to think troll hunters are sometimes just as bad as the trolls themselves?

[BatmanLovesRobin]

I always think of trolls as saddo people, emotional leeches if you like. There are some very clever ones about, and inevitably people get taken in, and give (often sterling) advice and support.

Then along comes a poster on the thread, crying 'Troll, troll', instead of simply reporting. The danger of this is accusing genuine posters of trolling. I've noticed this before, but not really paid much attention beyond giving trollhunter a mental catsbumface. However, a RL friend is currently feeling very upset and vulnerable following being called a troll herself (CRS, regarding giving personal info about herself on a recently notorious thread), and as she has given much of herself in other threads, is taking basically being called a liar hard, as she has been so supported here, and in turn has supported others. Those others may now, in turn, feel taken in.

AIBU to believe trollhunters appear to be more keen on being able to say 'I told you so' than the feelings of possibly innocent people they are accusing?

I tend to take everything with a pinch of salt but really try hard not to engage in any doubting on threads themselves. If I have a real suspicion I report and have always had a reply from MNHQ, even when I am wrong.

Sadly I am one of these people YouDoTheMath.
I know it doesn't make me out to be a very nice person though, maybe I'm just too distrustful and cynical which aren't very nice character traits.
The posts I've read that I believe are probably trolls I tend to lurk and not comment on at all.
But sometimes I see people, eg CRS get taken in and it makes me mad.
It's all very well reporting, but in CRS's case, it was too late, she'd already sent the pm.
As I said above, a small subtle warning, even just pointing out a few inaccuracies is not troll hunting, just a general hmmm, lets be careful out there.

I like trolls and troll hunters.

I makes me feel that they walk among us and only a few can recognise their presence or have been gifted the pure vision and investigative zeal of a true TROLL HUNTER

YANBU if you're talking about threads looking for support of some kind.

However I quite like it if other kinds of trolls are outed.

Im with ladybeagle here as i dont see whats wrong in posting your thoughts to if your suspicious of someone, not "YOU ARE A TROLL!!!!!!!" or anything like that

The person who did this on the original GP thread got more bullied and nasty comments directed at her for daring to be suspicious than Ive seen for a bit here.

And yes I didnt see CRS being called a troll either so hope shes ok.

Totally missed the threads and have no idea what went on but generally I agree with you. I get very annoyed at the oblique references to bridge-dwellers and there are other lifelines etc.

If you suspect a troll, report to MNHQ. I'd you are worried a poster is being duped, tell MNHQ.

I do think that troll hunting is taken seriously by MNHQ but perhaps should be penalised more harshly, perhaps with a one week ban.

Oh well, I have just worked out who the regular troll is from cryptic clues given.

She posts very regularly, will give her a wide berth now, so thanks for the heads up! As someone said, it will all come out soon enough,but those trying to help will be hurt. At least I know so can stand back now, as I HAD previous engaged with her

I am utterly gullible though. I have been fooled and fooled by trolls on MN.

Some of the topics are upsetting but even if the troll is a troll it doesn't mean a lurker isn't getting decent advice

As a forum newbe this thread has been a bit of an eye opener for me. Thank you all for the brief education on the darker side.

The trouble is, you may think your hints are subtle, but someone else may not.
With the weekend's troll, the person who started the outing wasn't subtle although she said she never mentioned the word Troll but it was obvious what she meant and it prompted a lot of other people to join in.
Isn't the issue with yesterday's thread that the troll "hints" were so subtle, the wrong person felt themselves accused and got upset?
Added to that is the fact that some trolls take their pleasure from troll hunting and the upset and suspicion it causes - some even out themselves!

I really am flabbergasted at the logic that states
"I'm not a troll hunter 'cos I never said the word Troll"
And
"It can't be troll hunting because it's me that's doing it"

Takes self-delusion to extremes, I reckon

I have no idea who the supposed troll is, but stating that you are not troll hunting because you don't say, "that poster is a troll" is disingenuous at best.

If you say, "beware of trolls, some of them like to eat Swiss chocolate while stroking their fluffy white dog" - what is the difference to saying outright that MmeLindor is a troll?

