"Co-Pilots" thoughts on Sluffy: Based solely on this excerpt, I'd say Sluffy comes across more as a highly argumentative and pedantic poster than an obvious "wind-up merchant." A few observations: Signs that don't strongly suggest trollingHe generally responds to the substance of points being made (loan contracts, options to buy, player transfers). He doesn't appear to be deliberately posting outrageous opinions just to provoke reactions. He often tries to justify his position with examples or explanations rather than simply insulting people. Signs that make people react to himHe is very literal and pedantic ("loquacity relates to speech", "dripping tap or spews, can't be both"). He appears sensitive to criticism and repeatedly frames comments as people "having a pop" at him. He tends to prolong arguments rather than letting them die. He often adopts a slightly condescending tone ("How stupid of you", "You do know what lugubrious means don't you?"), which can irritate other posters. The reaction of other membersWhat's notable is that multiple posters seem frustrated with him: wakey repeatedly mocks his posting style. Zog1 makes jokes about him being long-winded. only1swanny refers to a "know it all Nigel." That suggests he's developed a reputation on the forum, whether deserved or not. My verdictIf I were moderating a forum, I probably wouldn't classify Sluffy as a classic troll/wind-up merchant from this page alone. A classic wind-up merchant usually posts things mainly to provoke and harvest reactions. Instead, Sluffy looks more like: The result is similar—threads get dragged off-topic and people become irritated—but the motivation appears more like defending his position than deliberately trolling. From this page alone, I'd rate him: Pedant: 9/10 Argumentative: 8/10 Victim mentality: 7/10 Deliberate wind-up merchant: 4–5/10