What to do when someone starts stalking your threads and trying to bait you?

So, I’m looking for some advice regarding the title of this thread—what should I actually do here, and who can I even turn to if I want to file a complaint?

I actually sent the guy a private message, politely asking him to just ignore me the same way I’ve been ignoring him, but I guess it didn't really make any difference at all. 🤷

It is incredibly low of you to open this thread—making these rude, pathetic accusations that I am stalking you—while playing dumb. Under the forum’s general terms of use, specifically in section 15, acting in bad faith is prohibited, just as harassing other users is forbidden under section 13. I vehemently reject these claims; the threads I comment on have always been strictly dedicated to philosophy and natural science. In truth, I think you are targeting me by pretending to be some victim driven by twisted motives.

Since this individual keeps messaging my inbox to tell me to leave him alone—which makes no sense because I haven't bothered him—while simultaneously posting nonsense and playing ignorant about the "ignore" function I suggested, his behavior is irrational. He clearly ignores the ignore tool, considering that since his first inbox request (following our initial interaction on a thread after he was unbanned weeks ago), I haven't even once quoted one of his posts. How, then, can he claim I am commenting on him?

Furthermore, since I have been insulted so intellectually aggressively—and given that I regularly follow the science threads—I will take this opportunity to state that this user effectively destroyed my highly engaged and high-quality thread (and please, do not mistake this for some morbid excuse or alibi for the thread he has opened here) within the science section, which resulted in his permanent ban (which you have since lifted), and which the moderators now refuse to reopen. I have nothing against the man personally; he can post whatever garbage he likes, provided he doesn't complain when someone comments on that garbage or mocks him for constant off-topic rambling. I am the last person who would engage in the behavior I am being accused of, and I view this entire situation as an insult and blatant trolling aimed at me.

I have addressed his off-topic remarks perhaps two or three times—without using quotes—which is standard practice given the nonsense he typically writes, on the thread belonging to the Philosophy section.

It seems we are seeing a new level of his mission to disrupt both the community and the discussions.

I do not intend to participate in this debate any further; this is all I have to say regarding this matter. As the attached evidence shows, this person has leaked private information and essentially baited me into this. This is a legitimate issue—it is evident the man has developed a fixation, likely because he believes his partiality in the science section is due to me, which it is not. (I reported the harassment via private message on 5.3.)

Best regards,

velvetbear372 said:It is incredibly low of you to open this thread—making these rude, pathetic accusations that I am stalking you—while playing dumb. Under the forum’s general terms of use, specifically in section 15, acting in bad faith is prohibited, just as harassing other users is forbidden under section 13. I vehemently reject these claims; the threads I comment on have always been strictly dedicated to philosophy and natural science. In truth, I think you are targeting me by pretending to be some victim driven by twisted motives.

Since this individual keeps messaging my inbox to tell me to leave him alone—which makes no sense because I haven't bothered him—while simultaneously posting nonsense and playing ignorant about the "ignore" function I suggested, his behavior is irrational. He clearly ignores the ignore tool, considering that since his first inbox request (following our initial interaction on a thread after he was unbanned weeks ago), I haven't even once quoted one of his posts. How, then, can he claim I am commenting on him?

Furthermore, since I have been insulted so intellectually aggressively—and given that I regularly follow the science threads—I will take this opportunity to state that this user effectively destroyed my highly engaged and high-quality thread (and please, do not mistake this for some morbid excuse or alibi for the thread he has opened here) within the science section, which resulted in his permanent ban (which you have since lifted), and which the moderators now refuse to reopen. I have nothing against the man personally; he can post whatever garbage he likes, provided he doesn't complain when someone comments on that garbage or mocks him for constant off-topic rambling. I am the last person who would engage in the behavior I am being accused of, and I view this entire situation as an insult and blatant trolling aimed at me.

I have addressed his off-topic remarks perhaps two or three times—without using quotes—which is standard practice given the nonsense he typically writes, on the thread belonging to the Philosophy section.

It seems we are seeing a new level of his mission to disrupt both the community and the discussions.

