I think that new members should be prevented from posting on the forums for 7 days

Obviously not everybody at the same time though... Bet that would be fun to organise

maybe everyone should be banned from posting for 7 days every two months or so.

I think there should just be a box to tick

Are you
A. A troll
B. planning to troll
C. A normal person
D. A parent who wants to give their children froot shoots
E. Someone who uses baby pasta
F. Particularly adverse to fish, particularly Cod

Of course these should generally seek out some potential Mn nightmares...pmsl

BUT you can be perfectly happy to be disagreed with and not like to be sworn at!

I am happy to debate and argue my perspective (or have my views changed) bt you cant do that if someone just comes on and posts X is a fucker.

Case in point:

I answered your post, I amde points which you may or may not agree with but are valid. You can now disagree or agree as you choose, but had I come one and put
'Madamez ins a fuckwit' (which I don't think btw, although we do often seem to come head to head and ahve very polarised viewpoints),
what does that bring to the situation?

Honestly? Zilch.

I've survived 6 years of Mn without needing to resort to abuse (well without backup arguments lol).

I just don't get why some people are so bleaty about the possiblity of reading posts they don't like. There are loads of areas of parenthood where people vigorously disagree and screech and howl at each other, and there are plenty of news topics where the same thing happens. It's the same anywhere and everywhere on the internet: if you make a fuckwitted, lame or stupid post, you're going to get called on it. And if you make a post that's beuaituflly argued, elegnatly expressed and even witty, but your point is one that others don't agree with (and why should they agree with you anyway) you're still going to get called on it.
If you can't deal with being disagreed with, then internet forums are probably not for you.

I'm new and joined up specifically to ask a question and have since carried on as I have found mnet to be full of genuinely decent and amusing people. Now I'm worried that I'm being taken in and that people are going to be nasty and perhaps give bad/dangerous advise. If only you could list them so I'd know who to avoid.(I realise you can't)
P.S. What is trolling?

Bloody hell, apologies for not joining MN BEFORE I had children so that I could be an established member now ... In the manner of a lovely old granny "You were all newbies once as well you know..."

I think the best thing to do would be for newbies to have to come before a select committee of regular posters and put their case for wanting to join. We can then vote them in or discard them -

Oh but it's all part of the fun and frolics isn't it? We all like an outrageous post or a bit of a scandal.
And if it was that obvious a namechange then there was no harm done, the silly twunt.

Oh yes, that's a superb idea dogsbollox.

Yes, I'm sure you're right, it just takes a while for a reason to become apparent and by then the damage is done, sometimes.

I think I had to wait to post? although that could just be for email confirmation?

Maybe they could be required to have been registered for 30 days before they acquire name changing rights?

That would stop them sitting agreeing with themselves on controversial threads!

I was under the impression that, if they have reason to look, they know about namechanging right away.

No, I don't remember a time lag either- certainly wasn't when I joined. I don't think this is workable either, sorry. I just kind of wish there was a way for MN to track name changing and whether it was being done deliberately to stir up trouble though. I know they can detect it but not always that quickly it seems.

Don't recall there ever being a lag between reg and posting?

No, it's a bad idea. most people are genuine and although there are trolls out there they're either namechangers out to cause a bit of mischief or are very obvious and get short shrift or ignored.
I stumbled on MN (again via a search engine) after I'd had my first MC and to be able to "talk" to other people who'd been through it was a great source of support to me as I didn't know anyone who'd been through it. If I'd had to wait seven days, I probably would never have joined in the first place and been part of what is, for the most part a great community to be part of!

I wouldn't have had the patience to wait. Seems a bit extra.

Terrible idea.
I joined mumsnet and posted right away, got some lovely advice and joined the TTC threads.
I dont know if I would have bothered staying if I had to "prove" myself before posting.

I don't remember there ever being a time lag before you could post.

It would be far more worthy if all the oldies/prolific posters were banned from posting for 7 days to give others a chance

MN used to have a 24-hour lapse between registration and ability to post, iirc (and I do).