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Original poster

Damaging off-topic comments

112 replies

mranchovy · 21/12/2010 20:34

The occasional annoying, irrelevant, off-topic or unhelpful comment is an inevitable feature of internet discussions. However, an increasing number of posts that are actively damaging to the interests of people coming to Mumsnet for help and advice are detracting from the excellent information given in many cases by skilled, qualified and experienced experts in their field.

I ask that Mumsnet should use the discretion witheld in its terms to remove all material posted from the accounts of individuals who repeatedly make such posts, and take steps to prevent any more potentially harmful posts by such individuals.

I am writing this with some regret, partly because I feel some empathy for the individuals who make such posts and wish I could offer them some help that would enable them to participate in online discussion in a more constructive way, and partly because I have an emotional attachment to the concept of free speech. However, in any society that is not an anarchy, freedom must be limited where its exercise impinges on the rights of others. In this case it appears that the interests of many people, over a considerable amount of time have been and are continuing to be harmed by certain individuals exercising the freedom to post on Mumsnet and I assert that this freedom should be removed from those individuals. If you disagree, I would be interested to know why.

OP posts:
Pantofino · 21/12/2010 22:26

And why do you care exactly? Do you feel you have been given misleading advice in the past? Or is it just that you feel superior to us "normal" humans who can make their own minds up and want to protect us from something nasty?

Malkuth · 21/12/2010 22:25

But the person I am thinking of doesn't try to give good advice. That is the whole point. They try to forward their agenda with no thought to the person actually in need. The whole thread then gets completely hijacked as people try to point out the flaws in their arguments whilst the axegrinder rants away with no thought to the OP and the problems they are facing. It is incredibly arrogant and has nothing to do with giving good or relevant advice.

Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 22:23

@Ormirian

I hate the idea of censorship, but I hate the effect of these posts more as I have said below.

And I absolutley agree that this is not a place where experts have the final say. It's a place where people give their advice and relate their experiences.

But the posts that I am talking about do not give genuine advice or relate experiences, they fall into 3 general categories:

  1. Irrelevant questions or comments
  2. Incorrect, misleading or ill-informed statements that are not given as advice in any normal meaning of the word (I am not going to speculate now on why these statements may be made)
  3. Extreme generalisations that may be based on experience but this experience is never related, the generalisation is just repeated or topic changed
OP posts:
nightmarebeforechristmas · 21/12/2010 22:21

what a pile of pooh
if someone posts in sn and asks advice, surely to god people give the best advice they can.
and that might mean a few people disagreeing.

Pantofino · 21/12/2010 22:19

But surely there is a consensus of opinion which you go with or ignore. BLW, BF, Co-sleeping, Boden, heck shredding and FLY. These are all MN biggies, yet I did none of them.

I give my small child fruit shoots from time to time. We even go occasionally to McD's Shock. MN isn't the BIBLE. It is a great place to go for feedback and advice. Those threads where specific advice is needed - it is ALWAYS suggested that you sse the professionals. CAB, Women's Aid, Samaritans etc etc.

Malkuth · 21/12/2010 22:16

I believe in freedom of speech but along with that goes responsibility. Mr Axegrinder has a personal agenda and uses vulnerable people to forward that agenda. I don't think it is then censorship to delete his comments.

Ormirian · 21/12/2010 22:11

Oh wonderful. Censorship Hmm

This is not a place where experts have the final say. It's a place where people give their advice and relate their experiences.

Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 22:11

Exactly Marjoriew. Does this make Mumsnet less good than it could be? I think so, that's why I am speaking up.

OP posts:
Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 22:08

@CaptainNancy I outed myself here.

OP posts:
Marjoriew · 21/12/2010 22:07

Take a scenario where a parent wants some advice about unexpected involvement from Social Services. This parent cannot understand why Social Services have become involved in their family situation. They have no previous experience of Social Services involvement - only what they read/see in the media. Panic sets in and and they come here for advice/support.
Sympathy from other posters follow. They can't offer advice but do get support nevertheless. Along comes someone with legal or SS experience and offers concrete advice about what to do based on professional experience.
Enter Mr Axegrinder with his usual putdown of social services - in fact anyone in authority and he takes the thread as his own and uses his own situation - OP disappears.
This happens on other sites where Mr Axegrinder posts.
It's not tolerated on other sites - it's tolerated here and he knows it.

Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 22:04

@QueenGigantaurofMnet

i don't think it needs a "least bad" acton though.

this is a public forum that invites the contirbutions of all. both the professionals and laymen, the degree educated and the left school at 15's.

it is precisely that mix that makes it the site that it is.

Agreed

Newcomers to the site may well be overwhelmed by the breadth of "advice" they recieve but they should not be treated as stupid.

Not stupid, but often vulnerable

but also that those whohave had a bad experience are just as entitled to offer advice as you or i.
their experiences are just as valid and indeed worthy of consideration.

In some cases though posts are not made on the basis of any experience, just a second-hand regurgitation of things that have been read, assumptions and generalisations which results in something that is just plain wrong and definately not valid or worthy of consideration.

OP posts:
Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 21:56

@CaptainNancy No, I am unrelated to Anchovy - she has not posted here for some years I think so I hoped there would be no confusion.

OP posts:
fantus · 21/12/2010 21:55

To answer op's question, what QueenGigantaur said. If there is one dissenter amongst 20 posts to the contrary on any given subject it is up to the reader's discretion to balance this with the other views.

And the truth is that some people do have bad experiences - should they not be allowed to share their experiences with others?

And corny - yep, after much thought (and reading another thread Grin) I am pretty sure he is asleep

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 21/12/2010 21:48

i don't think it needs a "least bad" acton though.

this is a public forum that invites the contirbutions of all. both the professionals and laymen, the degree educated and the left school at 15's.

it is precisely that mix that makes it the site that it is.

Newcomers to the site may well be overwhelmed by the breadth of "advice" they recieve but they should not be treated as stupid. they should be afforded assumtpion that they are intelligent to know that there will be some people who have had a bad experience.

but also that those whohave had a bad experience are just as entitled to offer advice as you or i.
their experiences are just as valid and indeed worthy of consideration.

When i was discussing medication for my Ds i wanted the good AND the bad stories. i wanted to know all the side effects, the pitfalls and just how bad ut might go

I think with any scenario people want all the advice. if all they get is the professional opinion then what is the point of posting on mumsnet? they could just wait for the appointment and hear it from their own gp/hv/sw etc

CaptainNancy · 21/12/2010 21:45

Confused I assumed Mranchovy was anchovy's DH... not the case then?

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 21:41

fantus no way!

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 21:41

Yes - sometimes it helps to thrash things out
We aren't stupid - we can see for ourselves if posters have 'ishoos'

fantus · 21/12/2010 21:41

asleep

Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 21:40

such posts are few and limited to a couple of posters only who are regularly lambasted

Actually they number more than a few, in some topics there can be such posts at least once on the majority of threads over a reasonable period of time.

And the lambasting is part of the problem - it detracts from the good advice as much as the off-topic posts do.

Do you think that Mumsnet is a better place with these comments and their responses than it would be without them?

OP posts:
AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 21/12/2010 21:37

hiya belle

happy xmas

now...what is your opinion on the Leo DiCaprio asleep/awake dilemma ?

JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 21/12/2010 21:35

AF Xmas Grin

LeninInExcelsis · 21/12/2010 21:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 21:35

I thought so

AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 21/12/2010 21:34

his thread is a bit fishy

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 21:33

Isn't that why MN have a disclaimer though?
such posts are few and limited to a couple of posters only who are regularly lambasted

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