[R] COVID-Related Trolling UK Thread

[The Free Joy State]

GVH's prolonged habit of promoting actions that could lead to more infections, while saying that he doesn't care if people become infected and that people ignoring mandated lockdown's is a positive thing is starting to appear somewhat trollish:

And you know what it is even more shit? A goddam pandemic. Social distance for fucks sake it is not hard. And quite frankly you really should not be going to a pub during a pandemic. Just fucking open a zoom call and drink from home if you really want to interact with people and get wasted.

I do that every Saturday, I have done for the past 3 months, so why have you not joined us?

Next Friday though I will be in the pubs, 6 different ones. In a town with a covid infections spike.

I don't drink. I have no interest in doing so. And your pub idea is a reckless one that could very well see you and others infected.

Ah well

What a ridiculous sarcastic statement.

Thing is, you are not an isolated incident.

People like you think they can do anything and everything by virtue of being rich.

Dominic Cummings and Stanley Johnson for examples.

They should be able to get away with it because they are people, not because they are rich. They do a valuable job of telling people that the lockdown is stupid, I applaud their actions.

ADDED LATER (it was there but I must have scrolled past it, and I didn't want GVH's replies to be read out of context):

Everything is opening too early, when i was heading to work for my first shift back on Friday i passed a bar on the falls road and it was fucking crammed full of people, no social distancing whatsoever, it was completely packed. Thankfully most customers in my shop were keeping their distance from one another and some were using the sanitation stations we had set up and i had access to face masks, visors and gloves as well as hand sanitiser if i needed it.

Why would you want to social distance in a pub though? Social distanced drinking sounds shit.

For clarity, and why this runs counter to governmental advice, governmental advice urges for social distancing to be maintained in bars and restaurants (page 13 of link)

For context (while I acknowledge this is too late to do anything about), this has been going on since June, at least, when GVH, made this comment:

Does lead me to wonder what would have happened with this lockdown if everyone (including business owners) had just been like 'yeah, okay dude' and ignored it. Now that's a country I could be proud of.

Although, under ordinary circumstances, I would dismiss them as unpleasant opinions, under current circumstances -- especially due to repeated airings -- they seem like they may fall afoul of the trolling rules regarding COVID, as they do seem to somewhat encourage people to disregard official advice regarding personal safety.

EDIT: For the sake of non-UK mods, worth mentioning that the UK does currently have one active full lockdown (in the town of Leicester).

[Greater vakolicci haven]

1. I live in Rochdale. Could somebody please point me to government advice that applies in Rochdale which recommends I don't go to more than 1 pub?
2. I believe that the second is not trolling, I am merely expressing my indifference to what I see as unnecessary hysteria over covid. I have made no claim in that post, nor have I encouraged others not to follow government advice: I simply dismissed what I see as unnecessary cautiousness.
3. 'They do a valuable job of telling people that the lockdown is stupid' seems to be the part of the post which is at issue here. The lockdown is stupid. People have expressed that opinion before, and I have heard nothing to indicate that it is against the rules.
I did not say 'Hey, Boris Johnson's dad did x so you should too!' which I understand would be actionable.
h

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Also, since it appears this is what we're doing:

Flamebaiting:
viewtopic.php?p=37368133#p37368133
Flaming:
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=480174&p=37367909#p37367909
Flamebaiting:
viewtopic.php?p=37367899#p37367899

[Infected Mushroom]

I’m just trying to help, I’m not sure if a line has been crossed or not but this seems to be mild baiting:

Oh yeah. Just ah well. You just worsened a pandemic and could have likely got someone killed. No big deal right? This kind of mindset is why there is likely going to be a second spike.

It would be nice if this thread did not so frequently get sidetracked onto one poster's minority views, no matter how repugnant they may be.

There’s no utility in this one liner snappy post besides potentially provoking/angering/triggering another poster.

It says “hey your position is a minority one and it’s repugnant.” FULL STOP.

GHV took it in good stride but he could have been baited by this.

There’s no further argument, no defense of one’s position, nothing else. Just a one liner... “your view is repugnant and you are a minority position.”

...

I wouldn’t bring it up if the post had instead said “your views are repugnant because X, Y, and Z.” However, in its current form, that single post does absolutely nothing except inflame a holder of a minority viewpoint.

It’s also telling that soon after this post was made (within an hour if I’m not mistaken), FJS immediately rushes to moderation to report GHV and isn’t being all that subtle about the political motivations for the report:

Although, under ordinary circumstances, I would dismiss them as unpleasant opinions, under current circumstances -- especially due to repeated airings -- they seem like they may fall afoul of the trolling rules regarding COVID, as they do seem to somewhat encourage people to disregard official advice regarding personal safety.

