Troll-hunting and subsequent Thread-ruining

Oh, you're right. Screw the fifty-odd posters sharing their own traumatic experiences, offering rl help, putting their mental well-being in danger. Screw the genuine posters who need help and advice but are ignored because posters are on the more sensational thread. Let the trolls run free, after all, its only the internet.

But why does it matter so much that it's worth harming a genuine poster in distress?

Of course it matters.
I want to talk to people on here who I trust, not a troll who lies for dramatic effect and attention.
Otherwise what is the point?

Really? You don't see why it matters?

Really? You don't see why it matters?

Well, exactly.

breadbiscuit - I personally think that it doesn't often matter.

I imagine proving/disproving is a tricky one sometimes. So should the general posters of MN act as jury?

There is often such polarityof opinion that there would be chaos?

Can you say why it matters whether the OP is genuine or not? If MNers are posting useful links and info, surely that will help other people in the same situation who are reading the thread? And all that info will then be in the archives for others to read?

I've reported two on Relationships this weekend. They are both still standing so possibly they are both genuine.

I've reported one, yes.

They may well be working behind the scenes though, to try and establish if it's genuine. MNHQ, I think, tend to err on the side of the OP and leave the thread running until they know for certain if it's a troll or a genuine poster.

I did report one , but its still running so MNHQ obviously think its genuine , I think its a load of bollocks tbh.

Have you reported them, LadyBeagleEyes? If you haven't, then you really should - MNHQ can have a look at them in their 'early stages' and see if the poster is legit or not. The longer a thread runs, the more damaging, potentially, they are.

I'm beginning to agree with Usual wrt not believing anything on Relationships anymore.
There are two at the moment, very similar, which scream troll to me, and have only started in the last couple of days.

I'd liken this a bit to the We believe you campaign.

To be in a situation causing you immense pain and not be believed just adds to it.

Interesting thread one

I have read with particular interest because I was one of those getting angry, saying troll hunters should report and give benefit of doubt. I'm seeing the other side of it.

I can see that many posters feel they have been affected by trolls and thus feel strongly enough to want to act.

However I have seen troll accusations on many threads which have remained and there has been nothing to suggest that the troll call was correct. I'd really hate Sophie's experience to be repeated for any poster who was in a stressful emotional situation.

I guess I'm coming from the pov of being someone who name changed a lot to protect my privacy on first joining. The circumstances I found myself in, were (to me even) unbelievable, complex and my own versions and responses did not fit with any reality I could have imagined. I say versions because I didn't really understand the full picture and what I thought about my life was being proved wrong. Had I kept the same name, people would have leapt upon me quoting a previous thread. To try and explain the fast moving, complex situation would have outed me. Equally I was a 'new' poster each time. I was also paranoid about being identified so I changed my story slightly to deflect that. I really valued MN wisdom and support. I was an emotional cripple.

Troll damage - can't imagine this myself but then I've not seen it. Maybe I do exercise healthy protective responses. I might believe posts or get 'sucked in' (as the troll hunters see it) but I don't feel damaged or emotionally involved with the threads on here. So I see no harm in the superficial single threads that offer support.

I do think MN either need to change their stance on troll hunting or be more pro active in preventing trolling AND troll hunting. At the moment both go on and the activities of both harm innocent posters it would appear. So the current system is not working?

Sophie, that sounds horrible, but since we are expected to accept that trolls are just one of those things, we must also accept that troll-hunting is the same.

I have no doubt that people have been a bit at some of my posts in the past, but, you know what? That's their problem. I reserve my indignation for the cause, not the symptom.

My preference would be to have my thread deleted if it has been jumped all over by troll hunters. To me, it just feels humiliating to have sensitive information mocked.

I would prefer to be given the benefit of doubt, have my thread stand and not be mocked and have nasty things said, poster self control.

Would you have preferred your thread to be deleted altogether, SophieNeveau, or to have it stand, even with the troll hunting posts deleted?

I namedchanged and as I was very upset, alone and probably not making much sence as I was having a panic attack. I had no one in rl to turn to. I got lots of nastyness and little support on the thread due to troll hunting, as a result. The nasty posts were removed, the damage was done to my chances of getting any support by the time the posts were deteted.

TSSS, ooooh, wouldn't that be nice!

Oh

Baggsie first dibs on the red button. I'll let you have it back once I've deleted AIBU.