"Harlan Messinger" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Kill filters have never been a solution past a certain point, when
people first arriving for legitimate purposes see a newsgroup that's 95%
garbage and turn around on their heels, leaving the legitimate usership
of the newsgroup a closed one that dwindles through natural attrition
until it is no more.

Good analysis. It's the way I've seen many a newsgroup fail. Kill-filing
often leaves the worst offenders around to great new members which never
seemed to be a good idea. Plonking seems to be a power trip wherein a
person tries to project an authority to make judgements about who can belong
to the "in" crowd. It seems to be equal parts: "Look at how bad and weak
YOU are and how good and powerful I am."

Similarly, I don't see plonkers as contributing very much to making any
group a better place to be. Every time I see a plonk I think of a little
girl in pigtails, hands on hips, saying "You can't play with my dollies
anymore because I don't like you. Nah, nah!" or even worse as Tweety Bird
"Ooh, ooh, you hurt my wittle eyes!" Mostly it's an attempt to portray
oneself as a "power" in the group with the right to exclude members. The
only problem is - the plonkees are still there after plonking so it rarely
had any positive effect. It's just a public announcement of a newly formed
hostility towards another poster whom they've adjudged (often quite wrongly)
a troll. In fact, I rather think many trolls consider their accumulated
plonks as indicators of their success at disruption.

I wish I had a nickel for every plonker who ends up arguing with his plonkee
shortly after the plonking occurs. But, hell, it's a free country and
people are free to project any image of themselves that they want to the
public at large. I just don't see the point of wanted to be seen as an
angry Pippi Longstocking or a canary with a lisp. Doesn't seem to be the
image of power that a rational person would seek.

Undoubtedly someone will plonk me for expressing this view, to which I say
"I've been plonked by far better people than YOU!"

--
Bobby G.