Phobosk, as someone who has moderated for around 20 years I go by what I've experienced. For the most part the judgment about sociopaths and trolling has been on target. Ignoring just does not work with the determined sorts. Granted that banning is also met with resistance by these types, but at least it can be quick and more or less invisible. Letting them have a degree of passive-aggressive control over the forum and naively hoping someday they'll go away is just way too disruptive to the forum and unfair to those who don't engage in that behavior.