who contribute and hinder those who detract. I would think we are all 'big enough' to make those decisions ourself.
.

Quote: antastic

I love your rose-colored glasses! Yes the glass is half full! I always wondered why people exit a burning building. Just because it's nicer outside? Rubbish! They should realize that the building still has its good points. I am joking, of course, but there is a point. If you are happy who can argue with that? However, some have moved on not because they find no goodness here, but because the glass is more than half full somewhere else. It is just simply the free market at work.

Quote: rkingfish

Definition of Troll, courtesy of the non-politically-correct Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary: "A mischievous dwarf". For the purpose of Epinions application, I would amend that to read "A mischievous intellectual dwarf".

My definition of Troll: Anyone whose employment of self-centered actions for the sole and deliberate purpose of ego gratification or outright disruption; be it veteran or newbie, detracts from my enjoyment of the Epinions experience.

Your definition may differ. This is simply my opinnion...

(To which I am entitled)

Quote: mmcphee

Or perhaps some have moved on because they get tired of hearing how bad it is here from others. It seems to me that often (in many situations) the half-empty crowd is the most vocal. You don't have to look far to find bad news everywhere. Why would people want to come to a website to (hopefully) have some fun if it is all about the doom and gloom?

Just my cranky unicorn two cents...

ME

Quote: sleeper54

Well, you could dessert us all around and I am sure most of us would be real pleased for a day or two...


I am thinking maybe various fruit and creme pies all around . . ..



...tom...
' who admits if it was NT I was replying to I would be jonesing for cookies..!! '
.

Quote: rkingfish

And in the past we have used (to good effect) those tools when necessary.

The magnanimous gesture of acquiescence toward those whose goal is the disruption of this site is interpreted by this member as debating the merits of trollism. No one (certainly not me) is running parallel to the idea that those who engage in the spirited discussion of differing opinion should be the recipients of isolation or banishment.

Let us all be intelligent adults here. People who come to this site for the specific and deliberate purpose of inciting chaos and maintaining an atmosphere of same are the individuals of whom I speak. There is absolutely no benefit to their membership. All of us who have been here long enough to witness the flame-wars with their wasted time and loss of production know exactly what I’m referring to.

The vast minority of members who know of my existence at this site also know that I rarely visit the Message Boards. I never speak for the purpose of hearing myself talk. When I do speak, my statements are deliberate and to the point. These statements will not be misinterpreted. These statements regarding the definition of trollism refer to a specific type of member with a specific purpose. Get it straight... these are not whimsical, high-spirited members who flavor the atmosphere with their colorful banter. These are not misunderstood members whose simple social skills are in question. The specific, exclusive and finite group to which I refer consists of sociopathic serial site abusers who continue to appear and reappear in a variety of incarnations.

I fear what began as a fine thread on the merits of Epinions has gone hopelessly off-topic. In all due respect to the original intentions of fellow member ssjakira1, my sincerest of apologies...

Quote: alexdg1

How about if I buy cookies for the community? I would, but I think that then I'd have to write a New York Times best-selling novel that sells over a million copies just to recoup the expenses!

Quote: antastic

Here's a thought: Maybe the strategy of epinions is to cut the pay and the hits on the old reviews and increase the pay on the new reviews. Such a policy would encourage content production.

The success of any site on the internet depends on fresh and voluminous content.

Quote: phungus

Then why don't you be helpful and post some reviews!

You obviously write well enough to put a couple of coherent sentences together. That puts you a step ahead of some people already.

Quote: alexdg1

I've always thought the online-specific, or Epinions-specific, definition of troll was someone who deliberately came to the Message Boards and left inappropriate threads, posts, or replies to posts deliberately to instigate situations of acrimony and strife.

Quote: sageandsavory

I think that everyone should look at their Epinions experience as a whole and not just at the rough spot we are all going through at this time. Members should put things in perspective and balance. I think that for most of us the overall benefits outweigh the temporary liabilities.

Epinions is more than just a business to me and I don't believe any of the problems on the site are due to a lack of motivation on Epinions part!

This is the second database integration we have gone through and there are bugs that have to be fixed. We should concentrate on making sure Epinions understands exactly what the bugs are and their consequences to reviews, hit counts etc. By providing Epinions with very specific examples we can be part of the solution by helping the engineers locate and exterminate these bugs.

We can be part of the solution or we can make more problems for Epinions that will take manpower and resources away from solving the problems.

I don't see the glass as half full or half empty I see the water level at the half way mark.

Quote: rkingfish

Definition of Troll, courtesy of the non-politically-correct Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary: "A mischievous dwarf". For the purpose of Epinions application, I would amend that to read "A mischievous intellectual dwarf".

My definition of Troll: Anyone whose employment of self-centered actions for the sole and deliberate purpose of ego gratification or outright disruption; be it veteran or newbie, detracts from my enjoyment of the Epinions experience.

Your definition may differ. This is simply my opinnion...

(To which I am entitled)

Quote: rkingfish

I fear what began as a fine thread on the merits of Epinions has gone hopelessly off-topic. In all due respect to the original intentions of fellow member ssjakira1, my sincerest of apologies...