@GoKunming
from your own 'Forums Guidelines':

The GoKunming Forums exist so that GoKunming users can freely exchange information and discuss topics that are of sustained relevance to the community.

abusive language will be removed at the Moderator's discretion. Please remain respectful at all times.

GoKunming reserves the right to delete any post that we deem inappropriate for any reason.

Every one of these 'Posting Guidelines' has been broken. The topic is irrelevant at best. the OP has made a series of wild and sweeping statements directly against 'Laowei', a large group in the GoKunming community. His/Her posts could hardly be described as respectful and I fail to see how any reasonable person could see them as appropriate either.

@ASatiricalBloke
The answer is in debaser's post above.
Remove him (That is MM not debaser) from the forum. Should have happened as well with James Callis.

So the solution is for the moderators to delete accounts that violate forum rules?

What's keeping trolls from creating another account and continuing his trolllish behavior?

Your solution would require moderators actively reading each and every forum post in real-time and deleting accounts they deem to be trolls, quite a bit of work that I believe the moderators are trying to avoid. Do every post made in the heat of the argument that contains abusive language be deleted immediately? If you suggest they should, I would say that would only encourage even more trolls as now they have a reward for gas-lighting other members. And if you allow some leniency based on past contributions but immediate deletion of newer posters that violate TOS, does that lead to arbitrariness and a double-standard?

And I can assure you, your solution has been tried in the past and it did not resolve the problem, it only drove away some long-time posters and I suspect, the cause of the current iteration of MM and JC.

the forum is dominated by a handful of hyper-active contributors,, like the domineering vocal students in a classroom their contributions are not always relevant,, or on topic,, but they suck the oxygen out of the room

the passive gokm users need to be encouraged,, the dominant users are often controversial an attract the trolls,, they're overly argumentative and they inadvertently deter users who'd feel more welcome if it was used for its intended community purpose,,not naval gazing

And the million dollar question is, how do we achieve that in an anonymous forum? In a actual classroom, you can choose to not call on hyperactive or disruptive students and if they continue their behaviour regardless, you can physically remove them. I suppose the down vote kinda achieves that although it doesn't remove their posts and is reactive rather than proactive. In addition, I am sure almost eveyone who sees a "Comment hidden by user downvote" will be certain to "Click to expand" so it kinda defeats the purpose. As for removal, again, what's to prevent them from coming back.

As to encouraging passive users, how the heck do you do that? They are passive for a reason. In a classroom the teacher can call on the students, are we now suppose to end our posts with, "So what do you think, iTeach, would you like to contribute?" It is not practical.

@ASatiricalBloke
Please read the forum guidelines again below and I have capitalized the relevant words.
The GoKunming Forums exist so that GoKunming users can freely exchange information and discuss topics that are of SUSTAINED RELEVANCE to the community.
Abusive language will be removed at the Moderator's DESCRETION. Please remain respectful at all times.

This is different to “delete immediately”

With respect to “arbitrariness and a double-standard” I am of the point that indeed there can be a need for that. Yes I sometimes troll as well and use hard language but I not more or less from the start like MM or only like JC troll and use abusive language or start threads simply for trolling and to see how much pages of responses my bait will haul in.

attracting a wider contribution,, make content highly relevant to everyday life,,

really great 'articles' r posted by gokm/patrick,, additional articles on everyday minutia an' linked to forums could generate wider participation closer to the purpose of the site,, native Chinese (wives of expats) might be encouraged if there was more tolerance of mandarin on the site with brief brief translations,,automatic links to translations,,

a wider more relevant user base is not unrealistic,, it'd water down,,not eliminate,, the trolls and the self indulgent minority

@lemon lover
I know what the guideline states, but I thank you for pointing it out for me. And might I request you go back and re-read my post.

I did not propose deleting immediately, it was a rhetorical question in which the results of the possible answers to the question were explored. On the contrary, my point was any deletion of accounts is futile in combating trolls.

Moderator's discretion, or the lack thereof, is part of the problem. 1) Your solution requires management devote more resources to moderate the forums, resources they cannot or are not interested in giving, and 2) You might feel that you are "not more or less from the start like MM" but the moderator might beg to differ, would you be accepting of their discretion then? You might very well be willing to, but there are many who are not so accepting, and viola, a troll is born.

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@iTeach
Your proposals are actually good one,s but it requires resources the GoKunming does not seem to have or willling to put in.

I understand what a thankless job running a website is, but it comes with the territory. I don't think the current management team has really figured out what it is they are trying to achieve. The site started out as a hobby, trying to help out fellow expats in Kunming by providing a place to exchange information. Then management changed hands and there was a concerted effort to convert a hobby into a business venture. I can only surmise that the venture did not work out the way envisioned and now attention has been turned elsewhere and the website has suffered. Articles are not written, calendar not updated, important events not posted, forums not moderated. Doing all these things requires staffing which means expenses that must be covered by revenue. I suspect the current ad revenue is barely enough to pay for hosting services and maybe have enough left over to provide stipend to one or two people.

It's a tough situation requiring real leadership and management to break out of the current state of affairs. I would hold my breath waiting for it though.

4 pages half a day? Now if you search neo nazi and porno, goKunming.com should pop up. Congrats for feeding the troll. Thanks for making this top on the forums all. Just superb for the rest of us to see neo nazi porno as the first thread after clicking forums.

@ASatiricalBloke

No need to get satirical, I did read your question mark after “delete immediately”. I just answered your questions.