I do not intend to participate in this debate any further; this is all I have to say regarding this matter. As the attached evidence shows, this person has leaked private information and essentially baited me into this. This is a legitimate issue—it is evident the man has developed a fixation, likely because he believes his partiality in the science section is due to me, which it is not. (I reported the harassment via private message on 5.3.)

Best regards,

It’s funny how that works, isn't it? I suppose there is a certain irony when someone goes out of their way to offer an explanation they weren't even asked for, because, well, it almost feels like they're just handing you the evidence on a silver platter. It’s like they’re practically shouting their guilt before anyone even raises a finger!

Look, nobody is obligated to give you the time of day just because you’re giving them the cold shoulder. If someone is actually stalking you, though, you're going to need to bring a lot more than just a feeling to the table to prove it.

Since he hasn't produced a shred of evidence—mostly because his accusation is flat-out false—and given everything I've already laid out in my previous post, it’s pretty clear this entire thread is being driven by bad faith.

rustydrifter10 said:Look, nobody is obligated to give you the time of day just because you’re giving them the cold shoulder. If someone is actually stalking you, though, you're going to need to bring a lot more than just a feeling to the table to prove it.

velvetbear372 said:It’s probably a good thing you have some connections over at the FBI.

velvetbear372 said:You really seem like a total charlatan who doesn't have the slightest clue how actual science works.

velvetbear372 said:
Unfortunately, your only skill seems to be Googling things.

I think there are plenty of similar examples scattered across at least two other threads, mostly involving unprovoked comments directed at things taken completely out of context from my private conversations with others.

And then there's everything else mentioned above.

Even if I were somehow writing nonsense—which I doubt—there should be some kind of button to report off-topic posts or spam, right? Or has insulting, mocking, and trolling suddenly become perfectly acceptable here?

On top of that, the vocabulary and general manners used here seem to be at the level of a lumberjack. Everything is just exploding with phrases like "you're full of it," "you're sick," or "you're an idiot," and things of that nature.

Is this stalking? My points are factual. These are my only direct responses to you—though I’ll admit the last one wasn't quoted properly.

I am requesting that this malicious provocateur be sanctioned. Why? Because he specifically targeted me regarding this topic; his posts weren't even present when I first commented on this thread. He knows exactly how to provoke to derail a discussion—which is precisely what he did here, ruining the very thread for which he was granted permission by the FBI.

It is a matter of user conduct.

Why is this being permitted?

Kenneth Cruz67 said:I think there are plenty of similar examples scattered across at least two other threads, mostly involving unprovoked comments directed at things taken completely out of context from my private conversations with others.

And then there's everything else mentioned above.

Even if I were somehow writing nonsense—which I doubt—there should be some kind of button to report off-topic posts or spam, right? Or has insulting, mocking, and trolling suddenly become perfectly acceptable here?

On top of that, the vocabulary and general manners used here seem to be at the level of a lumberjack. Everything is just exploding with phrases like "you're full of it," "you're sick," or "you're an idiot," and things of that nature.

Name them.

@moderators Please look into this.

velvetbear372 said:Is this stalking? My points are factual. These are my only direct responses to you—though I’ll admit the last one wasn't quoted properly.

I am requesting that this malicious provocateur be sanctioned. Why? Because he specifically targeted me regarding this topic; his posts weren't even present when I first commented on this thread. He knows exactly how to provoke to derail a discussion—which is precisely what he did here, ruining the very thread for which he was granted permission by the FBI.

It is a matter of user conduct.

Why is this being permitted?

Name them.

@moderators Please look into this.

Just a plain old lie that's incredibly easy to debunk

My very first post in this thread—it was actually the seventh one in line.

Your actual first post in this thread was way down at number 46.

I guess you're just trying to feed a troll who's already full, and it's not even noon yet!

I didn't even notice your post—you aren't exactly high on my priority list.

I'll stand by what I said: you're a case in point.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Just a plain old lie that's incredibly easy to debunk

My very first post in this thread—it was actually the seventh one in line.

Your actual first post in this thread was way down at number 46.

I guess you're just trying to feed a troll who's already full, and it's not even noon yet!

Exactly. You're a troll, plain and simple, and you're just wrecking the threads.

