Who was the BBC message board troll?

[Awesome Wells]

Interesting - vaguely - remark in the Guardian's article about internet trolls:

A troll's efforts can be sustained over time. At one stage in the early 2000s, the BBC's Doctor Who message board was plagued by one who would post in badly spelt patois, and deliberately get key facts about the show wrong. Regulars would steer clear, but there would always be one new member who would naively point out that Patrick Troughton, not Patrick McGoohan, was the second doctor. There was something almost admirable in the way that the troll had learnt exactly how to provoke a reaction from the community – but you couldn't help wish they would do something more useful with their lives.

This rings no bells with me. Anyone else who frequented the Beeb in those days remember this particular troll?

[Andrew Curnow]

It wasn't that guy who alleged that Hartnell turned up on the set of The Seeds of Death was it?!!

On a totally separate note, but the thought inspired by talk of Message Boards & posters past (A La Recherche De Message Boards et Posters Perdue, as the French would say (or possibly not)).... whatever happened to Baysan Tulu? And also, I wonder how Jeno Solar Brother took the sad news about Lis?

[duncan]

Was Baysun the guy that rated just about everything from the original series 10/10 no matter how dull everyone else found a story?

[Awesome Wells]

It wasn't that guy who alleged that Hartnell turned up on the set of The Seeds of Death was it?!!

I wonder whatever happened to THAT idiot ...

[Larry]

Was Baysun the guy that rated just about everything from the original series 10/10 no matter how dull everyone else found a story?

that's the one - I think in the end nobody took him seriously like many of us ex-BBC message board members he did migrate over to Outpost Gallifrey, when the BBC boards closed but unless he's now posting under a new name i've heard nothing for him for many years now.

[Awesome Wells]

Was Baysun the guy who loved Paul McGann or the guy who hated Paul McGann?

[duncan]

that's the one - I think in the end nobody took him seriously like many of us ex-BBC message board members he did migrate over to Outpost Gallifrey, when the BBC boards closed but unless he's now posting under a new name i've heard nothing for him for many years now.

I'm sue that he used to post on The Lesuire Hive and Logopolis Metropolis in the early days of those forums. As far as I recall, he hated everything about the new series

[Perry Vale]

Was Baysun the guy who loved Paul McGann or the guy who hated Paul McGann?

Seeing as McGann was seen regenerating from McCoy on screen, he loved him, 10/10!

As for the new series, Eccleston onwards, he wouldn't even acknowledge it was the same show. It was a remake. 0/10.

[Stuart Wallis]

It wasn't that guy who alleged that Hartnell turned up on the set of The Seeds of Death was it?!!

And what of Russell T Davies? eh?

I remember we had a couple of Who celebs on there in those days - John Woodnutt posted a couple of times; and Jon Blum and Andrew Pixley were fairly regular contributors.

Why do I suddenly get the feeling that the troll and Batman At the Controls were one and the same? Given the latter's more recent behaviour on PS, one suddenly can't put it past him...

[Rob McCow]

At one stage in the early 2000s, the BBC's Doctor Who message board was plagued by one who would post in badly spelt patois, and deliberately get key facts about the show wrong.

Amusing as that is, I sincerely doubt that this happened 'At one stage' by a lone poster. I suspect we were all at it.

Weren't we?

I might dig up my list of BBC Doctor Who Poster vital stats again, I'm sure that's about somewhere, see if we can identify the culprit!

[Rob McCow]

WELL - if there was any degenerate who was up to no good whatsoever, it was clearly this unwashed scamp!!

re: In the words of Xoanon!! Anthony Cledwyn Williams - 1420th post - 3 Jul 2002 14:26

Hi Annie! Its been ages!!!!
Me: Anthony Cledwyn Williams
Age: 14 and a half (ish)
Living: London
Profession: School boy
Status (If married, attached, please indicate for how long): Single (hopefully not for long)
Favourite Doctor: Paul McGann
Favourite Companion: Adric (most because of the hair....)
Favourite Story: (ONE choice only please) The Curse of Fenric
Favourite Other Cult Show: Blake's 7
Favourite Music (ONE choice only please): Iron Maiden (but that'll probably have changed by next week)
Well, thats me.

[SiHart]

It wasn't me. I only posted there once and that was far too much effort! I was always an OG boy back then.

[Andrew Curnow]

Maybe it was Gilbert Poole...

[Awesome Wells]

Or Michael Whatever-his-name-was, who - like the music teacher in Clockwise - seemed utterly incapable of finishing a

[Stuart Wallis]

I suspect we were all at it.

Weren't we?

I'm not going to dignify that with a reply...

[Larry]

I remember there was a regular poster on the BBC boards called Malcolm Stewart, I' still see numerous postings in the DWM, letters pages with some one with the same name can't be sure it's the same person but I'm pretty sure.

[Lissa]

This whole thread has stirred a vague memory of something. I half remember someone who sounded quite pompous, never listened to anyone else and would make basic errors while expounding his otherwise fairly routine opinions. I wish I could remember more but it's ten ruddy years ago and that depresses me.

[Rob McCow]

I half remember someone who sounded quite pompous, never listened to anyone else and would make basic errors while expounding his otherwise fairly routine opinions.

Narrows it down.

[Matthew T]

The Darkling Thrush?

[Awesome Wells]

The Darkling Thrush?

Hahahahaha ... was there really a BBC poster named after an alien STI?

[Larry]

I always found it baffling as to why the Doctor Who, message boards were closed within weeks of the announcment that Doctor Who., was coming back . You'ed had to put up with several years of mindless drival then when we really had some thing to talk about some bright spark at the beeb closed them.

[Jason Thompson]

The BBC Boards went into meltdown once they stopped being moderated. When I first joined it was a great place to be. Then moderation stopped and suddenly it was full of abuse and other appalling behaviours. It became a horrible place to read, so I stopped and moved over to PS for good.

[Stuart Wallis]

And hoorah for PS! The BBC was a frightening and terrible place towards the end.

[Mike Saville]

I remember some young welsh girls- or some pretending to be young welsh girls- there to torment the virgin who fans... that was odd.

Baysan is back on OG (or whatever it's called these days) using another name. So I've been told.

[Stuart Wallis]

Lucky OG!