“Unpleasant opinions”? They may feel so but bringing up such a characterization in moderation seems a little improper and serves to inflame.

It’s entirely possible it’s not actionable, I’m only bringing this forward to your attention.

Thank you for your time!

[The Free Joy State]

I’m just trying to help, I’m not sure if a line has been crossed or not but this seems to be mild baiting:

It would be nice if this thread did not so frequently get sidetracked onto one poster's minority views, no matter how repugnant they may be.

There’s no utility in this one liner snappy post besides potentially provoking/angering/triggering another poster.

As far as I am aware, attacking the position, not the poster, is still permitted. Also, while I do not believe I did anything untoward, it's worth mentioning that I did expand on the point, just two posts down (incidentally, GVH has stated that they "put very little value on human life", which is where my expansion comes from).

EDIT: Nor was my post, in which I expressed my own opinion (that I personally wished the thread did not frequently become side-tracked by GVH's personal opinions, rather than the UK politics it is designated for -- an occurrence IM might be aware of were they a poster there) in any way telling others to boycott GVH, which is what Infected Mushroom appears to be implying.

It’s also telling that soon after this post was made (within an hour if I’m not mistaken), FJS immediately rushes to moderation to report GHV and isn’t being all that subtle about the political motivations for the report:

Although, under ordinary circumstances, I would dismiss them as unpleasant opinions, under current circumstances -- especially due to repeated airings -- they seem like they may fall afoul of the trolling rules regarding COVID, as they do seem to somewhat encourage people to disregard official advice regarding personal safety.

For the attention of moderation, I was referring to the circumstances of the worldwide pandemic, the current lockdown active in parts of my country and the updated site rules. Not whatever this poster may be implying.

I would also like this to be investigated as a possible case of using mods-as-weapons, seeing as I reported IM twice, resulting in their being warned twice (on the second occasion, they already tried to raise a cross-complaint on me, so this is not an isolated incident).

[Infected Mushroom]

I’m just trying to help, I’m not sure if a line has been crossed or not but this seems to be mild baiting:



There’s no utility in this one liner snappy post besides potentially provoking/angering/triggering another poster.

As far as I am aware, attacking the position, not the poster, is still permitted.

It’s also telling that soon after this post was made (within an hour if I’m not mistaken), FJS immediately rushes to moderation to report GHV and isn’t being all that subtle about the political motivations for the report:

For the attention of moderation, I was referring to the circumstances of the worldwide pandemic, the current lockdown active in parts of my country and the updated site rules. Not whatever this poster may be implying.

I would also like this to be investigated as a possible case of using mods-as-weapons, seeing as I reported IM twice, resulting in their being warned twice (on the second occasion, they already tried to raise a cross-complaint on me, so this is not an isolated incident).

This is a good faith report because I genuinely feel that the content of FJS’s one liner post does nothing except potentially inflame another poster. There’s no argument, just a one liner: “hey your views are in the minority and repugnant... everyone, we should ignore him.”

There’s no positive social output from the list other than to provoke. At the very least, it’s rude if not actionable. I have brought it up in good faith and with the purpose giving the moderation a complete picture.

If one side of a debate is going to be investigated, it’s only fair that all sides are.

The fact the FJS has reported me twice has no bearing on the report. It’s not use of mods as weapons to highlight potentially actionable posts. I just don’t see how a post that says “hey your views are in the minority and repugnant... everyone, we should ignore him.” FULL STOP helps the forum.

I am aware its not a direct attack on the poster but due to its foreseeable effect I would like to have it looked at as a potential bait.

[Sedgistan]

I don't view GVH's posts as actionable. He's arguing a controversial view, but it is not trolling, and nor has he violated the Covid-19 policy on potentially dangerous misinformation.

Of the posts GVH reported, one is actionable - addressed.

On IM's report, I do not believe Joy's post is flamebaiting.

And finally, I do not believe IM is attempting to use mods as a weapon.

tl;dr - mostly non actionable, one warning handed out.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Thanks, sedge.

[The Free Joy State]

I don't view GVH's posts as actionable. He's arguing a controversial view, but it is not trolling, and nor has he violated the Covid-19 policy on potentially dangerous misinformation.

It seems there may have been a misinterpretation on my part.

Thank you for your time.

And finally, I do not believe IM is attempting to use mods as a weapon.

On this, I would like a second opinion please. As the prior post shows, IM has prior history of cross-reporting against me -- without foundation.

[Frisbeeteria]

-- without foundation.

Foundation is a judgement call. Second opinion: not actionable.

[Infected Mushroom]

Thank you