So this is how a bunch of scientists justified browsing for pron and cat videos all day long? Yes, we heard this before - they are working on average algorithm for images.

>>>Requiring all posters to have verified accounts linked to their real identity is another solution.

My name is Elvis Aaron Presley and I support this message.

First, you can't deliver on your "no trolls". Even if you somehow manage to precisely define trolling, the only way to deal with troll is by moderation.

Second, paid models inevitably fail. People don't see the value in subscription services, when inferior yet free products are available.

In North America expectations are to have 100K without having to do anything more than oil changes, and 250K+ with some gaskets replaced is common. Now, these are mostly highway miles driven at a steady speed.

$15000 is within realm of new "crate engine", needing that at only 125,000 miles would be considered a serious quality defect with a traditional auto. If memory serves me right, most recent example was BMW nikasil engine block issue.

So there is a problem and they are avoiding recall?

You are asking me to justify Christianity on a basis of Children Crusades. Yes, radical fringe actions can be unjustifiable. This does not mean that entire concept behind it without a merit.

Trolling is a form of satire, it is acting out to its illogical conclusion something that troll finds objectionable. Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster acts on their "beliefs", and that why they are much more than simple satire, and that why they are also a lot more effective than any pure satirist would be. The people that disagree with CotFSM still have to deal with their actions, while they could simply ignore mere satire.

I disagree with you on a number of points. Specifically, the main point you missed is about good faith versus bad faith arguments. Coherently and convincingly presenting an argument that one might internally disagree with is a hallmark of a dangerous troll. Both contrarians and trolls enjoy debate, but the contrarians's nefarious goal is to confuse the helpless victim with convoluted and flawed techniques, like propositional logic, and source-citing. Unlike trolls, who are mostly good-natured comedians at heart, contrarian's influence corrupts young children's minds by putting devil-worshiping ideas in their heads. Why won't you think of the children?!

I had to endure 4 years of theoretical and very occasionally practical training that has nothing to do with my job, and only tangentially related to my field. I believe the same is true for most IT-related professionals. Despite course load irrelevance, I would not be able to do what I do without such education.
 
Getting education is not about mastering subjects, they are frequently irrelevant to what you end up doing. It is about developing ability to independently study abstract problem outside your knowledge domain and providing you with just enough bare-minimum knowledge that it is possible to self-educate yourself. It is also about ability to cooperate with others to reach a common goal, but that is unfortunately less emphasized aspect. Last but not least, it is about introducing notions that you could fail at something and that you can't be good at everything no matter how hard you try, something our trophies and gold stars grade system miserably fails at.

Trolling is necessary evil and the last line of defense against monolithic group thinking. Humans are hard-wired to seek consensus and to avoid conflict, both are beneficial traits, but when combined can and do lead to worst kinds of groupthink. Our ideas and understanding, be it social sciences, morals and religion, or even hard sciences are only as good as out ability to question it.

For example, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a trolling organization, but almost everyone here would agree that what they do can be categorized as "greater good".