I can see your logic, but as most people who don't ignore the user will quote the persons post anyway, there isn't much point.

People must learn to ignore the trolls/annoying posters - and if that user is really bad - then that user should be banned.

If your talking about a "digg" type style, I think that would mean a major overhaul of the system and I'm not sure that style is right for this forum.

I agree with Legend, this would stop many flame wars before they started.  If a poster annoyed you with stupidity or flaming or whatever, instead of whining to mods about if you could just choose not to see their posts.  This is done in other forums I think successfully.

ignore user would do nothing to help much of anything. I personally think my 'tree' style forum would do wonders in removing... or at least hideing, trollish-posts. Dont like it, dont read it... dont read anything replied to it... ignore it. It's out of the way in a cubby hole you dont have to care about. Like what one person says? Read more.

No it doesn't. Never run away from your problems. If you have a problem, reason it out. It's the lazy way of trying to fix problems. I never liked those "ignore" buttons because they just make things worse. It's also rude sometimes. Leave it out. If problems shall arise, you and the other person should reason it out. Besides, what can the other person do? Reach through the computer and slap you in the face? No. Computer words mean absolutely nothing. Computer words, or words in general, are only series of different lines, formed to represent something. That's all they are.

^^ In my view, the fact is that while you and I may be calm and mature enough not to take anything written in Internet forums too seriously, there are a ton of people (young and old) who just don't act that way.  This leads to endless fanboy flame wars, which have happened on this site already sporadically.  I'm saying not that "ignore" will solve all our problems and slice our bread for us, but only that it will allow some folks, the ones who can't handle people disagreeing with them on message boards, another option compared to fanboy flame wars.

Just ignore them yourself, it's no use to respond on them, because that's exactly what they want! So my advice... count until 10 and head on to the next thread or post like I always do ;)