Yep, that would be good having a tight community to deal with lame asses like trolls! there are far too many of them on too many an irc channel! worse though are little script K's DoS'ing a server!

If someone was trying to be a jerk, then good. However, was it a troll, or someone who just disagreed with your tight little community?

Last time I logged into your IRC, I was made to feel unwelcome, and all I did was log in.

Hey anonymous, sorry to hear that you didn't get a warm welcome. Generally they are nice to newcomers and tough on regulars, but sometimes we have some chaos. Please try again sometime. Or IM me before you go and I'll make sure I'm there. joi_ito@mac.com on AIM is the best way to reach me on IM.

No the troll was pretty much a troll. He said something about "screw the Japs" and "we kicked their asses in WWII" and stuff like that. Obviously just trying to be provocative.

Hello Joi, I was in #joiito as “ken” today and disappeared soon. I went there because I was interested in this entry and wanted to look what’s going on. But I was in panic, because it was my first time to be in IRC and I couldn’t follow everyone’s quick response. I’m sorry if it was rude. I’ve already registered on TypePad, so I’ll start to blog soon!

Thats a much more effective (and fun) solution than just slapping them with the trout and banning them from the channel. That always just seemed so...uncivilized. Mocking is so much more upscale.

@Anon: You should try again bud. As long as you don't start throwing mud at people (calling names and the like) the channels generally pretty easy on newcomers. Just realize that if a serious argument starts and you join in, all bets are off.

I felt quite welcome when I first joined #joiito. The usual foibles and issues of IRC aside, it's an amazing community worthy of patience, openness and good behavior. (Especially considering tha absence of ops and anti-troll bots.)

It's an oasis of reasonableness, really.

Though I'm not a blogger, I found that there are many interesting things to discuss that I was already interested in. (Cultures and communities, arts and sciences, technology and more.)

The only downside - and it's not really a downside at all - is the intense scrutiny and interest that users focus on new people. I am certain that this is not meant to be offputting at all, and is quite sincere and genuine. It's just intense, and could easily be interpreted as rudeness or 'cred' comparison or the like to those that aren't used to such genuineness.

Props, Joi. Somehow you work a great deal of true magic into your daily life and everything and everyone you touch, and I'm envious. Keep it up.

(And a msg to channel regulars: I've not vanished, I'm just trying to stay busy and productive. That place is a wonderful timesink. See you soon. :) )

TROLL?! where?! damn, i missed something exciting on the channel AGAIN!? :(

must...not...login...from...work...!

Joi, I tried it last night, and no one is unfriendly, but I do feel like I'm intruding on a private party with people who all know each other. However, I think is because some people are comfortable with the IRC format, and others of us are not.
I suppose it helps if you're the gregarious sort, and I'm a relatively quiet person for all of my writing.

It's also unnerving to see that long roll of people, but only a few people talking -- you feel like you're on a stage, though I realize that some people just log in and go do other things.

(Or indulge primarily in private conversations.)

Must have been a small troll. Most of the ones I remembered had stamina. Come to think of it, one of my programmers is really a troll. Somehow we got him to do work in and around his trollishness. Some of my best friends are trolls.

Just a fellow bloger saying hi. Check out my video blogs at silversow.com and avoidinglife.com