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A fool is certain: an ignorant fool, absolutely so
Posts: 2603
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One interpretation of SPAM is as an acronym: Sh!t Parading As Meat. I guess the question then becomes; what is meat and what is err... not meat?
In the context of this forum, meat is that which contributes to debate of the subject. That subject may be the title of the topic or some side issue onto which discussion has wandered.
That last is particularly tricky. The dominant tactic of some of this forum's dedicated trolls is distraction; diverting discussion away from a subject. Does that diversion qualify as SPAM?
Is it SPAM to repeat an assertion, for which you've not been able to provide supporting evidence? I'd say it is. No matter how fervently a belief is held, simply repeating it doesn't contribute to debate.
Quite often, a troll's behaviour makes their character a subject for discussion. At some point, does that discussion become SPAM? If so, at what point does it become something other than a side issue?
One common tactic is to answer a question other than the one that was asked. For example, posting a link to a search engine or to a guide to using a search engine. I'd say that's SPAM, unless the subject is or has become search engines or their use.
Then there's the obvious: off-topic posts. Deathridesahorse has repeatedly been warned and banned for off-topic, frequently abusive, posts. It's annoying and unproductive, but I'd say less insidious and wasteful than the manipulative SPAM of others, such as greggerypeccary.
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