I object to matters that affect the whole board being dealt with in private. Here's my answer.

Garner, you should remember that 'direct' doesn't have to be 'hostile'. You can say, "Person X, I have noticed this. Due to my natural worries about trolling, I wanted to check the reason for it. Please could you explain? Thanks."

This alerts the community to potential trouble, tells the trolls they can't get away with subterfuge and reminds everyone of the importance of our standards. And it won't frighten newbies so much.

Mrs G
The Garner who cares.