Mumsnet Talk

As troll hunting season seems to be upon us once more and MNHQ have tried several times to outline their troll policy over the years I've been here and it has had little affect. Is there a way that troll hunting can be discouraged?

on threads like this where someone name changes to accuse OP of trolling.

This seems wrong because:
a) if the OP is trolling then surely there is no harm caused. They are not asking for people's money or contacting people offline (afaik)

b) if the OP isn't trolling there is a great deal of upset caused to them.

c) the only reason for calling 'troll' seems to be that their posting style seems familiar to one or two mners.

It seems that trolling accusations are now being thrown at people who have been round a while posting, not just newbies.

Also while I appreciate some trolls do cause posters a lot of upset and problems (I have seen a few) these are rare and tend to be more obvious than a thread on a sensitive asking purely for advice and nothing else.

Plus as MNHQ are unlikely to be able to tell if someone is trolling unless extreme and repeated. And even then not 100%

Would it be a good idea to have a policy of deleting posts crying troll? They cause upset and are offensive to those accused at difficult times. Any serious concerns re trolling can still be reported to MNHQ via the report this post function.

It seems that asking people to stop doing it isn't having any affect and I for one think it is damaging MN because it does put people, especially newbies off posting for advice on serious issues.

Anyone else got a view.

If I suspect a troll I just contact MNHQ and leave it to them to decide rather than shouting troll. I think that naming and shaming just spoils a thread that might also contain useful information and support for others. Having said that there have been some truly horrible trolls recently.

You can't stop people being sceptical, especially when MNHQ can't actually tell most of the time. The Troll Policy clearly doesn't prevent trolls, so that's why people still end up saying what they think sometimes. As long as it doesn't get abusive, I think most posters are quite able to shrug off the odd troll accusation if they are genuine. Some of the most prolific trolls actually start threads slagging off troll-hunters, so there you go

I've not been on here long, but have come across quite a few shouts of 'troll' on threads. I wouldn't do it myself, if I don't find a thread believable I just ignore it.

I haven't come across any nasty troll posting though (that I'm aware of) so may just be a bit naive about this all.

I never recognise posters posting styles etc ..if I think someones trolling I just think 'yeah right' and move along ...the troll hunters get on my nerves tho

You can't stop people being sceptical, no but you can report things to MNHQ. And no they can't always tell but they can keep an eye on the situation.

I disagree that most people are just able to shrug it off. It is easy to get upset especially if you are already in a bad situation.

And what exactly is the point of doing it? There seems to be no upside but plenty of downsides.

Plus it does put people off posting. They get worried about being accused of trolling and can't face it. That is appalling imo.

Yes there have been serious trolls but now anyone and everyone is accused on little or no grounds. Even on the grounds of not responding to a thread quick enough

It is fucking appalling. No one on here can prove 100% they are who they say they are and they are telling the absolute truth. There is no way to prove that.

Yet to people doing it it seems to just give them a sense of self importance, like they're cleverer than anyone else. And no one can prove 100% that they're wrong.

Using any talk board requires an element of trust, to believe what people are saying. Of course to take this to the extremes would be silly. But these constant accusations destroy that and eventually stop this being a place people can ask for advice because of threads being hijack by constant allegations.

I find it really, really hard when a thread/situation about something very difficult seemingly escalates into the realms of fantasy and has people sharing their own truthful and painful stories. It feels abusive and is appalling to watch.

but you can only ever suspect that not know 100% that it is fantasy. Also you can report it.

Usually you have several other posters that similar has happened to - are they all fantasists as well?

I personally can't stand the trolls who are laughing up their sleeves at everybody replying to their jackanory tales of woe. They are the ones who think they are cleverer than everyone and are "fucking appalling", actually.

I think the worst ones are when people are encouraged to share very personal experiences in the hope of helping the OP who then turns out to be a troll. Those are the posts I'm thinking of and those can do some damage.

the troll hunting on the thread you linked really annoyed me

all the information on that thread would be relevant to anyone else in a similar situation

it is up to posters themselves to monitor what they share on the WWW

perhaps the troll hunters could have a topic/thread all of their very own to discuss concerns and then report to MNHQ

The so called trolls don't ask people to share their stories tho ..its up to us what we choose to share on here

No you can't be 100% and people can just namechange and carry on with the next story anyway. I know you can report but I think it's also ok to question the course of events and challenge inconsistencies on the thread too, with some sensitivity, as I guess as you would in real life.

questioning with sensitivity is one thing and I personally don't have a problem with that. Jumping on and just shouting 'troll' is another though.

No they don't halfcut but they are manipulative, maybe that's what annoys me, that they're just taking the piss out of others who have really been through a difficult experience.

may I say something...I've thought about this a lot and struggled to come up with an answer.

For what it's worth I'm usually on the alert for people posting stuff that isn't genuine, so don't generally feel the need to be 'warned' as such but can see why some posters do want to do it - and I have often had a sniff around the archives when I suspect a thread isn't genuine. I'd not want to be the first to state a concern however and generally just ignore it or if I think it's obvious, send MNHQ an email asking them to check - usually someone else has got there first.

But I don't think the people who post such warnings are being glory-seeking or self-promoting. Think of it like this for a minute and see if we get anywhere:

You're at home and see someone you don't trust hanging around your neighbour's house. Do you a) confront the person directly, b) call the police when they may well be innocent, and the police are fairly powerless to act on suspicion alone, or c) call your neighbour and explain your concerns?

Unless of course you think your neighbour doesn't want to know...or ought to figure it out for themselves, despite the fact you don't think they have done so.

Or do you just wait and see if the hanger-arounder comes back and causes some obvious disorder before doing anything.

A reasonable policy would be to report to MNHQ, and then yes, delete the "There's a Troll!" posts.

Be adult, fellow MNers, and be mindful of what you share. Everything we post, as stated in the MN terms and conditions, is fair game for publication. As has been previously mentioned, if you find a thread suspicious, walk away.

I can understand people being upset if they have revealed deeply personal stuff on here thinking its helping someone else..but I still think the troll hunters get some kind of kick out of how many trolls they can spot .I mean who can be arsed to trawl through someones posts for tiny inconsistencies etc ..that seems weird to me

Juillet, the big difference between your example and MN is that your neighbor cannot ignore the reality of the lurker if they are ill-intentioned, while a MNer could simply not participate in a suspicious thread.

i agree halfcut

I think the troll hunters want to show how very clever they are..

report, ignore and dont click

simples

Hmmm that's true Z...<thinks>

What about the person who has already shared how they overcame impotence with their DH, or the trouble they had with a child's bedwetting etc, when other people who have read the thread know fine well that the OP is a troll seeking sexual gratification, because they recogtnise the posting style? Don't they deserve a head's up so they are a bit more alert next time?

BitOfFun, If people already know about the poster, they would be reported and addressed under the proposed policy.

Maybe some people do have a wish to show off about finding a troll, but I don't think that's the sole motive of most. I think it's mean to suggest that...what about people who join neighbourhood watch or the police, are they show offs for wanting to seek out and remove those causing disruption or hurt in a community?

I don't think so. I think the intentions are good but it can backfire if the person is genuine and is hurt by the allegation.

That's our major trip-up on here.

But MNHQ have left threads up if they can't prove the OP is lying- and let's face it, some trolls post with dynamic IP addresses and slip under the radar that way.