Mumsnet "stalkers"

[QuertyGirl]

Possibly too strong a word but not sure how else to describe it.

Basically where people follow certain posters about. I've had it a few times and always someone has an axe to grind, often degrading into petty insults.

I ignore them obviously.

Is there a name for this type of behaviour? Should it be reported?

I think that ship might have sailed

I have asked MNHQ to withdraw my post so that I can re-phrase: I don't believe your posts in which you claim to be a geneticist.

Oh wow there's one on this thread!

well it is nothing to me whether you do or your don't but I cant get my head around someone who clearly has no knowledge at all of a subject telling someone else who is an expert, "I dont believe you are that".The fact that |I am means you cant possibly have any valid grounds for saying that at all, and so by definition are throwing around totally unjustified accusations. AS I say, it isn't really my problem, it is yours.

@Florissant

Why do you care whether or not she is a geneticist?

I expect she probably cares about false information/ half truths being presented to 'prove' a certain narrative, by someone trying to appear authentic by saying they are a geneticist I expect.

Not an unreasonable position to take.

Yes. Well put. I dislike posts in which people claim expertise that they clearly don't have.

well, as I am a geneticist, that is not what happened, as I said, they have no justification at all for throwing around accusations, and it doesn't in any way bother me, but it does illustrate what this thread is about

It's a position many should take.

@Florissant

What exactly did she get wrong?

why have your brought your disagreement here?
please stop

But that would involve critical thinking, a concept foreign to many MNers.

Well that's the impression I took away from it. It's not about stalking people's history. But sometimes some conversations stand out, especially with unusual usernames. And people remember. No stalking required. 🤷‍♀️

But that would involve critical thinking, a concept foreign to many MNers.

Ahh good point.

I think the irony is lost on them

@QuertyGirl
agree

Precisely.

It's a bit weird to approach each thread with a clean slate though, especially if you know what someone else has recently said on a recent thread / or you know what their general political position is on things.

Me too, as do lots of others. Personally, I don’t believe many claims of expertise on here. They often appear just in time to suit a particular side of an argument, or it’s just lonely people seeking to feel important somewhere which is sad.

it is because of posters throwing things back in your face and generally being unpleasant that people do change their names - not weird

I think it is entirely reasonable to maintain a position of being privately deeply sceptical about the expertise and credentials of anyone posting on MN, an anonymous forum on which anyone can describe themselves in any way way they choose.

It is generally somewhat impolite to voice those sceptical views publicly, unless the information that they post is actively wrong or damaging or simply contrarian for the sake of it. It is better and politer, in general, to try to correct the wrong information than to undermine the poster’s claims to credibility directly.

That said, privately reporting obvious trolls is a sensible process.

@RedDirtWildChild
i often wonder how on earth these so called professionals get the time to go on MN so much during the day

I mean, I even remember stuff you've said in the past QuertyGirl. Unusual username again. No stalking required. Am I supposed to entirely forget those things and pretend people are entirely new posters every single time. Seems weird.

I change names for privacy.

I'm always confused now people even do it. How do you check someone's previous posts?