I thought I'd mention to anyone who is interested that it appears possible to automatically "ignore" any individual on the forum, such that their posts simply do not show up in any threads you view:
In the top-right corner, click on the "User Control Panel" icon.
From the menu list that appears on the left side, click on "Manage Friends and Foes".
You will default to the "Manage Friends" option. Select "Manage Foes" instead.
Where prompted, enter the user name of the offending party and press "Submit". Confirm when asked to.
*BINGO!* All threads you now view will have their posts hidden.
Feel free to comment if it doesn't work for you, or if there are exceptions; I haven't found any so far (but then I haven't really been trying too hard)..

Enjoy!