Heads up: some academic research taking place

If mn had asked before deciding on this research it may have been different. Accepting the matter then posting in site stuff instead off across the boards is murky to say the least.

So it'll be a no from me. You may not use my posts or data

Five! Didn't spot that. Sport is obviously the next Tra target, but they've realised people won't buy it without some research that looks 'sound'. Who's paying for that then.

Count me out too. I don't consent to this.

Funding for FIVE PhDs in that, Charlie!
Glad someone's finally challenging that 'over-simplistic belief' that being male gives you an advantage in sport though

I mean it is fine, but it does suggest that you are handing name change data over. Which as we know, will get into the hands of potential doxxers.

do i have to opt out with every name change?

And for that reason, I'm struggling. I'm out please.

Do not use any of my posts under all my user names in this research.

I can't see any reason why the researchers would need to ask posters except as a courtesy, anyway. MN owns the copyright on our posts and it's all publicly offered information.

Have seen 'research' like this done on Twitter posts to give results like "46% of uses of the word 'cockwomble' were in conjunction with 'fucking', and 21% with 'utter'", assume that's the sort of thing we're talking about?

is it this

Im fine with this, fuk it, I've got nothing to hide

I would like to opt out of this research. Thanks

MNHQ, do you realise how difficult it is to truly anonymise information? Just stripping a username off a post does not anonymise the information - I've recognised friends in here by the information in their posts, not by their usernames. I don't believe you can tell posters in good faith that everything is anonymised.

I post under two different usernames: are you going to be putting the posts of both my usernames together to give to the researchers?

Anyway, count me out.

Catbot not Carnot, my apols

Carnot yesterday on the feminism board some women were collating info on the transactivists who lobby publicly for changed to the laws affecting women and girls. No private info, all in the public domain. This was framed as a transphobic 'hitlist' and harassment. So, twisting of posts is what I expect to happen. No research takes place in a vacuum. I could analyse a thousand posts on mumsnet and prove anything I want to prove. Someone else could prove the opposite. The nature of sociological research is that it is conducted by people who bring their own prejudices to the desk, to the methodology, to the analysis. It's inescapable. You can confound for it, if you're genuine. If you aren't, you can twist anything any way you want. You can design a study to find what you want it to find.

It'll be TRAs. I'd bet my house on it.

I’ll opt out, thanks.

seafret it is the public posts - not anything behind the scenes....

I'm fine with it...

I’d be interested to know how the researchers are going to be gathering their information - whether they’re going to be ctrl+F searching or whether they will have access to “back office” information e.g. name changes, IP addresses, or other private account details.

The Mail are lazy dicks for just trawling the forum but at least we know that’s all they have access to.

I don't mind at all.

In this current climate I DO NOT WANT TO BE INCLUDED.

Things like this make me aware of needing a reputable VPN. I do not want unknown people collecting data for unknown reasons wth access to behind the scenes data. No way.

Anything in the puclic domain they are welcome to but then they wouldn't need MN for that would they.

Crikey. What do people expect to happen? It's a public forum, the data is already there. I just don't get the worries? The Daily Mail publishes stuff all the time without permission. At least this will be of some use?

The researchers will analyse the text of the anonymised posts as part of their study. The full text of these anonymised posts will not be reproduced in the study - no pieces of text that make you or your situation identifiable will be published.

It’s anonymised excerpts of already anonymous posts.

Please don include me, thanks.

Lots of people here clearly misunderstanding that when they post on Mumsnet, it becomes public property. No one needs your permission to use the words you post. There’s no need for ethics approval or participant approval in this context, Mumsnet are being courteous sharing that this is going on but they don’t need to. Analysing publically shared posts with no other context in an academic paper doesn’t put anyone at risk of data breeches.

Pretty much unethical to do research this way, surely ethical research has an element of agreeing to participate in the first place otherwise all research would be done this way?

Also, given the back history of access and potential stealing of data, I will opt out thanks.

I'llopt