What is being called trolling here is inherent to web based discussions, and pretty much all moderated discussions. The reason it is inherent is that there cannot be an objective definition of trolling (or, to use web forum terminology, offensive posts) that is meaningful. It is inherently subjective, and to be enforced, there must be enforcers, i.e., moderators. And moderators are a biased as anybody - and everybody is - and the moment there is more than one moderator, the "trolls" will play them off against each other.

What you end up with, and I've seen this every single time in every single forum, no matter how lightly or heavily it is supposed to be moderated, is that people the moderators like - those who suck up to the mods - are allowed to do things that people the mods don't like. Every. Single. Time..

I saw a guy in one forum banned for refusing to say something that would have gotten him banned - the mod acknowledged this in the post announcing the ban. I've gotten an account suspended for reporting offensive behavior (by one of the mod's bootlickers) in exactly the say that mod had told me to do.

This isn't a problem with web forums, though. It's a problem with human nature. You get a group of people over a certain size, it will fragment in to cliques, and they will come in to conflict with each other. That's how people are. So any attempt to create an online forum with no trolls is either a pie-in-the-sky fantasy by someone without a clue, or it's pure snake oil. Either way, it's doom to fail, fail, fail, and then fail some more.

I have, many times.

In fact, I have been referred to as a troll god more than once. I've also been referred to as being like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole.

A good troll is subtle. A great troll will start with "I am a troll, and you're going to argue with me anyway." And be correct.

Been there, done that. Come visit Usenet some time.

Nice troll, dude.

Redefining the word "troll" is, itself, a troll, and you bit. Hook, line and sinker.

Of course, whining about people redefining the word "troll" is also a troll, and dude, the worm on your hook is tasty!

The only way to not lose is to not play.

And that's the mistake the people make: they think (and I use the term loosely - there's no actual thinking involved) the trolls matter. They think they can educate people who know full well what crap they'll shoveling. They think they can teach a lesson to someone who knows exactly how much the internet doesn't matter. They think they can somehow win.

And other people try to make a living advising them on how to do it. This entire article is, itself, nothing more than a subtle troll, trying to get people worked up over something that somebody is selling a "solution" to.

Eventually, the internet will teach people to stop being so overly sensitive about shit that doesn't matter. If nothing else, those who can't learn that lesson will all have strokes and die.

That you would even ask the question "do we really need documentation" demonstrates that you desperately need documentation. You have no idea how users interact with your software (and all software).

Egalitarian is for people below average. Elitism is for people above average. Nearly everyone believes they're above average.

This is also why conspiracy theories abound. If you are above average, but cannot excel, it must be the fault of some dark conspiracy that oppresses you.

is that they're talking about exceptions, and not simply getting rid of the massive regulations that have killed businesses for years.

We now have state inspectors go through out trash cans looking for light bulbs. We will not, ever, be in a position to negotiate an exemption.

It would be amusing to see someone file a lawsuit - at the federal level - for equal protection violations. A class action lawsuit, with the class being everyone who is not eligible for the exemption. Or maybe a RICO lawsuit, since this is certainly affecting interstate commerce.

It wouldn't be the first time a government agency in California has been sued for RICO violations. And certainly won't be the last.

Google, however, is.

IQ tests measure one's ability to take IQ tests. That is the only thing they measure.

It's all about expectations of privacy, and when they reserve the right to record, they have none.

The RT-N66U is the only one I'll use at work these days. Has about 1/3 more range than anything else I've tried, and it connects far, far better to some very old (802.11b) portable printers we use than anything else.. Factory firmware can be cranky, but there are other options, as you note.

It is, however, rather more expensive.

While continuing to raise premiums.

I have never, ever, ever been to a doctor's appointment, and not had my blood pressure, pulse and temperature taken, even for the most routine visit. Nor should I, ever, in the future. Yes, I could, in theory, do those things myself and tell him, but none of the home kits can hold a candle to the gear they use, even if used correctly by the patient.

If I go in for something specific, physical contact becomes more specific. How can a doctor palpitate my chest, or listen to my lungs, over Skype? Some doctors will favor this because it will let them spend even less time with each patient, and insurance companies will push it because it will cost them less, but I won't put up with it. And neither, I think, will my doctor, who is very good.

Maybe he's only asking for/demanding prescriptions for narcotic painkillers. After all, people tend to see in others what they see in themselves, and what he sees in doctors is a desire to commit crimes for profit (though dead patients don't pay well, but hey, never expect logic from an addict).