How do I deal with anonymous trolls?

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  samlovesmusic0077 · Member · Feb 23, 2013 at 7:19 pm

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  First, I made comments require email verification. It’s more work, but it’s affective. But then the same people (I’m assuming that it’s the same guy, I had 670 views yesterday and only 14 Visitors, and most of those views were on the same page) started down-voting the comments, including those of those who are actually trying to have a meaningful discussion.

  THEN when I took away the comment ratings, now he just keeps rating articles one star over and over again. I don’t know who this person is, but I am incredibly sick of his antics, and I’m not sure how to take care of them. What can I do? (I can get rid of ratings, but I really like them).

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  timethief · Member · Feb 23, 2013 at 7:23 pm

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  I’m afraid that you are powerless to stop this rating problem aside from disabling it.

  We cannot block or delete subscribers from public blogs. Everyone on the internet can view and follow any public blog.

  You can change your blog visibility to “private” http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/ Please read this about public blogs that become private blogs > Blog Privacy and Subscribers > http://wpcommaven.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/blog-privacy-and-subscribers/

  Note that you have complete control comment moderation and comment blacklisting.
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-moderation
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-blacklist

  However, if you blacklist be aware that you could be affecting legitimate commenters as well. IP addresses have not been unique for nigh unto 15 years now. ISPs place hundreds of us in the same IP block. Moreover, using the blacklist is useless when people can get a new IP or new email address in no time flat.