Cryptic clues either confuse the hell out of everyone or point the finger of suspicion at someone who has nothing to do with it but gets caught in the crossfire. It is just as much "troll hunting" as saying it outright.

And if you are thick like me, you don't "get" it anyway.

I have CRS's thread, right up to the 15:06:58 post from KellyKettles, I save interesting threads when I don't think I'll get a chance to read them before they pouf and its still on my desktop.

I'll have a read through once I've put the DC in bed because I'm not sure what was said to accuse CRS of being a troll. If she was I would think it probably bad form, she seemed genuinely upset and worried about what info she had given out.

'Troll' seems to have a very wide definition on MN because there is a wide range of people who are, one way or another, faking it. There are those who post provocatively in order to disrupt the online community ('classic' trolls; those who post invented or exaggerated narratives in order to garner attention (the attention-seeking missiles) who can also cause upset and disruption; and those who post seemingly to try to collect various opinions on controversial matters (the 'researchers') who exploit the time and emotions of some nice, genuine posters.

They all hack me off because they are all exploiters. I can understand why people want to 'out' them.

I think that it's perfectly acceptable actually to challenge an OP and say that you don't believe them or that this part of the story doesn't add up, please explain. That's not troll-hunting in my book, but it's not fair if somebody then jumps on the person stating disbelief or asking for clarification with cries of "bully". That happens and it's part of the problem.

Yes, Mme! And not only do subtle hints and cryptic clues cause confusion about the intended poster but as in the case with CRS other posters may be caugt in the cross fire too. Just because they posted on the thread and their posting name/style/past may bear some vague relation to the supposed 'troll'

MmeLindor... I think you're right in what you're saying. It's also quite divisive when people post clues, which some get and some don't. I wouldn't get them, I'm hopeless at crosswords, it's just that you can't post who you think the person is, even if you're sure.

The person I was referring to yesterday won't be reading about herself because if MNHQ have done their stuff, she won't be here following her thread.

On balance I find the trolls about 1000x more offensive than any "troll hunters" whoever they may be.

Trolls are a fact of life, although many people do not seem to appreciate how many there are here and the damage they cause to those they deceive.

I can't see how pretending that they don't exist is in any way helpful.

Lyingwitch
If that is the case, then yes, challenge the poster. But it is the way in which the poster is challenged.

There is also a difference between saying, "Hang on, in your OP you stated X but now you are saying Y" and "Well, I have searched the OP's earlier posts and she said back in December 2010 that she was 8 mths pregnant and now the baby is 2 yo. "

The former is asking for clarification, the latter is definitely troll hunting.

Agreed.

"It's also quite divisive when people post clues, which some get and some don't"

MmeLindor... Well you could reframe that altogether saying, "OP, I recall you saying in December 2010 that you were 8 months pregnant, now the baby is 2 years old..."

Still asking for clarification. I don't think that liars and exaggerators really add much to the site and if they are going to do that then they need to write their lies down somewhere they can remember them or take more Gingko biloba.

They are emotional leeches and I for one am thankful when somebody gives me a heads up to stop interracting with them.

Yes bibbity bit troll hunters do real damage to real posters too. As is evidenced by this thread and countless other stories I've read on here the last 2 days.

And it isn't as though there is no recourse if you suspect someone?

Having just read through the saved thread from yesterday I can't see anyone accusing CRS of being a troll. I think that the crossstitch clues may have been misunderstood, ie CRos Stitch

It was made very clear who the clues were referring to and it wasn't CRS, though of course I can see how she could think that it was referring to the letters in her name. Other than that I'm not sure really.

So what do everybody suggest you do, if you have doubts about a thread?
The particular one we are discussing was, from what I've read since, reported numerous times, but as it was on a weekend, didn't get pulled till the Monday. Therefore dozens of mumsnetters were posting support on a post that was eventually deleted.
So lots of their time and emotion was invested in it because they were kind enough to care.How unfair was that?

I believe on balance that more harm is done by the trolls.

Obviously, in an ideal world, it would be wonderful not to have this problem!

I didn't see the end if the thread but think the troll that was being cryptically discussed has similar initial to CRS who was the poster that got hurt. Hence people getting mixed up saying CRS was the troll

And of course, someone said the 'gp' troll was marking place on the spinoff thread with a short sentence!