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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:
Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 21:30

Let's not get too hung up about the specific example of SEN and problems with SS, my point is that anyone who consistently posts off-topic or unhelpful comments should be treated in the same way as anyone who consistently posts abusive, racist, threatening etc. posts would be, namely they should be banned and all their posts should be deleted.

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

sadly we can't just get MNHQ to delete the advice we think is rubbish. however tempting it may be.

As a general rule, maybe not, but there must be exceptions.

If you were to suggest that I should slit my wrists and sit in a corner until I bleed to death, I am sure that that post would be deleted. If you consistently made such posts, I would expect you to be banned and all your posts deleted.

It is a matter of degree and the 'least worst' option. On balance, which does the more harm to the greater number of individuals: leaving many hundreds of inappropriate posts on the forum and allowing them to continue to be made or removing and preventing them?

OP posts:
wannaBe · 21/12/2010 21:22

fwiw I think a lot of dangerous advice is given on mn not just about ss but about lots of other things. I am often quite Hmm when I see posters for instance telling a bf mum that she shouldn't be giving formula even when baby isn't gaining weight/that it's ok to use medication when bf even when medical advice claims you shouldn't/that it's ok to co-sleep even though that goes against all sids advice... and so on.

I think it's quite scary that people take the advice of unqualified people on the internet over that of their mw/hv/gp..

autodidact · 21/12/2010 21:21

Oh is this about johnhemming?

scurryfunge · 21/12/2010 21:17

Don'tknow why I put the extra "d" in feeding.

wannaBe · 21/12/2010 21:17

is johnhemming back then? Or is he posting under a different name since he's presumably part of the coalition government so can't exactly be seen to be posting about the evil ss any more...

scurryfunge · 21/12/2010 21:16

But then do you delete every poster who says that formula feedding is ok, or not to call the police if you are raped, or not to teach your child to swim because swimmers are more likely to drown than non-swimmers?

I would rather posters made up their own minds. MN is good on the whole for advice but not everyone gets it right all the time. You have to give those asking questions some credit.

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 21:15

posters on the SEN board aren't necessarily looking for a professional's opinion - often they want to know about the experiences of other parents who have been through a similar situation.

MadameCastafiore · 21/12/2010 21:14

The thing is MrAnchovy, AxeGrinder may be a parent who has been told that perhaps her/his parenting is the cause of her little darlings problems - that would be a good reason to have something against CAMHS and as they often are quite honest, rightly so, although in a diplomatic way, they can put peoples backs up.

Think is can;t stop people posting their opinions and if they feel that they do have an issue with a certain professional group of people it is up to the OP to actually filter out the shit form what the ther posters who post their credentials have to say.

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

to delete would be to censor

Yes it would. Do you disagree with the reasons I gave that sometimes censorship is the least worst course of action?

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

Those of us that post regularly know who to take seriously and who speaks rubbish with apparent authority, newcomers don't.

I am keen not to personalise this, so let's consider an hypothetical conversation:

OP: My daughter has been having some problems at school and now the school have brought in an Educational Psychologist who has said that my daughter needs to be assesed by something called Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. I've never posted on Mumsnet or anywhere else before but I've got nowhere else to go and I'm terrified about what is wrong with my little girl and what is going to happen.

SympatheticPoster: I'm really sorry to hear about this OP, I went through something similar with my DD a couple of years ago. There are a number of places you can turn to for support etc. etc.

KnowledgeablePoster: I am an Ed. Pshych. and I know how distressing this must be for you, but I have seen many children go through similar hard times and end up in a much better place than they started in. It is important that you talk to your daughter and find out.. etc. etc.

AxeGrinder: Don't go near CAMHS, they will really screw you up.

ShockedFollower: Don't listen to AxeGrinder, he always says rubbish like that.

... continued for another 12 posts...

OP: comes back to read responses and runs away even more confused and distressed, noone is able or willing to help her, they just want to slag each other off. And it seems that CAMHS is something to be scared of as they obviously gave AxeGrinder some problems.

.

Is this really what the Mumsnet and the overwhelming majority of its users want?

OP posts:
QueenGigantaurofMnet · 21/12/2010 21:00

ahh well i reckon i know who it is you are tlkaing about now and have called that poster on her comments a few times.

there are quite a number of us SW's on here who do pile in to point out if advice is innacurate or misleading.

but unless they are claiming to be a certain professioon and issuiong the advice with some sort of fake authority then there really isn't anything to be done. to delete would be to censor

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 20:56
AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 21/12/2010 20:54

oo yes please

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 20:52

You are asking for it now AF

AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 21/12/2010 20:50

he was in a semi-conscious state

scurryfunge · 21/12/2010 20:50

Yes Malkuth, it would be damaging but I think we need to give credit to posters. There are far more people who will openly tell that particular poster they are talking shite.

cornyPrawnsdefrostJasonDonovan · 21/12/2010 20:50

No today is a special day

pagwatch · 21/12/2010 20:48

Grinat corny

I am hardly ever here in the evening. Is it always this funny/odd?

Malkuth · 21/12/2010 20:48

When it is not just rubbish advice but harmful, possibly dangerous advice I believe that MNHQ should delete it. Telling people all social workers lie and that you should never talk to them or cooperate is potentially devasting for someone who is already vulnerable.

autodidact · 21/12/2010 20:47

I don't know what you're talking about so can't say whether I agree with you or not, I'm afraid.

Original poster
mranchovy · 21/12/2010 20:46

It's alright thanks shinyshoesandglitterypoos, I'm a big boy now and besides I've got my security blanket with me.

But many people who come to Mumsnet for the first time asking for advice in, say, the Education: Special Needs topic are in a much more vulnerable position and it is for them that I am concerned.

OP posts:
scurryfunge · 21/12/2010 20:46

I think I know who you are talking about but agree free speech is important. Most people would ignore this poster anyway and there are always plenty of people to point out his lunacy.

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 21/12/2010 20:44

who? where?

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 21/12/2010 20:43

sadly we can't just get MNHQ to delete the advice we think is rubbish. however tempting it may be.

you simply have to point out why that course of action would be a bad idea and show reasons why doing it your way properly would be a better idea.

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