Is mumsnet going crazy or something?

Couldn't we all give our telephone numbers when we register and then if this sort of thing happens one of the MN team could give us a ring to authenticate us??? Perhaps???

agree it's a bit annoying when people land on here out of the blue who obviously have an agenda (ie not an individual, but campaigning for some cause or other) but it's worth that annoyance for maintaining free speech, imo

Yes it would, Tissy. There's no way I would join such a board.

Can't remember if this is currently in place, but most of the boards I join you can't post until you've responded or clicked on a link that is emailed to you (thus veryfying you've provided a legitimate contact email address). This is just enough faff to minimize casual trolls without too much faff for the genuine posters with the bonus that if there is then trouble you have an ISP to complain to at least.

Trouble is that a lot of people who find MN for the first time have done it when searching for an answer for a fairly immediate/urgent question or problem. If they have to go wait for a password to be delivered then they prob won't bother posting and they won't get the immediate answer they're looking for. Which means that they may never bother to come back to MN and we'd lose quite a few potential new members.

agree with Soup
Tissy - yes I think it would

How about having a system where everyone can read/ search MN, but only members can post? You could verify membership with a small registration fee paid by credit/ debit card, or you could give an address, so that a password could be mailed to you. Would that put too many people off?

fio you are possting baout your ahem
"life!"

But nothing has changed has it? You never knew whether everyone was who they said they were and you still don't.

If you see a thread that's apparently a troll, email the contactus address and ignore the thread. You don't have to look at the troll posts.

Trolls happen, it's unfortunately one of the perils of a public forum and as I said, you can't restrict them without restricting everyone else too.

The whole point of having a 'nickname' is to give some anonymity to you Fi02 (or did your mum want you to be unusual ) Not everyone can come on here and identify you like has happened recently (twiglett). I would bet money on the fact that this is the first time it has happened since mumsnet has started. So please don't go and try and remember that whilest it is public you do have some privacy in the fact that you don't post under your 'real' name.

I do think there should be an option for tech or whoever should have the option of deleting single posts rather than a whole thread though. Obviously not in this calpol case, but in other cases a whole thread has been removed when really the issue is only one or two posts within it (i.e. not the original post).

but fio2 I think it's Justine's comments yesterday on the matter are pretty spot on

"mumsnet is a public forum and lots of us reveal personal stuff that we would not want everyone to see - but in truth everyone can see it, which is worth bearing in mind"

Is full moon at the mo isn't it - lots of true posters with their hormones up the wall and lots of 'crazies' looking for a way of filling their time!!

Hi everyone,
We tend to lean towards Soupdragon's view on this - it's almost impossible to stop determined trolls and passwords, private forums, thread deletions etc could well spoil what we've got. But we will certainly sit down with the Techs have a think and we promise to fully consider all your suggestions - thanks for those. In actual fact we have had very few trolls since mumsnet started - see yesterday's post on the subject - but here's a reminder of our "troll policy" for some ideas about dealing with a troll as and when and an explantion (for those who have no idea what this thread is about) of what they are.

think this can all get a bit navel gazing really.

My dh is snoring like a troll under a wooden bridge right this minute.

Is it not a bit mad that the fragrant troll type person vanishes and then MN goes mad?

me too Fio!

Sadly I agree that Trolls are a fact of life. Ignoring them is the best method.

Trolls exist in RL too

Well said Soupdragon...you just have to live with and try to spot it (something I am inordinately cr*p at!)