KGS trolls

[Adamwest]

Okay I get unbanned quite soon. But the only issue is that my friends on KGS have told me (via. FaceBook) that they plan on harassing me until I crack again. This is the kind of stuff I talk about when I say "KGS trolls" Now I know the admins won't do anything about it this time because they think of it has teasing. But it's not, teasing and harassment are 2 very different things.

I'm joining the conversation kind of a late but on my old account, a couple years ago, we called these kinds of people "sandbaggers". You have to understand that they are just messing with you, bullying you into submission (banning). They know you have a temper and are using it in their advantage. Take a step back and then block them from all of your sites. You can make new friends on there.
Have fun .

[wineandgolover]

Okay I get unbanned quite soon. But the only issue is that my friends on KGS have told me (via. FaceBook) that they plan on harassing me until I crack again. This is the kind of stuff I talk about when I say "KGS trolls" Now I know the admins won't do anything about it this time because they think of it has teasing. But it's not, teasing and harassment are 2 very different things.

I'm joining the conversation kind of a late but on my old account, a couple years ago, we called these kinds of people "sandbaggers". You have to understand that they are just messing with you, bullying you into submission (banning). They know you have a temper and are using it in their advantage. Take a step back and then block them from all of your sites. You can make new friends on there.
Have fun .

Sorry Batman, but we have different definitions of sandbagger. To me it is someone who pretends to be weaker than they really are, either to get a favorable handicap (think golf) or to get easier wins (online go).

[EdLee]

I was bullied at school, when a bit younger than you.

This is a very serious matter and sometimes with very tragic consequences.
A search on amazon returns many books on the subject.

Jermelle, here's one you may want to check out:
Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear

[Bonobo]

Jermelle,

TBH, I believe before complaining here about “KGS trolls” you might want to reconsider your own language and behaviour on Go servers. Hopefully you’ve changed both meanwhile (you’re young enough to learn a lot in short time), but what I’ve witnessed a few times was bigmouthed and insulting, and then whining about the ironic reactions of others (who later went over the top, too, when they ridiculed you). Maybe you’ll remember how once (perhaps ten or so months ago) you played a bot on Kaya, and I came and watched the game, and then you began shouting at me for watching, and telling me to go away. That was really funny Anyway, the impression I got was that you behaved like a badly spoilt 10 year old kid that, while showing no respect whatsoever for others, demanded a lot of respect for himself.

I’ll be happy to learn that you’ve advanced to some more decent and mature behaviour meanwhile.

Greetings, Tom

[Bantari]

Just noticed this thread, so without further fuss, a few words of wisdom to the OP:

About trolling:

• In my observation, what you describe is not trolling but more of 'teasing'. And people, especially kids, do not just tease everybody around - they zero in on those who react in the ways they find amusing or entertaining. From what you say - this is what you do. So, while I have to say they behave very badly, there is a practical way for you to deal with that - don't give them the satisfaction. For example: don't talk for a week on KGS, don't say a word, no matter what. I bet after the week the teasing will go down a lot, if not disappear altogether.

About playing dans:

• I don't know the circumstances, but I can imagine people getting upset at you if you challenge high dan players giving them the impression that they can have a good game with you. And if you then play like a kyu player (as you do!), this is very boring to the dan, and he has all the right to get upset with you. Kibitzers can get upset for the same reason. Don't take it very personally, but just realize you won't make many fiends this way and will have to take some amount of harassment, both from the players and kibitzers. At least some of it is justified, no matter how 'noble' your desire to learn is. Just shrug it off and keep going. Or better yet - ask for a teaching game (as not to fool the high dan), mark such game as teaching (as not to fool the kibitzers) and all will be well.

About teaching:

• The story you told about your 'student' leaving when you tried to get him to continue... Well, it seems to me that you use the word 'student' very lightly here. A student/teacher relationship is a prolonged one, based on mutual respect and consensus - that the teacher will teach and the student will follow. What you describe sounds more like you played a random weaker player, he lost few stones and wanted to resign, at which point you started pushing him to continue. Well, this can be seen as rude of you - if the guy thinks he cannot win anymore, and he lost fun in playing this game, why should he continue? Again - a student would continue, just to learn. But he was not really a student.

Your behavior:

• Just looked at some of your games against high dan players. Some of your behaviors can be seen as rude. For example: after a (very short) game the dan says 'thank you' and you answer 'whatever'. So I understand how people can see you as a target for teasing. I am not trying to excuse them, just give you a handle on what *you* can do to change the situation. Show respect, be polite, and don't have immature reactions to immature teasing.

[badukJr]

Its really messed up that DrStraw was ripping up a 13 year old. You're a senior citizen for chrissakes.