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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Troll hunting

34 replies

glesgal · 30/04/2011 11:35

I can see this may be a sensitive issue, but having looked around there seems to be a lot of troll accusations being flung around. We definitely don't want trolls on here, but in some cases it has been about issues that may be genuinely concerning posters, such as DCs behaviour, problems at school or at home. Are people being unkind shooting people down when they think they are trolls when you just don't know if they are genuine or not. I've been accused of trolling in other forums and it's because my posting style is a little different.

OP posts:

DuchessTyOfNorthampton · 30/04/2011 11:38

YANBU I have posted this morning over a sensitive issue and am scared of getting called a troll

MsToni · 30/04/2011 11:45

I've been accused of being one as well. I think new posters need to read around the forums, get a sense of the posting language, avoid issues that have been flogged to death, and be sincere in their threads. I took a break, took my advice and I seem to have blended in ok. The harsh languages and insults on some threads make me uncomfortable but I hold my peace and don't get involved. It's worked so far.

MayBankHoliday · 30/04/2011 11:46

Troll hunting is not allowed here as the rules "note" says above. I think this is a good thing for giving posters of sensitive and difficult threads the benefit of the doubt.

However I do think stupid, offensive, obscene, obvious stirring is different.

Nanny0gg · 30/04/2011 11:47

I can never see the point.
Even if it is a troll, the topic may have relevance to another poster so you might as well take it at face value and answer accordingly.
Or if it's that bad, ignore/report.

worraliberty · 30/04/2011 12:21

I think new posters need to read around the forums, get a sense of the posting language, avoid issues that have been flogged to death

I disagree with that.

There are far too many threads to read around..and so what if a subject has been 'flogged to death'...any poster new or old should feel comfortable enough to start any thread they want, without being told how many times it's been done before.

I think it's especially rude when regs post "Yaawwwn" because the subject has been done in the past. No everyone lives their lives on MN and may well have missed past threads.

sausagesandmarmelade · 30/04/2011 12:27

YANBU...

Some people do seem obsessed with determining who is 'real' and who is a so called 'troll'. How sad is that? Do they not have lives?

I personally couldn't care less....as long as they don't hurt/attack anyone.

Some of the regulars are possibly more offensive than some of the so called trolls.

sausagesandmarmelade · 30/04/2011 12:29

I think new posters need to read around the forums, get a sense of the posting language, avoid issues that have been flogged to death

Also completely disagree with the above. New posters shouldn't have to bend and adapt to fit in with the old timers...that's ridiculous!
Diversity is good..and people should just be themselves.

LadylissielouofShropshire · 30/04/2011 12:30

its very easy to sneer at trollhunting when youve not been affected by one. the worst trolls (DM, JF, SS, CVQ) have all had a terrible effect on posters and caused a huge amount of hurt.

Original poster

glesgal · 30/04/2011 12:31

And if it is a genuine troll we are only feeding them by giving them attention. The biggest one seems to be anything about school uniforms, especially trousers v skirts. A few years ago some guy hovered round various boards claiming he was an Irish schoolgirl who had to wear short wrapround kilts and ankle socks but you acclimatise to it and its unladylike to wear trousers or tights and other bull.

OP posts:

sausagesandmarmelade · 30/04/2011 12:33

TROLLHUNTING = BULLYING

Glad to see that this website doesn't allow it...

hairfullofsnakes · 30/04/2011 12:33

Agree that some regulars are awful in their postage style and I wonder how they are still here!

hairfullofsnakes · 30/04/2011 12:34

Posting even! Lol

charmed185 · 30/04/2011 12:35

I think there have been posters here in the past that have been really below the belt and hurtful. They just get a kick out of being like that. The best way to stop it is to not reply and give them the satisfaction. Once they see that they are not getting responses they will give up surely

Acussing someone of being a troll just because thier posting sytle is different is BU

usualsuspect · 30/04/2011 12:36

The Skirt troll is pretty obvious though

all forums have trolls ,MN is no different to any other website

ignore or report ..but sometimes its fun to rip the piss out of an obvious schoolboy/perv troll

LadylissielouofShropshire · 30/04/2011 12:38

but, when posters are getting sucked into a troll and pms are flying around, its only right to warn them imo.

HecateQueenOfTheNight · 30/04/2011 12:40

I do hate the idea that an issue has been flogged to death by previous / existing members so that nobody can ever come along in the future and discuss it, because "it's been done". I hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it!

So what if it's been done? Every conversation has already been had by someone, somewhere. Every opinion on every subject ever has been done to death by people, somewhere.