Even if I am talking nonsense, there's still that little icon used to report off-topic posts or spam. Or has insulting, mocking, and trolling suddenly become allowed?

Oh, so now you've discovered the report button? Funny. And you seem to have missed the "ignore" option entirely. I guess harassing people in their private messages is perfectly fine now, is it?

velvetbear372 said:Is this stalking? My points are factual. These are my only direct responses to you—though I’ll admit the last one wasn't quoted properly.

I am requesting that this malicious provocateur be sanctioned. Why? Because he specifically targeted me regarding this topic; his posts weren't even present when I first commented on this thread. He knows exactly how to provoke to derail a discussion—which is precisely what he did here, ruining the very thread for which he was granted permission by the FBI.

It is a matter of user conduct.

Why is this being permitted?

Name them.

@moderators Please look into this.

Mr. velvetbear372, I’ve already mentioned this—it might be best if we just ignore one another.

I don't personally have any issue with your critiques of my posts, but I would kindly ask that you refrain from trying to mock me, insult me, or resort to calling people sick, charlatans, idiots, or anything of that nature.

If you truly believe my posts are off-topic, then please just report me to the moderators. It isn't really your place to decide what counts as off-topic or not, I suppose. Furthermore, mockery and insults aren't permitted here either, even if you feel you have a good reason to use them.

😁

@rustydrifter10—props to you on this one.

I’m requesting that my excellent thread be restored—the one this individual completely trashed.

Furthermore, I ask that he be sanctioned for spreading falsehoods, provocations, and baiting—it's unfortunate that people like him end up ruining the good, high-quality discussions. Generally speaking, decent people just get screwed over because of individuals like this.

velvetbear372 said:I didn't even notice your post—you aren't exactly high on my priority list.

I'll stand by what I said: you're a case in point.

Exactly. You're a troll, plain and simple, and you're just wrecking the threads.

Even if I am talking nonsense, there's still that little icon used to report off-topic posts or spam. Or has insulting, mocking, and trolling suddenly become allowed?

Oh, so now you've discovered the report button? Funny. And you seem to have missed the "ignore" option entirely. I guess harassing people in their private messages is perfectly fine now, is it?

I suppose it might just be a recurring little flaw of yours, but I feel like you tend to jump right into a thread without even glancing at the three posts that came right before yours!

I honestly feel like I could stand behind that statement with total confidence—I really do think you’re absolutely right in this case!

I have to agree with you there—you’re being a total troll and honestly, you're just completely ruining the thread.

Well, if that’s how you see things, I suppose you should probably take it up with the moderators and the admin team directly, since they're the ones running the show!

So, you finally caught on to the little triangle trick, have you? I guess that’s something! But wait, does that mean you’re still completely in the dark about how the ignore button works? It seems like people think they can just go around upsetting everyone on the forum whenever they feel like it, as if being a nuisance is some kind of permitted hobby here.

Of course I’m aware of the little triangle icon, and believe me, I definitely know how the ignore feature works too. But just because I might decide to hit that button and tune you guys out doesn't exactly give anyone the right to be so incredibly disrespectful toward me.

Look, man—stop being so aggressive. And please, enough with the trolling.

Provide rustydrifter10 with the evidence she asked for.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:I suppose it might just be a recurring little flaw of yours, but I feel like you tend to jump right into a thread without even glancing at the three posts that came right before yours!

I honestly feel like I could stand behind that statement with total confidence—I really do think you’re absolutely right in this case!

I have to agree with you there—you’re being a total troll and honestly, you're just completely ruining the thread.

Well, if that’s how you see things, I suppose you should probably take it up with the moderators and the admin team directly, since they're the ones running the show!

So, you finally caught on to the little triangle trick, have you? I guess that’s something! But wait, does that mean you’re still completely in the dark about how the ignore button works? It seems like people think they can just go around upsetting everyone on the forum whenever they feel like it, as if being a nuisance is some kind of permitted hobby here.

Of course I’m aware of the little triangle icon, and believe me, I definitely know how the ignore feature works too. But just because I might decide to hit that button and tune you guys out doesn't exactly give anyone the right to be so incredibly disrespectful toward me.

