Another semi BS article. He does a good job describing what a troll is but he's not defeating anybody, he just leaves the discussion. Trying to turn the tables on a troll is a waste of time, most know exactly what they're doing and won't bite same as his advice to ignore a troll. Great, you ignore him but nobody else does so what good does that do?
There's no "defeating" a troll which is why his final conclusion is to just leave. If it's a tight knit forum like this one, there is no other forum to go to to discuss PGM related things which is why I'm happy these forums are well moderated. Trolls get reported and nuked pretty fast around here.
If somebody's going to hang out on Twitter or Facebook, good luck the big social media sites are troll central.
When it comes to trolls the best thing you can do is ignore them, not engage and just report them if the forum or space you're in has rules against trolling and encourage the others to do the same.
...If somebody's going to hang out on Twitter or Facebook, good luck the big social media sites are troll central.
Bob
Trolls on facebook? Troll central? Only if they are your friends or friends of friends if you’ve chosen that option - or if you have chosen for some odd reason to make yourself open to the public. I know nobody that does that. We’ve been on fb for eight years and have never seen a troll.
FWIW It’s very easy to control what you see and who can see/respond to you on Facebook. You can block someone with a few clicks. If one has issues there it’s because he or she doesn’t understand the privacy settings.
Facebook
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
If somebody's going to hang out on Twitter or Facebook, good luck the big social media sites are troll central. Bob
Twitter is a strange bird. It has good blocking & reasonable ads. With a little effort, a guy can build up an interesting stream, actually, in some ways, better than cable. The problems with Twitter, we have heard, come from the people who run it. I can verify that, to a degree. Deleted my account and replaced it with an account that follows six or eight. Enough of that.
There's an old saying "Better to keep your mouth shut and remain a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt". Do trollers really think they are changing anyone's mind? Maybe they think they're just calling in their followers. Who knows and who really cares? Consciousness can't be legislated or forced, it's an awakening that happens and only God can do that.
As the former admin of one board and a moderator of another very busy forum I care. Trolls can ruin a forum quickly because somebody will always feed them. Most folks don’t realize that on many forums admins and mods are constantly dealing with this issue behind the scenes. PG Music is exceptionally well moderated.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
On the rare occasion that we see something odd, we users can notify the moderator and it's usually taken care of straight away. One strength of this forum is that we have active users all over the world, so somebody will see nonsense quickly.
At one point a decade ago, we had so many spammers and trolls here that several of us volunteered to be user-moderators, as the first line of defense. Our decisions were to be reviewed by PG Music staff. This was never implemented because it wasn't needed, thank goodness.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Do trollers really think they are changing anyone's mind?
Trolling isn’t really about the Troll changing anyone’s mind about. It’s about causing harm or discomfort in individuals. A troll more often than not tries to find something that he feels is going to be a sore point that will illicit a defensive reaction. Once he thinks he finds it he just twists the knife and tries to cause the maximum amount of distress for the folks he is being critical of.
Although it has not always been so, I have to agree that in recent years these forums have been well moderated. We do, however; have an in- resident Troll who has made Trolling such an art form that I think it is difficult for the moderators to even recognize that it is happening. It appears to me that our Troll gleans quite a bit of historic posting information from the forums in addition to information from forum members personal websites to mount attacks heavily camouflaged as “help” or simple narratives about his life and beliefs.
I guess some people are uncomfortable with others expressing a different opinion and not agreeing with them. I wouldn't really call these people trolls. I think it's a sign of a healthy community when people can be different, have different ideas and discuss them respectfully. I disagree with the name calling and hate when a person can't debate the issues honestly. But I believe everyone has a right to their own beliefs and opinions and we all know that only life experiences and awareness from personal growth is going to change anyone's mind, not disagreeing with someone and calling them names.
In my opinion a "troll" is someone that maliciously calls others names and spouts hateful rhetoric, not someone that just thinks differently.
Fortunately, on this site I have never come across anyone I think would be a "troll", unlike maybe Facebook or Twitter. There are a lot of decent, good hearted folk here who share their love of music. I also enjoy that the discussions sometime get a little lively and stimulating and it's all good.
Another way to identify a troll is that their hair usually looks like they are being electrocuted.
Leave my profile pic out of this please.
I laughed when I saw this btw. You went with the REALLY obvious that no one else touched on. You have a demented; and appreciated sense of humor my friend.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Another way to identify a troll is that their hair usually looks like they are being electrocuted.
Leave my profile pic out of this please.
I laughed when I saw this btw. You went with the REALLY obvious that no one else touched on. You have a demented; and appreciated sense of humor my friend.
Gee thanx! You stole my punch line!
PS - we must be related somehow!
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I just read the article. It was mostly a bunch of nonsense. Only the uninformed would argue with a Troll.
I am not here everyday so I don't see everything that goes on but this site is well run. People are polite and are here to deal with music issues. They are also very supportive of everyone no matter the skill level.
We have a lot of people on this forum who have been here for a long time. There is a sense of community and no post are going to get very far out of hand before someone steps in to put a stop to it. Trolls have a very short life expectancy here...lol
Of all the forums I have ever been on this one is the most polite.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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