MNHQ - why can't you leave threads which you have reason to suspect are trolling threads?

[silverfrog]

The recent AS/ADD/ASD one is a case in point.

OP spouts some nonsense about (in her opinion) 90% of AS dx's not being valid.

lots of people point out that this is not the case.

some others spout nonsense about dinner ladies dx'ing etc.

and then you come on, say you have reason to suspect that OP is not genuine (which a lot of posters had been saying all along), and delete.

which just gives the opportunisitc trollers - the ones who pop up when these threads start, wholeheartedly agreeing - the chance to quote the crap that was psouted in future threads.

why can't you leave the thread, with a nice big banner across the top saying that MNHQ has reason to believe all is not genuine?

what good does it do to now have posters, who believed the OP of that thread to be genuine, now able to say 'oooh, I heard form a therapist once that s/he thought that As was over'-dx'ed, so that proves it is a made-up condition"

[2shoes]

good point

[3cutedarlings]

Excellent point

[FlamingoBingo]

I agree - good point.

[LoveBeingADaddysGirl]

Didn't realise that one got deleted, on what basis?

[JustineMumsnet]

Well, we know from experience that people don't read entire threads - so leaving tosh up is a risky policy. Plus it always causes arguments, which is exactly what the troll is after, of course.

But we will look to see if it might be possible to change the message you get when you click on the deleted thread, so we can provide a bit of explanation. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for the input.

[Niecie]

Can you not just stop people posting if you think it causes too many arguments. Put a notice on the top saying the thread has been frozen because you believe there is trolling and then leave it standing?

Somebody on the Aspie BS thread said that some of the posters only pop up to troll on such threads. No way will I remember who they are in the future so next time there is something similar I risk getting sucked in again. Leave it as a reference point.

[FlamingoBingo]

I think freezing the thread, and putting a big 'this may be tosh' banner at hte top, would be fine, though.

[silverfrog]

thanks Justine.

I don't think just changing the message when the thread is clicke don will work - I assume yu mean still deleting the htread, but then having a message appear that says "this thread was deleted because it was controversial"

that doesn't help counter the arguments (that crop up again and again) re: AS being fictitious, or over-dx'ed, or that DLA is easy to claim, or that many parents only want ot label their children to ge tmore money (I mean, ffs!)

with all due respect, you do leave lots of posts containing any old tosh up, day after day.

A nice clear warning across the top (and, if necessary, the bottom) would make more sense, imo. the one on the live webchats threads is hard ot ignore, for instance, purely because there are not many threads with big red warnings across the top of them.

I do appreciate that not everyone reads the whole thread (that is blindingly obvious when you are on threads like the one in question!), and that you will still get people arguing that black is white.

but this is not about stifling discussion, it is (sadly) about educating.

there were (erroneous) claims on that thread that:

AS/ASD children are all aggressive,
badly behaved,
fussy eaters,
that schools got more funding if the child had a dx
that it is easy to get your stroppy teen dx'ed with AS/ADD

amongst, no, doubt, many more.

deleting the thread leaves doubters with the memory of these claims but, (strangely ) no memory of the counter arguments.

so all deleting the thread does is strengthen the position of the (to use pagwatch's delightful phrase) cockmonkeys, by giving them room to "mis-rememeber" things they "once read somewhere", and gives the people who fight so hard day after day to get their children the help they need, nowhere to counter these arguments, until the next thread pops up full of the misconceptions.

[tabulahrasa]

don't forget the...

once you've got a diagnosis you're entitled to benefits

which leads to...

parents pushing for a diagnosis for money

as I said in Special needs, I was in the middle of agreeing with silverfish that it should stay when it was removed

[ChickensFlyingUnderTheRadar]

Maybe there could be a board for the 'frozen' threads. A sort of reference library of bullshit, if you will.

[silverfrog]

ah yes, the "parents dx their children so they can get more money" line.

an odd one that.

dd1 has cost us (rough estimate) in excess of £70k so far she's only 6!), to get her statemented, in the right school, and educated while we fought the statement at tribunal.

and we don't claim DLA.

yep, loads of money rolling in there then...

that's why threads like that should stand. people should not be allowed ot get away with claiming htat parents only seek dx so they can claim mmore benefits - study after study has shown that households which include disable dpeople are more likely to be impoverished households.

