Ah trade chat.  That lovely cesspool of filth and scum and the occasional trade.  It is both the quickest way to find out information and get trolled at the same time!  I personally leave trade chat off, unless I’m trying to sell or buy something, but I typically just use the auction house if it is viable.  Why?  I am a reporter.  I report those who are being asshats, I report the gold spam, and I report the [item] spam.  If I were to leave trade chat open, I would feel nearly OCD in reporting, so I turn it off.  The problem with that though, is I miss out on recruiting and crafting opportunities while I’m bored soaring above the dwarf bank.

Many guilds have policies on trolling in trade chat, though we do not have a specific rule, we do ask people not to be jerks.    I have a few guild mates who are money movers on trade, one of which I know does several humorous (and possibly borderline trolling) macros to sell and buy wares.  I’m a mom in real life, so I don’t feel particularly inclined to hold the hands of my guild mates in wow life, as long as they aren’t trying to represent the guild officially.  

The trap in all of this, though, is realizing that I’m missing out on a major part of the server..fun events, recruitment, good deals, because I’m too annoyed with the trolls to deal with trade chat.  It annoys me because it gives this idea that the jerks of wow are winning. I also don’t really see any way to fix it, that is both reasonable and fair.

How about you guys?  What is your big pet peeve in the game?