Temporary ban for troll hunters?

Maybe you're not on here much, fargate.

I'm surprised some people don't see what I gave as an example as "threatening". It is extremely malevolent to try to persuade an OP to post very personal info which she should not be giving away on a public forum.

Goodness, Camilla I've never seen anything like that on an MN thread!!! Could you be exaggerating a little?

Camilla Don't you think its often a that sets it all off though. Soon enough people start shouting troll and before you know it people are giving very unsubtle hints about who they really think the poster is, like on CRS's thread recently about the troll grandparent thread.

I agree. Some people cry "Troll" when they're losing the argument.

Honestly, the odd is not what we're talking about, surely.

It's the "How many children did you say you'd got? And where do they go to school?" or "You still haven't told us which hospital you work at. Why are you not willing to tell us? Are you really not a nurse at all? Unless you tell us immediately the name of your hospital, I for one shall not believe a single word you say." That kind of thing is really threatening.

I hate the insinuation that if a poster is new that they are more likely to be a troll. The worst cases of trollery I have seen on here have been where people have been hurt by long standing trolls. The ones that have taken the time to really draw people in, people daft enough to get involved off-board as well have been the worst affected.

I name change frequently, I have today in fact but I'm not new, been here years. To be honest, new trolls are the best kind, you can ignore them if you want to. the worst are the ones you think you know, think you are 'friends' with on fb, but all the time they are drawing people in, trying to make them vulnerable and then taking advantage of them.

I do agree though, the troll hunters ought to be accountable if they break the guidance rules.

The problem is that whilst regular mumsnetters feel that MNHQ don't eek out all the trolls when they are reported there will be vigilantes wanting to track them down themselves. An innocent here or a not too subtle clue there - when does it become a breach of the guidlines?

Absolutely agree, LeBOF. With all your points. Well said.

Where do you draw the line though? At any expression of scepticism? Any closer questioning of the OP? Any enquiry if a poster is new? Any comment on how similar a story appears to a previous thread? It's unworkable. If somebody repeatedly breaks guidelines, they are usually warned, and then banned temporarily or permanently but they usually come back anyway. I can't see that a new zero tolerance policy would do anything but piss people off who'd be having their reasonable right to free speech curtailed.

I don't know what the answer is, but all that has happened lately has definately stopped me from posting for advice/support. What has happened to my family over the last year leaves even me feeling incredulous and I know if I posted it, that the troll hunters would be on me in seconds....there must be others out there who feel the same, which is sad as we could probably really do with the support.

I agree that sometimes people are trying to protect others by calling 'bullshit' on a thread. I have been on forums long enough to spot crap but standing by as other people get sucked in by emotional vampires is still difficult.

Sometimes 'trolling' refers to just making stuff up for shits and giggles, it doesn't have to be sinister and isn't always to be taken as an insult.

What MmeL said.

And Sadly, most of us were a bit at the suggestion of you being a troll. Remember - the majority of us were there to help you. Don't let the minority detract from that. :)

Sadlydoingshineypenguins
I was on that thread, and said something alone the lines of "if she is a troll, leave her alone as it is a great thread". It had not occurred to me that you were anything other than genuine. I am sorry if you feel that it takes away from the fun of the thread, and the support you received, but it was actually meant (I think) in an admiring way. There are some really funny "troll" threads in the past.

Banning troll hunters, even temporarily is tricky because it is sometimes hard to prove. If I see a suspicious thread, then I watch it for a while and report if I think that it is going too far. When I say too far, I mean that posters are getting too emotionally involved in "supporting" the OP.

I do think that the lolz hun speak usage was ridiculous and had the potential to cause a lot of upset.

If I am unsure, then I may ask another poster (one I know well) if I am imagining things. And then report.

No I don't agree. Where would you stop?

Are you saying that you want anyone who expresses scepticism about a post or poster, regardless of where they post it to be banned? Really?

Should MNHQ ban people posting or on posts as well? After all that's as bad as saying you smell goat.

Not everyone will believe what you post on line. Shocker.

sadlydoingshineypenguins
I think people were talking at crossed purposes on that other thread and it was soon established that 99.9999% of people did not think you were a troll.

I agree with Usualsuspect - if you really cannot take a mild from someone you don't know on the internet then perhaps you shouldn't expose yourself to the potential hurt (general you, not "you" you).

QS: I think you have an interesting point. It would probably cause more grief than good, overall though.

My MN default setting atm is believe nothing unless I know the OP

sad but true

I think a witchhunt is when posters go out to get a certain poster

Don't be your the only poster doesn't blank me on here!.

What is a witch really? I'm that stupid.

I never spot the trolls usual.

I keep off relationship board, as i gather it's easy to get sucked in at times on there.

Did I ? oh yeah I remember now

sorry about that

Hello Usual , you know me don't you? Remember you to told me to

get to fuck(twas a misunderstanding).

Phew, don't feel so Para now .

What about the troll hunter hunters?
and if being called a troll upsets you so much maybe you should keep off the internet

Oops! have i just killed the thread or do you all think i'm a troll/witch??

.

Can someone say what a witch hunter is, or the definition of a witch? Thanks.

I disagree.

MN is a public forum and there are channels for reporting and for the vast majority of time it works perfectly well.

If anyone finds MN that upsetting, maybe take a break and rely on RL friends and family more than the cyber world?

Trolls are a fact of life on forums and trollhunting follows suit.