And yet we still engage him.

[wurm]

I know it's difficult, but for a moment or two I almost thought his posts would get no response today and they would just fade away. I guess I'm almost as much to blame for reading the posts and responses, but I'm trying.

Remember, you're never going to change his mind. Never. Never.

[Carnos Jax]

Agreed, he’s just trolling

[hal]

You will never change the mind of the person that wants to engage, so why bother?

[Ca Bob]

I suspect that sometimes, it's a useful exercise to collect the logical replies to the newest trolling. I remember when the gun nuts tried to compare knives to guns, and made frivolous arguments to the effect that the logic on gun control would require banning kitchen knives. It was also useful to learn (right here) that there is a strong linear correlation between guns per capita and deaths from guns. So much for "an armed society is a polite society."

[bfd]

Reverse trolling - doesn't fix the problem, but it's satisfying just the same.

[Speedy]

bfd wrote:
Reverse trolling - doesn't fix the problem, but it's satisfying just the same.

Exactly! Also, I’m of the opinion that those posts are not trolling. Everybody has an opinion, no matter how wrong or misguided. I think it’s unfortunate that max and billb never returned.

[Ted King]

I think the attraction is sort of like one of those kids punching bags that look like a clown. You get the pleasure of punching it and then it mindlessly pops back up ready to be bashed again. Might even be therapeutic depending on your mood. But I also get the frustration if you don't want some clownish punching bag cluttering up the place.

[sekker]

Agreed.

I do use the threads to clarify my thoughts however.

I do learn from those who else engage in good faith.

I'd rather we stay focused on the positive in general.

[RgrF]

In my view entertaining this Bozo has hurt the forum in that he sucks up so much air it discourages participation in worthwhile areas of debate. He apparently considers himself a soldier doing battle in enemy territory so if he cant win the argument, he'll despoil the landscape.

[sekker]

RgrF wrote:
In my view entertaining this Bozo has hurt the forum in that he sucks up so much air it discourages participation in worthwhile areas of debate. He apparently considers himself a soldier doing battle in enemy territory so if he cant win the argument, he'll despoil the landscape.

Well, he has the MAGA blueprint to activate us.

I try to post thoughtful discussions on key topics with nuanced data, and I might get a few followup posts.

Bottom line, even MRF is following modern social media trends.