Agreed upon signal that OP is a troll?

[SinclairSpectrum]

I have been here a while but still get caught out by troll / goudy fucker threads sometimes.
I end up feeling a right tit when the penny drops.
I realise that a thread can be reported and the MNHQ sleuths then get to work but can't we agree on a universal 'heads up' signal to post that suggests all may not be as it seems?

[GirlInterupted]

Yanbu

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Don't you think that might become a "what to avoid" toolkit for trolls?

[HellKitty]

Cheshire Scumbag!

[GirlInterupted]

Post too soon! I was on a thread a few days ago where the troll was pretending to be a teacher. It's frustrating when you can't cl them out

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Sorry misread - you're not looking for a list of warning signs of things trolls do.

The thing with the heads up is that troll hunting is against mn rules so people posting the heads up would get their post deleted.

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Which one was that Girl it rings a bell.

[BeenWondering]

Terrible idea. For a start it's not worth getting so invested and secondly what if this universal sign is used incorrectly. Best to report the thread and get on with other things.

As a side note, I tend to get annoyed by name-changers who declare in their opening posts "I'm regular.. pom bears, penis beaker etc etc" There's no-one at the door checking credentials fgs!

[AnyoneForTennis]

wel li was on a thread recently and everyone was calling troll..HQcame on to say it wasn't a troll. so how would you know for certain?? you wouldn't

things have happened in my life where if I wrote a thread I'm sure people would call troll!! I cant be the only one either

[HappenstanceMarmite]

As a side note, I tend to get annoyed by name-changers who declare in their opening posts "I'm regular.. pom bears, penis beaker etc etc" There's no-one at the door checking credentials fgs!

Ha! Me too. I always think it sounds like "Hey I'm one of the cool kids really!" And then proceed to give secret handshake

[AnyoneForTennis]

guess the best thing to do is not get so invested in mumsnet or threads!

[EhricLovesTheBhrothers]

That becomes troll hunting. People have tried it before.

[Faez]

Yes but you can understand why they do it...

[WorraLiberty]

Yeah but once everyone knew the signal (or word) for troll, they might as well just say troll.

Or am I missing something?

I think anyone who uses internet forums just needs to accept that trolls will use them too.

Especially MN, which seems to be made for trolling, due to the name change function.

[Faez]

That was in response to the Pom bears complaints

[Sirzy]

A signal would just be troll hunting wouldn't it?


I agree with the "nc but" lists being annoying to.

[WorraLiberty]

I can never understand why anyone does the 'Pom bear, penis beaker, naice ham' declaration.

If they're regular enough to know those things, they're regular enough to know it makes no difference whatsoever, as to whether they might be considered a troll or not.

[LittleBearPad]

But saying Pom bears doesn't prove anything. It's said so much that any troll would easily use it too.

Saying Penis beaker proves nothing - it was a ridiculous thread and no long time MNer would use it as proof of anything.

[OrangeVase]

Difficult. Many voice suspicions anyway at some point. I have done so twice but the thread has stood. Have not reported as haven't had any evidence - just a feeling.

I love MN for all the reasons most do but the constant spoiling for a fight is wearing. I also hate the lynch mob mentality when that gets going - and some posters set the thread up to encourage that.

Good to hear different views, good to have your own views challenged but so many threads become pointless ranting or bitching. Not nice. we are better than that.

[FenellaFellorick]

mnhq would just delete it because it would be troll hunting.

The minute you agree a code word for troll, that word becomes troll hunting. mnhq read the boards. They'd know.

I think you just have to accept that there are a load of trolls on here, that you take what you read with a pinch of salt and don't get so invested that getting stung by a troll would hurt you.

mumsnet is really troll friendly, due to the anonymity, the easy name changing and the soft moderation. It's the price to pay, I guess. The internet is full of twats.

[vindscreenviper]

Well you could just post something like this op , but as pp have said you would be told off for troll-hunting.

[TheoriginalLEM]

this is more subtle - a reference to donald sutherlabd might be missed

[PurpleDaisies]

Yeah but once everyone knew the signal (or word) for troll, they might as well just say troll.

This. We'll just be told not to use the signal because that's basically troll hunting. Trolls are annoying but best reported or ignored.

[SinclairSpectrum]

Don't think I am too invested, just think there are some of us who have spidey senses which must tingle off the chart at some threads.
Must be frustrating to see the rest of us continuing to blindly offer advice and support.

[notaplasaticgnome]

I agree with PP. Don't get so invested.

If you don't like a thread click off it.

If you think a thread is made up, but it's not doing any harm, then join in or don't. Entirely up to you.

If someone is being particularly nasty or malicious post them.

[SaulGood]

People do it all the time. You shouldn't as it's troll hunting and I would never advocate it.

However, you may well spot statements like "Gosh op, that's unbelievable that you've had to put up with so much". Or "I can't believe all these terrible things happen to you". I've seen it on a v recent thread and it is absolutely, unequivocally people giving you a heads up. It often gets lost in amongst the high drama and bullshit.

The thing to do is never give too much of yourself and if in doubt, report to MNHQ. Otherwise you just add to the atmosphere of suspicion. Sometimes though, just sometimes I can see why you'd want to post a warning and I know why people do it.