What is going on with personal attacks/disablist language being left to stand?!

The editing thing is weird.

If I call someone a cunt in the midst of my marvellous eloquent outpouring, my whole post is deleted.

Why was this post edited.
Why mnhq?

Fwiw I quite like knowing who the cunts are that use retarded as an insult. But that's just me.

I've never seen editing of posts for this reason. In fact I've only seen it done when someone has used real names by accident in a post. So it does rather come across as favouritism that someone was edited rather than flat out deleted. And there have always been posts that contain good and valid points alongside unacceptable content - hasn't ever made a difference before, the whole lot has to go.

I have never seen a post being 'edited' either - how wierd.

Especially leaving it with no message as to why it has been edited - surely if mnhq are all about people educating other posters about the world of special needs (as they are always telling posters on the special needs boards) then they should heed those words as well, and educate people that using such offensive disability words is not acceptable, not just sweeping it under the carpet (which has rather backfired here!)

I agree. If I called another poster 'retarded' I'd expect my whole post to be deleted. Why are exceptions made for people who slag off feminists?

Either way though it should just have been deleted as soon as the first report came in.

I saw the original comment and IIRC she referred to an idea as fucking [word] rather than a person, so not really a PA but still beyond the pale disablist language.

From the talk guidelines:

Swearwords and offensive language

It's not our policy to delete swearwords (we're all adults, after all) but we do draw the line at obscenity, racist, ageist and disablist language, and wording that is truly beyond the pale.

At the very least I would expect [edited by MNHQ for disablist language]

And yes, this: The point (to me, anyway) is that we're all meant to be under the same rules.

...but perhaps it isn't fair to label that poster forever as racist or disablist. Delete the offensive phrase, reprimand them in an e-mail and let that poster move on.

The poster can always ask MNHQ to delete the whole post.

Imbecile is a term used to describe persons with learning difficulties whereas thicko is a term used to describe someone who behaves in a silly way. Thicko is not a term used to describe someone with learning difficulties.

Not sure where you are getting your definitions from but 'thicko' is not used to describe someone behaving in a silly way. It is just as bad as any of the insults on this thread.

...but perhaps it isn't fair to label that poster forever as racist or disablist. Delete the offensive phrase, reprimand them in an e-mail and let that poster move on.

I suppose editing a post might be ok if there was a blue box saying that a disablist/racist/ whatever term had been deleted or replaced. This might be somethign they could look at implementing if it isn't technically possible for them at the moment.

Bizarre.

But moderation and post deletion has always been rather haphazard on Mumsnet. A bit hit and miss.

Funny that they would go to the trouble to edit it out. Perhaps they felt that the poster's wider point was worthy of consideration and that the whole of it shouldn't go just because she (perhaps maliciously, perhaps ignorantly) used offensive language?

Was it couched as a personal attack against anyone else on the thread? If so then the whole post surely should have been deleted!

a deleted post at least tells the casual reader that something "beyond the pale" was uttered within it

erasing the fact it was ever included and leaving the rest of the post looks like favouritism to me

"let us just sort that for you, lovey, it will look like you said nothing questionable at all"

Just out of interest, did MNHQ delete my thread, with a "this broke talk guidelines" message purely to silence me, or was it also to save face after not deleting the comment the first time around? Could you explain where in the Talk Guidelines it says that TAATs are in breach of them, we all know it's poor form, and I was open about it in my OP, but does it actually breach the guidelines at all?

If I hadn't started the thread, would MNHQ have let the "fucking retarded" comment stand along with the rest of the vitriolic post?

I have to say that this, and some of the more interesting moderating decisions that have been made of late have caused a fair few regulars to deregister, and it's something I'm considering as well. When did MN decide to be anti-feminist in it's outlook? And could someone come back and tell us why?

Thanks.

if I had used the term "fucking retarded" I am sure I would have at least had the whole post deleted and possibly be on the receiving end of a "Mumsnet Calling" email

what's with the special editing treatment ?

I'm pleased it's been edited but this seems to have been handled very badly.

I would have expected the post to be deleted as soon as it was reported. Is it a new policy to edit posts containing 'beyond the pale' offensive language instead of deleting? I know threads and titles are sometimes edited for things like spoilers or identifying info but if someone uses disablist language they are not usually given that courtesy, are they?

I would not have expected the person reporting the post to be told that it's within talk guidelines - surely it's not? - and I would not have expected her thread to be deleted so quickly and without an explanation from MNHQ. The thread could just have been moved to site stuff if necessary.

It's all very odd and a bit rubbish.

Imbecile is a term used to describe persons with learning difficulties whereas thicko is a term used to describe someone who behaves in a silly way. Thicko is not a term used to describe someone with learning difficulties. The point of moving on as a civilised society is learning not to use terms that offend those of colour, religion, those with a disability. Where do you suggest we draw the line Purdie?

I've seen imbecilic, thick, thicko, dense, stupid, idiot, moron...

Personally I would think twice about any term which has been used to describe a disability, difficulty or illness in the past and is now an insult. So I would be fine with calling someone thick, but not imbecile, moron etc. Retarded is totally unacceptable and the editing thing is just plain weird - when did MNHQ start doing that? I would be really unhappy with having my posts amended later by someone else. Can someone from MN Towers give a position, please?