The truth is, you simply don't know what you're talking about—do you realize that? It’s embarrassing. Do you understand that you've completely derailed a thread of vital importance? Or that on this current Philosophy board, you're making claims that are totally irrelevant to the subject at hand? Do you grasp that your blatant ignorance—which, I sincerely hope, you aren't spreading in your professional life—is adding absolutely nothing to this community? Honestly, I feel secondhand embarrassment just reading your posts, and I'm embarrassed for anyone else who has to deal with them.

velvetbear372 said:Look, man—stop being so aggressive. And please, enough with the trolling.

Provide rustydrifter10 with the evidence she asked for.

The truth is, you simply don't know what you're talking about—do you realize that? It’s embarrassing. Do you understand that you've completely derailed a thread of vital importance? Or that on this current Philosophy board, you're making claims that are totally irrelevant to the subject at hand? Do you grasp that your blatant ignorance—which, I sincerely hope, you aren't spreading in your professional life—is adding absolutely nothing to this community? Honestly, I feel secondhand embarrassment just reading your posts, and I'm embarrassed for anyone else who has to deal with them.

Just because that happens to be how you feel? I guess I have to wonder who you think you are, judging me like that.

If you could please just spare me this condescending attitude, I’d really appreciate it; if there are any actual issues with my posts, maybe just report them to the moderators instead. Just leave me be.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Just because that happens to be how you feel? I guess I have to wonder who you think you are, judging me like that.

If you could please just spare me this condescending attitude, I’d really appreciate it; if there are any actual issues with my posts, maybe just report them to the moderators instead. Just leave me be.

Provide rustydrifter10 with the evidence she asked for—you provocateur.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Just because that happens to be how you feel? I guess I have to wonder who you think you are, judging me like that.

If you could please just spare me this condescending attitude, I’d really appreciate it; if there are any actual issues with my posts, maybe just report them to the moderators instead. Just leave me be.

Is this some kind of joke? 🤣🤣

velvetbear372 said:Look, man—stop being so aggressive. And please, enough with the trolling.

Provide rustydrifter10 with the evidence she asked for.

The truth is, you simply don't know what you're talking about—do you realize that? It’s embarrassing. Do you understand that you've completely derailed a thread of vital importance? Or that on this current Philosophy board, you're making claims that are totally irrelevant to the subject at hand? Do you grasp that your blatant ignorance—which, I sincerely hope, you aren't spreading in your professional life—is adding absolutely nothing to this community? Honestly, I feel secondhand embarrassment just reading your posts, and I'm embarrassed for anyone else who has to deal with them.

velvetbear372 said:Provide rustydrifter10 with the evidence she asked for—you provocateur.

Is this some kind of joke? 🤣🤣

Look, if this is how you approach every single post, then we’ve got a serious issue on our hands. Seriously, quit the ad hominem attacks and try focusing on the actual substance of the post. If you can't manage to do that, you're better off just scrolling past.

rustydrifter10 said:Look, if this is how you approach every single post, then we’ve got a serious issue on our hands. Seriously, quit the ad hominem attacks and try focusing on the actual substance of the post. If you can't manage to do that, you're better off just scrolling past.

rustydrifter10, the guy is clearly baiting me—just look at his behavior. He needs to provide actual evidence.

rustydrifter10 said:Look, if this is how you approach every single post, then we’ve got a serious issue on our hands. Seriously, quit the ad hominem attacks and try focusing on the actual substance of the post. If you can't manage to do that, you're better off just scrolling past.

That is exactly my point! All I am really asking is for you all to help protect me from those kinds of personal attacks.

Hahahahahha

This is getting incredibly serious 🤦

I mean, who is actually going to protect me from you? Seriously. Who? You’re just tearing through these threads one after another. It feels like you only opened this topic just to come after me—why? Why even do this? What is actually wrong with you? And why is anyone letting you get away with it?

Look, this goes for both of you. I’m not trying to play the role of some high-and-mighty mediator here, but let’s be real—it’s pretty obvious you two aren't exactly winning any popularity contests on this forum, and you certainly don't seem to mind letting everyone know it. I am all for a heated, passionate debate, truly, but it’s fine right up until things spiral into personal jabs and insults. So, please, just... try not to let it go down that road.