[tabulahrasa]

it's a weird one because people with no experience of it seem to think that a diagnosis makes someone entitled to DLA

I don't think people understand how it works at all, I genuinely think there's a lot of people who think it works like child benefit, have a child, get child benefit, get a diagnosis, get DLA...

Which is why I was trying to explain how it does work even though I knew the person saying it was saying for affect

[aStarWithHerOwnWays]

Didn't see this thread, but I use another board that has a subforum like the one Chickens describes. If a thread gets out of hand with the personal abuse or is clearly nothing but trolling, the moderators lock it and put it in the bin. That way anyone can see what was posted by whom and, crucially, why it was deemed to be binworthy.

It is also a very funny place to have a look through at times

[silverfrog]

yes, and that's another important message lost, only to have to be repeated again if when the next thread pops up...

the number of parents who have to appeal and go to tribunal to be able to claim DLA for their disabled children is ridiculous

[pagwatch]

Perhaps we could get a cock monkey icon that could flash next to the thread title.



I did love the culinary behavioural therapist though...

[wukter]

What would a cock monkey emoticon look like, I wonder.....

[pagwatch]

Thing is silver half the people that leap on to those threads have no wish to learn and will arrive gleefully every time. They get off on it and just name change (or not) and spout the same tosh every time.

I completely understand what you are saying but I , negatively I suspect, feel that these threads will always produce uninformed film flam that posters will never be persuaded out of. Because they like believing it.
It makes sense to them, makes then feel superior.

[meh]

[2blessed2bstressed]

Have posted on the SN topics page, but wanted to come here and add my voice to those saying that the thread should have stayed. I was one of the posters who has a child with autism - diagnosed by a team of professionals - who argued against some of the OP's preposterous rant. It was upsetting, but I think it should have stayed, so that more sane MNetters who may not have previously been aware, can get a better idea of some of the SHIT we have to put up with on a regular basis.

[DanceInTheDark]

MNHQ can't put a banner up saying "This may be a load of bridge dwelling" because sometimes it is not trolling.

I do think that HQ shold bable to lock threads with a message that says, this thread has been locked, please respect MNHQ's decision and do not start other threads relating to this.

[2blessed2bstressed]

Yes they can. If they say it may be a load of bridge dwelling, then that's fine. It may not be.
As for starting another thread relating to it - if there's no explanation, and no message, then what do you expect? People have invested time and thought into their responses and they're entitled to know what's happened.

[DanceInTheDark]

It was just my opinion that it may do more harm than good.

I also wasn't having a go at people starting threads about threads, i suggested that HQ could ask that people don't start threads about a locked thread.

Please don't yell at me for my opinion!

[2blessed2bstressed]

I WASN'T YELLING. THIS IS YELLING

[ReclaimingMyInnerPeachy]

It is a difficult one though isn;t it?

I know when ds1 was diagnosed that people like the OP on that one confirmed my view of myself as having caused the AS by shite parenting. MN is great as a source of info and debate but tehre is also the issue of those just learning of a DX passing by and how it might affect them.

Not sure which way I swing in all truth: maybe a red colour for the thread with a disclaimer so that people are alerted would be the best way.

[Jux]

I think you could block further postings to the thread at the point at which you would normally pull it, and have it coloured a grotty poo-colour so everyone knows that it's an 'otherwise pulled' thread iyswim. You could have a special folder for troll threads or something.

Once smell-ovision is perfected, you could make them exude a mild poo-smell too.

[silverfrog]

DanceintheDark: MNHQ said they pulled the htread because they had reson to suspect all was not as it seemed. If they have enough reason to suspect that, then they have enough "proof" to put a banner on, imo.

if they don't, then they shouldn't have pulled the htread anyway.

PEachy ( - every thread I see you on you've got another name...): I do see what you are saying. But back when I was in the dark place that is the dx journey, I owuld have appreciated seeing the posters who were sticking up for the disabled on that thread. the ones who were telling it how it is, and knocking back the ridiculous notions.

I think it could be just as valuable as it is difficult for those starting out on this path - seeing the wankers unmasked as wankers, and out in their place could be very empowering