Annoying anonymous people

[Jake]

I don't want to sound like a fascist, but it's a bummer when anonymous people come on the boards and post badly written, thoughtless crap. I realize they're probably just trolling, but maybe we should come up with some guidelines for the GLONO boards. I'd like to keep the level of discourse and smart and considerate as possible without alienating or intimidating new readers. What do you think?

Is this even possible? Matt Haughey (of MetaFilter) thought so: Building an Online Community: Just Add Water.

[Stacey K]

I'm actually pretty impressed by this board - nary a declaration of Delta Gamma Epsilon pride or thoughtful analysis of Britney Spears' ass to be found. If you're considering putting some kind of restriction on the board, you might consider a warning system for the culprits that applies after, not before, wrongful actions. Making membership mandatory for posting would deter random folks. Then, if something offensive or seriously inappropriate comes up, let them know their membership will be cut off if they do it again. Just a thought.
Either way, these random irritants are probably just bored. And drunk. And my roommate. Sorry.

[Guest]

Quite frankly, I keep posting anonymously because the registration process rarely works and I can't keep down a password to save my life. I'm pretty impressed by the overall quality of the boards too.