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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we should be able to hide posts by certain people?

247 replies

IDrinkFromTheirSkulls · 16/07/2011 08:50

Not sure if this has been suggested but anyway, there are certain posters I just can't stand. They never say anything bad enough to warrant reporting but I just always get the feeling that they are trying to get a reaction or deliberately saying the opposite to everyone else to get a rise.

I never reply, because I feel that would give them attention they don't deserve but they do annoy me. I read the posts before I see the poster's name as in sure many of you do and I think it would be useful to be able to just hide all posts by a particular person within a thread instead of hiding the whole thread.

So Aibu?

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 10:21

Won what though? A conversation on an internet forum? Is this a competition and no one thought to tell me?!?!

BTW I love what you've done with your hair. [wunk]

SuePurblybilt · 16/07/2011 10:24

It is a competition and you are so loooooooosssssiiiiiiiiiiiing. Ya big loser.

Now pretend you don't care but I know you do.

Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 10:26

Except I don't care! If I cared about winning I wouldn't be playing 23 games of Words with Friends with various people and losing 20 of them. Most of those to Chaos. Grin

I am the least competitive person you will ever meet. It makes my family crazy. Play a board game with me and win? Good for you! They hate not being able to brag.

SuePurblybilt · 16/07/2011 10:30

You might care when you see the shiny winner's badge? You can touch mine if you like.

Original poster
IDrinkFromTheirSkulls · 16/07/2011 10:31

Oo-er where is this thread going? Grin

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 10:32

SUE! Blush

Grin
SuePurblybilt · 16/07/2011 10:35

Sorry Idrinkfromtheirskulls, Miss. Will you hide me now? Sorry Grin

I think there's something wrong with me - people think I'm bing filthy when I'm not. I need a Mary Whitehouse emoticon to show I have pure thoughts.

tethersend · 16/07/2011 10:56

Come on now... MN's not a battle...

....it's a war.

MotherofallDragons · 16/07/2011 11:11

Yabu. Terrible idea

Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 12:07

But why is it a terrible idea, MotherofallDragons? Hmm

I know one poster I would hide immediately...

quirrelquarrel · 16/07/2011 12:10

Are you really made so upset by seeing a few people's comments, on a forum you can choose to be on or not?

Why not get a thicker skin instead?

Pagwatch · 16/07/2011 12:11

I know of a poster or two who I would hide immediately just because they irritate me. I bet every single poster has a couple that get on their tits, often for no good reason.
But I think it is good for me to try and get on with it instead of doing the Internet equivalent of pouting.
I also think one day I may figure out a) why they irritate me and b ) to like them a bit more

Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 12:14

What if you already know why they irritate you and you have no desire to like them a bit more?

And my skin is very thick, BTW. They don't upset me. They just annoy the hell out of me. Life is too short to read posts from people who annoy you.

robingood19 · 16/07/2011 12:17

I think mumsnet have it broadly right. One could question some of the language allowed

MotherofallDragons · 16/07/2011 12:23

Tee2072 Sat 16-Jul-11 12:07:23
But why is it a terrible idea, MotherofallDragons?

because threads won't make any sense. and people wont actually learn anything. I have changed my mind about so many different things since I've been on mn, that if we had the hide poster option I wouldn't. this topic has been discussed a zillion times in site stuff, and each time the answer from mners has been a resounding no. you would miss out on so much in the way of good advice and valuable insights, and why? so you can be a spoilt child and say "dont like that one! " mn isnt FB, its not short status updates and quick messages, posts take time and threads evolve. blocking posters would ruin mn.

YaMaYaMa · 16/07/2011 12:25

I can only think of one particular poster I'd hide and I bet a gazillion pounds it's the same poster other people are thinking of Grin. Every post she makes takes the opposite position to everyone else, just for the sake of it, and is always mean spirited. She's either a genuinely terrible person or a wind-up merchant.

So YANBU if the hide button could be applied solely to that person.

Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 12:30

All of which is not true, MotherofallDragons. I am on many messages boards that allow you to block individual posters, as I've said above, and have never lost the thread of a conversation because of it.

People are responding, as I've also said, from a place of ignorance and fear of change.

And I will never learn anything from the 2 posters I would hide in 2 seconds flat. They are both much too annoying for me to even read, so how would hiding them change anything from me just skipping over their posts?

And now I'm repeating myself, so I'll shut up.

OracleInaCoracle · 16/07/2011 12:37

MOAD here, tee.

I totally disagree. this has (as I said) been discussed many, many times on here. there are some people, like you, who think it would be a good idea. but a huge majority loathe the idea. its childish to just hide posters because you dont like what they say, I genuinely dont see what such a function could add to mn, rather, it would take away.

you said "All of which is not true, MotherofallDragons" you may not think its true, but I do. and my opinion is as valid as yours. but Im not going to spit my dummy and hide you because of it. I got into a spat the other day and the other poster was vile about me. good job I hadnt been able to hide her (as i may have if I had the function) because I was able to challenge and report.

awful idea. awful.

robingood19 · 16/07/2011 12:39

This is much more democratic than most media. Or most message sites. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

OracleInaCoracle · 16/07/2011 12:40

robingood, exactly. we are self-moderated on the whole and as a result expect to be challenged.

Tee2072 · 16/07/2011 12:41

Fine. Whatever Lissie. I never said your opinion was not valid. I said it was based on false facts. Not the same thing.

For the record, I don't hide behind name changes. Ever. And don't understand this overall need to hide on this message board like MN is a shameful thing.

I think name changing is a breeding ground for trolls. And have told MNHQ that and why I think that many times in many ways.

But I also think being able to hide people who just get up your nose, for whatever reason, would stop a lot of the over the top bullshit bun fights that happen here. Some of them happen because certain posters make it their life's work to be contrary and rude.

Wouldn't life be more peaceful if you could just hide them?

mauricetinkler · 16/07/2011 12:42

Virtual rotten tomatoes
Rather than hiding the post why not let every member have the online equivalent of some rotten tomotoes that they can pelt offending/annoying posters with. When said poster has been posted, their post in that particular thread will appear red and tomato stained.
Rules: each poster gets one online rotten tomato per day and if they don't use it they lose it. If a particular poster is being heavily pelted this will show up on their postings (I havent worked out how yet) and then it will be clear to all and sundry that that poster is getting on people's tits.

BimboNo5 · 16/07/2011 12:42

There is one poster in particular on here who makes me want to put my fist straight through the computer screen and into her mouth. Hiding her would be great but the fact someone like her exists in the first place is bad enough hidden or not.

OracleInaCoracle · 16/07/2011 12:47

I said it was based on false facts. Not the same thing.

false facts as YOU see them.

sample convo:

tee: what do you think about this?

other poster: good point lissie.
another poster: don't be so bloody daft lissie

another poster: well, yes, but dont you think that maybe tee has thought about that?
other poster: but tee didnt mention it in her op....

see what i mean? just because it works elsewhere, doesnt mean it works here.

and why the namechange comment, did I miss something there? people namechange for loads of reasons, not all malicious. its one of the things I like about mn, despite being v open about my mn usage in rl.

filthyfunkproject · 16/07/2011 12:51

Absolutely Tee2072 - A hide poster option would cut HQ's work in half overnight - it would make everyone's life easier.