Reporting users/trolls/unhelpful comments and generally aggressive users

romad,

(and to Eric W. as further info & example of what I mean)

I'd like to add that the latest comments on my other thread from that poster are a continuing example of what I mean above by experienced users being able to manipulate terms of use, by sandwiching argumentative, accusatory, or specious comments between relevant technical points...and that new users need more protection than experienced users, not less.

In it, he mentions some relevant technical points with a discussion about MIME/line-feed issues, and that it may be IMAP related, etc.

But then also subtly has 2 'digs' by stating:

1. "My recommendation is to leave the topic alone for a while." i.e. encouraging other users to leave the topic alone and basically to not offer further help. You used the word churlish earlier, which means rude and mean spirited - this comment is surely the definition of mean spirited.

2. "That will give the original poster a chance to try some of the troubleshooting tips and follow up ... or not."
The final bit of that sentence "... or not" is obviously also a subtle dig, and totally unnecessary - and cleverly framed in a way that makes it very difficult to respond to or take issue with, without either getting baited into further argument...or if responding to only that point & to ask that poster to stop further comments; then in doing so falling foul of terms of use due to no mention of technical points relating to the original question.

Michael,

My comment about defensiveness may have referred to a general observation, but was not gratuitous because it was in direct response to etresoft twice dismissing out of hand that there could possibly be any problem with Apple Mail or Leopard, and stating that "millions of people would have noticed it by now" as part of a rather condescending statement overall. I felt that is what set the downward tone.

And what you so politely call a "long off-topic ramble" was all in response to his comments and points arguing that there couldn't be any problem with Apple Mail or Leopard, and that this must be true because "millions of people would have noticed it by now"...and therefore was on the topic that he had raised. With regard to it being a ramble, that term is a rather subjective & general insult, so I have no response to that.

It was certainly not an attempt to bait anyone, (in fact I feel that at that point I was the one who had been baited into a side argument) - my only purpose on that post was to try and get the problem I was encountering fixed.

With regards to this thread - when yourself and romad make accusations, I'm entitled to defend myself. Otherwise I have nothing else to say and would not be continuing this discussion. Everything I've said in this thread in response to romad and yourself has been directly related to topics you raised and/or comments made, and unlike both of you I've refrained from making rude comments such as "churlish" and "long off-topic ramble".

etresoft,

I'm not attacking you personally and haven't called you anything - all of my comments have been made about your posts and in defence against comments you have made in them, many of which ARE directed at me personally.

By your own admission you've had a "blatant dig", and been "offensive".

Additionally, if I'm the one "continuing this silliness" then why are you still also posting to this topic, having followed me over to this thread originally, when I hadn't mentioned you or my other thread?

To be frank, despite there also being many helpful users, the kind of hostility I've encountered here has been quite upsetting, & since the forums currently don't provide a way for me to block hostile posts so I don't have to see them, I'm looking for a way to close & delete my account.

Eric,

I'd like to delete my discussion forums account please (this one I'm posting this with), and also have all my posts/threads removed.

Please advise.
Thanks