I don't get why people have so much trouble avoiding warnings or bans... maybe I've just gotten lucky.

I actually prefer a warning issued for a borderline post so the user knows to change whatever they're doing versus just letting the user keep making borderline posts to the point it's bannable.

Interesting post and well written.

I think as others have pointed out that I see less trolling and more baiting. I personally think baiting is more prevalent.

I do agree with some points. I have gravitated to this forum more over a two year period, finally creating an account, more so because of the forum than sales numbers.

I like the diversity of games talked about on here. This is something absent from other game websites and the site would be wise to foster this aspect because it differentiates VGC from other major gaming sites.

Reading forum posts on this site has helped me make decisions on quite a few games I now own that I knew very little about simply because other sites completely ignore them. I know we get posts on major games as well but the diversity is what I like. I don't need 10 different articles a day on Halo, Gears, Destiny, COD, Battlefield, Titanfall. I own them all but I think it was the nearing of titanfall's release that it really started to get old. If I opened my reeder app and clicked the gaming tab I had a treat of nothing but and the same happened with destiny. This will happen here from time to time on subjects but the diversity of posts really helps if you're tired of reading the same thing over and over again on a particular game (especially a game journalists all seem to really want you to play a little too much, maybe the booth had great goodie bags?).

Overt trolling is easy to spot and neutralize, and our mod team does a great job policing that ugly part of our community. Stealth trolling is much more difficult to prove, as it relies more on post history and building up a case.

In any event, OP, here's my advice for you and everyone else on the site:

Explain and justify your controversial opinions in a civil way, and treat all members with respect. There, you'll never be moderated.

What I find interesting about your thread, Alfredo, is there are different definitions of trolling depending on who you ask. Now there is a central consensus, so it's not like the definitions are radically different but on top of this there is also the discussion about baiting and trolling.

If you ask me, the main problem with bait is that it might be not be so obvious until someone actually takes the bait. Or bait might be unintentional which then leads to accusations despite no ill intent. So moderation especially towards "bait posts" can feel like a shot in the dark, at least that what I think.