A suggestion about identifying trolls on here. Probably rubbish but just a thought

[TskullsScreaming]

How about this..

If you are a regular poster and haven't been told off/banned for trolly behaviour you earn a star after a period of time or maybe say after a certain quantity of posts.

Even if you name change you keep the star.

So if you wanted to name change for a sensitive reason or for fun, the star would indicate that you have a credible history on here.

Now, new people could still join in any time of course, but would need to be posting regularly to earn the star (bit like a badge of honour).

We would have to be welcoming and kind to new posters (no hint of being cliquey and leaving them out ) But the lack of a star would clearly show they were new and we could make the effort to be inclusive towards them which would make us come over as more welcoming.

But, if they play up ie trolling they could be identified faster.

Of course this doesn't cover the possibility of a regular poster suddenly turning trollsome, but in such a case we would all at least know it was a regular on here instead of all the wondering if we may or may not have ever had any regular contact on here with that poster.

I'm not saying this is foolproof, but it could go some way to restoring some credibility and confidence.

Just a suggestion. Probably totally unworkable.

[whomovedmychocolate]

It's getting like the bloody brownies round here

Can I have a badge for beligerence studies?

[TskullsScreaming]

Ok. Well like I say. It was just a thought.

[Dragonbutter]

Think it would make a formal heirarchy and make for a competitive environment.
I don't think it would work, but would be good if it did.

[Dragonbutter]

... or it might feel a bit like working at macdonalds.

[anyfucker]

suggest it to mnhq

might be workable, huh

[YourNicknameHistory]

If you choose to have a profile you can set it to show when you joined mn.

[gemmiegoatlegs]

OTOH ther are other sites that use a star system for experience on the board and it never puts me off posting. i don't mind being a no-star newbie

[BloodshotEyeballsintheScarySky]

What colour star would I have? I think it's a nice idea, as long as everyone gets the same colour star and not a different colour depending on number of posts, like ebay.

[mehgalegs]

Lot's of other forums do something similar.

In my other incarnationa as a wannabe rock chick I soetimes post on the Foo Fighters Forum where you start as a Fresh Fighter after 1,000 posts you become a Foo Fighter then a Kung Foo Fighter etc.. .

Even practical poultry (yeah, I get aropund) has a note next to the users name to show if they are a memeber or a guest. They also have a sin bin.

[Mercy]

Simple answer is MNHQ needs to be more pro-active and more techno savvy.

And I understand they are considering new ways of dealing with trolls etc

There are plenty of sites which require you to register (or even pay!) before letting you view anything online, let alone post.

I don't necessarily like that approach but ...

[IAteDavinaForDinner]

"Think it would make a formal heirarchy and make for a competitive environment."

As opposed to now, when we have .....

[mehgalegs]

Apologies for my stray apostrophe earlier.

Other forums list the number of posts under a persons name (I've just checked out a friend of mine on the Boards magazine forum - he has 4845 posts)now that could get competetive.

[TskullsScreaming]

I wouldn't want to see it get too complicated or competitive. (I know it does on here sometimes ) But all it would do is identify new and regulars. A sort of probation, I suppose to show a commitment to posting in a non trolly way.

Also, time and again new people post that they feel left out when they are new and they don't understand what the hell's going on.

It would maybe allow us to cut a bit of slack to new people on threads (especially the fast moving ones) and help them to join in.

[whomovedmychocolate]

So to be clear on this: we all use a service which is free to us, and which we use because we are allowed to post our views, for which we are inviting responses.

Part of the value of this site is that people can take steps to protect their anonymity but some people choose to waive that.

Ergo, it's a club. Anyone can join and if you are naughty, you will be shunned socially or if it's bad enough, unceremoniously evicted by the bouncers (sorry MNHQ folks, I know you aren't (all) burly blokes in badly fitting suits ).

It's actually that simple. If you accept that's how it is and post accordingly we don't need badge schemes, vouchsafing or any other such protocols which would only put Mumsnet's costs up to the point that it may not be worth them continuing.

I've administrated large sites - you need full time staff to deal with the problems when you get into complicated membership schemes. I'm not convinced this site is broken, so why are people so keen to tinker.

Go away for four weeks, come back, it'll have simmered down.

[MerlinsBeard]

Why not have EVERYONEs profile page say Member since It stays with you thru name changes, there is no hierarchy of i posted 200 times more than you in July 2006 or whatever, no tickers, no stars, no post count.

[RustyBear]

Not four weeks wmmc - by then it'll be another full moon....

[whomovedmychocolate]

Yeah I know RustyBear but the most hysterical people will have exploded by then

[traceybath]

But some trolls have posted loads and take time to create a credible persona particularly sinister ones. So not sure a star system would help with that.

Personally i believe that its more about us as individuals taking responsibility for what we post. If you're happy to share lots of info/photos that make you identifiable thats up to you. But people need to be aware that any message board on the internet is viewable by everyone and anyone.

[Hassled]

I quite like the stars idea - it'd be like the MacDonalds Stars of Honour And within the stars, we could have sub-stars (so - what, comets?) for flippancy, belligerence, pedantry etc.

[Dragonbutter]

i don't think mumsnet has a formal heirarchy, it's a percieved one. everyone's opinion is valid here. if a new mumsnetter chooses to be intimidated by their own thoughts that everyone/someone else is more important than them, then it's their own issue.
yes, there are the oldies who've been here since the dawn of time, but if everyone bares in mind that the opinions of mn royalty are no more right/wrong than anyone elses it fine. it thought that was what MN was about, the Mumocracy.
(it said so in the times )

[AbstractMouse]

That's a nice thought dragonbutter, but if you have ever expressed a certain thought in a post and been ignored, then a more well known poster comes along and says exactly the same thing, but gets all the bravo's. You will know it's not true.

[Saturn74]

It would be like eBay, but with slightly more arguments.
Can we rate other posters?

[SharpMolarBear]

Yeah we could leave feedback
"Helped me find non-ladderable tights.Thanks"
Speed of response SSSSS
Helpfulness SSSSS
Readability of answer SSSSS
Courtesy of response SSSSS
(can't do stars on here )

[Dragonbutter]

sorry did someone say something?

[PuppyMonkey]

And would the person with the most stars at the end of the month get a big bar of chocolate or somehing too. If so, I'm in.