Once upon a time a user's Ignore button would be highlighted if a high enough percentage of users meeting specific criteria Ignored them, most trolls were very easy to spot, unfortunately afaik for performance reasons the feature had to be disabled.
We could also have a system similar to HN where some posts could be greyed out but since that's more intrusive I'd prefer the criteria to be strict.
That's not sensible.
The only posts that should be dismissed or tainted before the reader has a chance to fairly analyse them personally are posts that have been conclusively debunked.
We must keep in mind the goal is always providing and assisting discovery of the truth.
Trolls aka those refusing to relent on posting conclusively debunked information as truths should be removed.
If you can not conclusively debunk a post then it must remain untainted in anyway from admin as long it is on topic and relevant.
How I envision it working is
OP
Post 2 - 50 continuously on topic and progressing in the correct and optimal direction
Post 51 - new bogus (later conclusively debunked) information is injected.
Post 52- 100 infected and reliant on bogus information
Post 101 - conclusively debunks post 51 and therefore all up to post 100 that were poisoned
New reader starts thread only has time to read up to post 99 leaves thread misinformed?
If a very concerned mod wanted to he could select the link ( to post 101) that debunks post 11...then go to post 11 click demerit copy the link from post 101 to the field and press submit. Then the post can have a demeritted by GM symbol in the header and you click that to go straight to the debunking.
This can be done for as many posts as you like that are debunked by post 101
If you are the OP then you could update that with a guide for readers to navigate around conclusively debunked nonsense.
I dont like it being a popularity thing or even based on if previously they have made bogus points. The exact post being demeritted must be conclusively and publicly debunked.
If it is ever abused then those abusing lose access to the feature.
If a demerrit is ever appealed and won. Then they lose the feature. It is not to be used willy nilly.
Conclusively debunked is likely easier to demonstrate where you may be dealing with results and answers not " opinions"