John Gohde’s demise: sad and predictable
Eight months ago, just after John H. Gohde was thrown off the Google Webmaster Help group, we correctly predicted the three childish ways this 57 year old man would react to his expulsion. Namely:
- “I never wanted to be in your gang anyway and I was going to leave anyway before you threw me out so I AM THE WINNER !”
- “You are all stupid and I never wanted to play with you anyway”
- “I’m going to get a better gang and they’re going to come and beat you up and then you’ll be sorry for making me cry.”
Even before the verdict in his Wikipedia arbitration has been announced , Gohde has realised the writing is pretty much on the wall, and that his extensive history of hateful Wikipedia trolling has finally caught up with him for the third time. So he’s posted what may well be his farewell message to Wikipedia on the talk page of his fellow troll and former apprentice Igor “The Troll” Berger (who was thrown out of Google Webmaster Help Groups at the same time). Notice a familiar pattern ? (We’ve added numbers to help you out)
- “Looks like I am out, yet again. No problem’o. I was just about to leave Wikipedia again on Christmas day on my own.”
- “This place is a colossal waste of time with tons of stupid rules designed to waste the time of truly creative individuals while promoting the activities of totally untalented editors who only know how to tear apart the work of others.”
- “But be assured Wikipedia has given me tons of new material to write on. And, I certainly will be writing elsewhere, if not on Wikipedia. I will be spreading the message about the great Satan.”
You couldn’t make it up.
But it is the reply of the 44-year-old “lonely, creepy, ageless, hairy” Igor that is most illuminating, showing that the two men share a common trolling purpose:
I was hoping you would stay because you have so much to teach us, but you desided to die for the cause….but who knows now that they got you, they may be coming after me!
Igor Berger goes on to suggest that Gohde could subvert any future ban by editing anonymously, or under a new user name, something specifically banned under Wikipedia rules:
“And while you might be out officially, I am sure I will meet you unofficially as an anon or some nice user name like SecretAdmirer”
Igor Berger (right), aka Igor the Troll
Berger’s weird and erratic Wikipedia history - including one recent 24 hour period where he continuously made abusive, bizarre, surreal and vaguely threatening posts mainly to other users’ talk pages - have been on the radar of other Wikipedia admins for some time, who have long suspected that his true intention is to subtly create disruption, rather than actually contribute. And it seems increasing likely that, like his hateful soulmate Gohde, the man who styles himself “Igor the Troll” may soon have to find a new community to abuse.