One of the problems here, and it's always been a problem, is that trolling is allowed despite supposedly being banned.
You know how to do it, you can troll all you want. If you've been here long enough you can get away with a lot more. Connections help as well, obviously. The result is confusion for new members who see troll threads with "lol" comments from mods then they get banned themselves for responding in kind. It's basically allowed flamebaiting in an arena that heavily favors those who know the unwritten rules.
I can't really blame people for moving on when they can't get a straight answer. At least be honest and give them a chance.