Calling reverse! It drives me mad and literally makes no sense

I've seen loads where they admit it is a reverse. It's usually pretty obvious though.

I’ve seen loads in my time.

They’re always situations where the OP wants people to pile on and get irate at the person they believe has wronged them, so they post about a situation which makes them seem completely unreasonable and oblivious. Fifty people then say ‘I can’t believe you would do that’ and then they can turn around and say ‘it wasn’t me it was my friend’.

I think most of the time it’s because it gives people the satisfaction of seeing the person they feel has wronged them face criticism. I also think there is a strong bias against the OP on mumsnet - people often bend over backwards to criticise an OP in whatever way they can. A reverse overcomes that bias by directing it against the person the OP perceives to be the guilty party.

I see probably 2 or 3 a month. They’re tedious and manipulative, however I do think people would do them a lot less if there wasn’t such a strong culture of automatically criticising the OP on mumsnet.

I think there are a variety of reasons why people do this some genuine some questionable.

Or what @Sunnysidegold said in far fewer words.

I've seen loads!

I don't think they're done for the reasons you say either - usually people post from the other person's perspective, but in a way that makes the other person completely wrong. So everyone says "wow OP, you're the most unreasonable person ever in unreasonableland" and they feel vindicated that their friend/MIL/sister is in the wrong.

Whereas actually if they just posted from their own perspective the story would be much more nuanced and perhaps they're actually the one in the wrong themselves.

So, reverse:

AIBU to insist my DIL gives up her Sunday to do whatever I want?

Actual story:

My MIL has looked after my three children five days a week for a decade for free. She wants us so come over on Sunday for cake to celebrate her birthday but I want to sit in my jammies and watch TV. AIBU to refuse?

@Sunnysidegold yes exactly and an excellent example!

I've seen a couple but they're very rare compared to the number of accusations. It's a rhetorical device, rather than a serious theory in most cases.

The idea is that someone posts as if "from the other side" in order to get a fair and unbiased opinion from AIBU, and confirmation that the person they're in dispute with really is the most unreasonable person ever. Presumably they've got their thumb on the scales on the way they describe it of course.

If I say "this must be a reverse" I'm saying that this unusual occurrence is a more plausible explanation than that someone behaved so appallingly and then genuinely sat down and wrote down this version of events to justify themselves without realising that it makes them look like a monster.

What it probably really is, is just a troll making up a scenario of shockingly awful behaviour to get us all frothing.

Reverses aren’t posted for the reason you’re thinking @Hellostrawberries

Its more like where OP believes someones behaviour (ie not theirs) is really ridiculous, but they dont want to taint responses in their own favour, so they post a reverse to get a real feel for opinions

I kind of think it happens when the OP is so sure they're in the right though. Like they want to excite people into arguing against the stated opinion and thus really back up their true stance.

For example:
Aibu? I broke my neighbour's fence by falling through it when I was drunk and she expects me to pay for it, I've said no way!

I've seen loads in the 15 years I've been here..they're usually fairly obvious though.

I thought this was going to be about reversing the charges on phone calls.

Have you not? I have seen a couple. But agree not proportionate to the amount of times it is suggested!

Occasionally when a thread isn't going the way of the OP they'll say oh yes this is a reverse, but I agree!