If we had the attitude that once a conversation has been had by someone, then nobody else should repeat it, nobody would ever open their mouths.

So what if, for example, someone joins mumsnet and starts a P&T thread. It's been "done to death". Well, not by them it hasn't! And maybe not by people who reply.

And re the troll hunting - there's a report button. Report it. Also, I think it's better to give the benefit of the doubt than risk laying into someone genuine. I've said it before but imagine you had a really bad / unusual problem and the only place you had to turn was the internet and when you did - they savaged you. I wouldn't like to be part of that.

If it's an abusive or piss taking troll, then they're fair game imo. As are the sob story give me all your money there's no food in the house I don't know what to do here's my paypal address trolls. I think you can tell when someone's angling for some cash as opposed to venting about a crappy situation.

charmed185 · 30/04/2011 12:40

I mean when it is so obvious within a few posts and it is getting nasty that is the time to walk away and not give the post the time of day

transferbalance · 30/04/2011 13:19

how do you know that any of it is real? hmm?

HecateQueenOfTheNight · 30/04/2011 13:27

you don't. but you don't know that it's fake either.

if it is not real and you treat it as though it was, then you have wasted your time (assuming you haven't been stupid trusting enough to give them your money!)

if it is real and you treat it as though it is trolling then you have hurt someone and potentially cut off their last hope.

If you had to choose, which would you choose?

LadylissielouofShropshire · 30/04/2011 13:29

re troll hunting, I think it depends on the sbject matter. not long ago there was a troll who had "lost" her fiance, needed brain surgery, and had a zillion other problems. it became fairly obvious that she was trolling, and posters were getting sucked in, offering help, PMing addresses/phone numbers and generally supporting the op. a few more seasoned posters tried "subtley" suggesting that people be more careful, then out and out accused her/him of trolling. they got rounded on, which was (imho) unfair.

trolls like this do a great deal of damage and can effect people profoundly (look at Hillllls and the effect it had on some fellow anorexics, and the CVQ palaver - the amount of time and effort that some posters put into helping her, and reliving their own ordeals, and SS nearly lost us some fabulous posters) in these instances its better to call troll (once you are pretty sure) and report. if one poster (cant remember who) hadnt hunted DM and subsequently found pictures, she would probably still be here.

then there are the ones who throw a lit match and watch it burn. they post contentious threads, then sit back and watch the fight. in these cases report and ignore. I do like the odd troll-poke sometimes though.

usualsuspect · 30/04/2011 13:31

People lie on the internet all the time

If you choose to believe it all, thats up to you

Me,I prefer to make my own judgements and if I get sucked in by a troll,well,thats my own stupid fault really

LadylissielouofShropshire · 30/04/2011 13:31

hecate, I do think that after a while you develop a trolldar, in fact, out of all the times that troll has been called, the hunters (myself included) were only wrong once.

trolls can do a lot of damage, and they shouldnt go unchecked.

HecateQueenOfTheNight · 30/04/2011 13:39

I see what you mean, but I think it would be better if everyone else understood that you have no way of knowing what is real and what is not and never give more of yourself than you can afford to, iyswim. If you give so much that finding out you've been taken for a ride destroys you, then you gave too much. You have to know that there are a lot of freaks and bastards out there and you have to protect yourself. And that may mean that you don't try to rescue everyone who posts a sad story. I know that sounds heartless. but you can advise without throwing yourself in there, if that makes any sense.

usualsuspect · 30/04/2011 13:49

I agree Hecate

Surely everyone is responsible for their own internet safety

some people do give too much ..but thats up to them as well

LadylissielouofShropshire · 30/04/2011 13:49

the problem is hec, its the newer posters who tend to get sucked in. weve had some shitty trolls on here and posters from around that time are much more wary now than they were a couple of years back. everytime troll is called on a sensitive issue a thread starts up (like this one) berating trollhunting and talking about benefit of the doubt, or report and ignore... people arent as careful as they should be on the internet, and take stories at face value, because 90% of posters ARE genuine. we judge each other by our own standards.

but you cant tell the poster who got hurt so badly by CVQ that she should have taken it with a pinch of salt, after all, who makes up having a child borne out of a violent rape? or the posters who were being texted by DM that they should have been more cynical, who makes up losing a premature baby?

the ones who send cash etc... well, I dont get that. but I have pmed posters on threads just saying "please be careful, I have my suspicions" we are very lucky that noone has (so far) been physically hurt by a troll, but it could happen!

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