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Original poster

AIBU to think the foul language and vulgar tone of these threads is just too much

5 replies

onceamai · 15/06/2011 20:03

During the last few days the foul language, just a quick skim through the AIBU headings reveals such awful words, has been such that I don't think I will be coming back again too often. Mumsnet - Middle Class - Parenting orientated - really, is it really? Vulgar, nasty, ill mannered, spring more easily to mind. What a shame.

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MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 16/06/2011 10:29

Morning.

As you may have noticed, we deleted a fair few posts on this thread last night.

Just in case you've never read our Talk Guidelines (please do!) and are wondering why some posts were deleted and others weren't, here's a handy summary.

We don't routinely delete posts that contain swearwords, unless it's all truly beyond the pale.

But we do delete personal attacks - including, obviously, personal attacks that use swearwords.

We also have to hold our hands up and say our initial response to reports about this thread was wrong. It's obviously not a thread started as a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek thing - and many of the subsequent posts were personal attacks on the OP, Vagabond and AnyFucker, which should have been deleted more rapidly that they were.

Apols to all who reported this thread to us last night - and got the wrong response. We should have mailed you all back to hold our hands up to our mistake Blush but we were rather busy pressing the delete button instead.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 16/06/2011 10:39

@JoniRules

I got deleted by MNHQ and I wasn't even swearing or insulting anyone. I just paraphrased what the by now infamous first poster wrote, when they were extremely offensive and name calling the OP. I said it was childish, and I got deleted!

Yes, you did say it was childish, JoniRules. But you also repeated the personal attack word for word - we reckoned deleting the original PA would be kind of pointless if we let repetition of the PA stand.

Oh - and please let us know (by reporting them) if you think we have missed any posts that break our Guidelines. It was quite late when we started pressing the big red button, so it's quite possible we might have missed some.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 16/06/2011 11:01

@BeerTricksPotter

Has swearing been banned? Sad

Nope. See our post at 10.29am.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 16/06/2011 11:10

@sausagesandmarmelade

Helen, it's good to actually get some input from the Mumsnet team....

As someone said...I don't think people object to the odd swear word being thrown into a comment...but to swear for swearing's sake just seems really juvenile and does NOTHING for the reputation of this site...which is already fairly tarnished (as observed on google before I joined recently).

I do think there needs to be a little more moderation myself (but then again I don't own the site). Swearing in opening posts just puts me right off...and I think from now I'll maybe avoid those.

Again...thanks for the input. It's nice to know that the team actually do look in from time to time and that it's not a total free for all here.

Thank you, sausagesandmarmelade. Smile

Here is what we say in our Talk Guidelines about swearing: "It's not our policy to delete swearwords (we are all adults, after all) but we do draw the line at obscenity, racist and disablist language, and wording that is truly beyond the pale. So, if you're not sure which side of that line your swearword of choice may fall, it might be best not to use it."

We hear what you're saying about swearing for swearing's sake but our stance has always been that, as someone said earlier this morning, everyone has different "offence thresholds" with different swearwords. It would be very difficult to intervene every time someone was offended as we simply wouldn't know where to draw the line.

As ever, though, we value folks' opinions. And if most people don't want to see any swearing in thread titles, for example, then we'd obviously take that on board.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 16/06/2011 11:13

@spookshowangel

its like having a teacher walk in the room when you know you have been naughty.

Oi, you at the back, settle down or we'll be keeping you back after school. Wink

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