This is your board to moderate as you see fit and we musn't lose sight of that fact plus the fact that were it not for your hard work (which don't think for a minute isn't appreciated because it certainly is) it would not work as well as it does and would have descended into total anarchy long ago if you hadn't taken the measures that you did in attempt to keep this board a civil place.
That said however, I think I should say that while it makes perfect sense to ban the troublemaking poster or "troll", I think you should also start considering banning those who respond to them as well with messages that are equally childish and inflamatory. Hence the person who posts a message saying something like "You guys are all a bunch of pathetic losers!" gets banned and so does the person who responds with "MOOOOO Hello Cow Claire!" and other such juvenile retaliations. I realize of course, this would mean banning some board regulars who are liked by many, but I wager that these people are making your task just as difficult - if not more so - than the trolls.
Regarding the trolls themselves, while they have come and gone (or more aptly been forced to) under different names, I think there is the distinct possibility that it may be a mere handful of people (as few as two or three if you can believe it) who are doing all the damage, as some of the messages that appear of over time are strikingly similar to ones that ones that were posted previously under different usernames. Somehow they have managed work around the measures you have put in place and are able to re-register once banned with a new ISP email address each time. I know of at least one individual (a guy interestingly enough, not a woman) who bragged to me in an email some time ago about outsmarting you. Don't ask me how he did, he just did and was very vague in his message saying something like "There are many ways around Patrick's detective work"
Just something I thought you should be aware of if you're not already.
Regards
Niall
