I’ve complained about this poster once before. I was told his comments were too mild to warrant concern. Part of the problem was that he sent me a number of nasty private messages, and then quickly deleted them. I guess he had learned from previous experiences to cover his tracks, but this only makes me think he is bothering other people also.
The other problem I complained of was that I believe sleuthing_hobbyist has some system to create multiple votes, and that he is engaging in multiple downvotes of my comments, which is still ongoing. On the first day it started, it went on all day, downvoting a particularly humorous Youtube video I had linked to (which should have gotten no downvotes, because it wasn’t controversial or offensive, yet it made it to #1 on the “controversial” list), that would have been fun for other people to see. Each time it received an upvote, within 60 seconds, it received a downvote, keeping it at zero. I’m pretty sure sleuthing_hobbyist is still at it, because when I look back at my comments now, some of the less viewed ones even have -1, which is unusual.
It is very creepy to think this person is paying such obsessive attention to me. If it had just happened a few times or for a few hours, it might have been one thing. However, it appears that this is now an important part of his life. From his comments to other people, it seems most of his activity on Reddit has a tone ranging from argumentative and petty to hostile and enraged. I wonder how many other people he is stalking.
Also note that I stopped interacting in any way with sleuthing_hobbyist, as soon as I realized he had this problem. This particular reply he just posted, is really just a way to create the appearance of interacting with me. He has already posted similarly nasty replies to me on this same comment, that I have not responded to at all. It appears to be part of his demented mission now, to manage me, creating new responses that place him in the 24-hour window again, to gain new attention.
Other Redditors have complained publicly, that they have received this combined treatment of both nasty private messages and constant downvoting, no matter which side of the debate they are on. This problem has nothing to do with content. I think trolls only need the slightest pretext to go off on rants or to make repeated personal attacks. It has more to do with their own deep unhappiness than anything else.
By not having any way to respond to this situation, you are cultivating a very large community of trolls. You have the largest troll population I have ever seen on any website. There are so many of them, it almost feels like they are in charge. As a result, they feel at home with all the other trolls here, and acting like trolls has become the status quo.
Every time such inappropriate interaction is allowed, it only encourages more of the same. I really think this is why it’s gotten so bad. They are learning by example from one another. This kind of harassment of other Redditors is becoming normalized. Maybe trolls find this atmosphere normal, but the rest of us find it obnoxious. It ruins the mood every time, for everyone.
Also, by failing to address stalking, you are ignoring a problem which has a history of developing into all sorts of terrible circumstances. I think you should be a little more concerned. Doing nothing is the absolute minimum response possible. You should find a way to at least do something. Also, I thought most organizations were no longer ignoring bullying. I thought ignoring bullying had become recognized as irresponsible.
When I lose interest in this particular topic, hopefully soon, I will not return to Reddit. Any enjoyment of being here, is more than spoiled by these personal attacks and this stalking behavior.
Consider this a consumer evaluation. If your website were a product, then I would say the trolls are having a negative effect on sales. I hope at some point, you will find a way to address your troll problem. I am very disappointed by my experience here.