....of Trolls & Troll Hunters

[LittleMissStroppy]

I've namechanged for this simply because I like my regular name and persona and would like to keep it on the off chance this goes tits up.

I was going to post this on the thread about Troll Hunters but it felt like it would be a detraction from the main issue of that particular thread.

I think to a large extent, if anyone is worried and brave enough to post about issues going on in their private lives, they open themselves up to a lot of speculation and examination - in addition to the good advices they may or may not recieve.

What worries me is that a lot of vulnerable people come on here, spill their hearts and sometimes are subjected to MNers negativity.

A while back, I used to post quite regularly and it was fine until I decided to ask for insights about some personal matters. Whilst majority of the responses were supportive and helpful, some were downright negative and hurtful. I was shocked that complete strangers, who had no idea what my life is / was like, assumed they had the temerity to make judgements and assumptions. Yes, I agree - words on a screen - but when it is someone's life and feelings, we owe it to each other to be circumspect and treat ourselves with dignity and respect.

Yes, some troubled individuals WILL take advantage and make up stories and I am certain not all of us are dumb to be taken in by them.

It's the few unfortunate ones that get subjected to all sorts of deriding treatment that make me sad about how we treat ourselves on here.

I remember being shocked and a bit frightened that someone knew so much about me based on posts I had made eons ago and kept bringing it up in newer threads to cast aspersions on everything I said (posted). It was frightening and it affected me so much in RL. The inability to make that person and his/her crew see that this was my life and that I wasnt lying about anything. It was frightening. Till today, I rarely post asking for insights or opinions. I stick to the safe topics and pick up helpful tips from threads I find interesting.

I dont / wouldnt want to be in that situation ever again.

My point? Trolls are disruptive, yes. Troll Hunters are worse. They have a grandoise opinion about themselves and their "position" on a board and thrive on their ability to disparage anyone who seems vulnerable, or are battling with "unbelievable circumstances" in their life. They have an over inflated opinion of themselves as "Masters of the board". I am glad MNHQ do their best to discourage them.

I agree with sm, the 'troll-hunting' that people object to is the gleeful sort, posters egging eachother on and tearing the OP (and sometimes their posting history) apart.

There is a spectrum though I think, with posters genuinely noticing discrepancies and mentioning it on the thread to warn other posters who are getting sucked in being at the less-harmful end. I don't class that as actual 'troll-hunting' myself, but posters who have been burned by the more dangerous type of troll-hunt can be ultra-sensitive, so anyone who even dares to allude to the T-word often gets a flaming these days.

troll is a frequent put down on feminist board when no likey post
tactics such as the solitary humphy face
are you a troll,newbie
are passive aggressive

Yes ladyB, its a ludicrous assumption that everyone who dares to question an OP has an overweaning sense of self-importance.

And is a card carrying member of the MN Troll Patrol. If it even exists.

And I for one am sick of being berated for a truly altruistic, if clearly misguided, given the oppotunity it provided for sanctimonious moralising, grandstanding and utter abuse it gives rise to.

You can all take care of yourselves from now on, and I shall just enjoy watching the rising mob hysteria, wailing and breastbeating trolls seem to manage to conjure up in even the seemingly sensible MN cotery.

Who are the troll hunters?

Where are the troll hunters?

Can anyone link an example?

i was on a thread someone checked op past .decided some personal details posted didnt tally. then dragged that up in a triumphant ta-da as if proof. transpired there was a valid and significant reason why info didnt appear superficially to tally. op had to explain a difficult set of circumstances.for no particular good reason

accusing some one of troll hunting seems to be a get out of jail free card for no holds viciousness.

Ah, to be fair to the feminists, they really do get a lot of trolls on there. And not all that many regular posters, so it can look a bit pitchforky, I guess.

Right, so from one thread you decided that anyone who raises a doubt must be doing exactly the same thing?

Its not exactly a rigorous application of logic.

well as you know bibity most toll threads end up deleted.

which proves what point exactly SM?

no,from one example about the numerous i have seen
and dont ask me to search or prove it, as i dont need to prove it

If you had seen the hysteria and brutal sentimentality being aroused on the GP thread, which has spawned these other threads, you would have been shocked.

deleted troll threads mean no readily big search the archives to summon up at will

Ah well, then a bald assertion of opinion as fact.

Marvellous

all mn is uncorroborated words on a screen and you're foolish to give credence to anecdote and opinion so by all means do challenge my anecdotael opinion. as indeed yours to holds same ststus - anecdote and opinion

people do need to be internet savvy and circumspect
and leave the troll hunting to mnhq

fact im not linking deleted troll threads doesnt mean there have not been any

There is a big difference between doubters and troll hunters.

DrP, I personally don't think what you did on that thread the other day was troll-hunting in its true form. You casually voiced genuine suspicion. You weren't accusatory or abusive to the OP (from what I remember anyway), you weren't doing the whole nudge-nudge wink-wink 'bridge this' and 'trip trap that' hinting. You weren't fervently searching and posting discrepancies in the OP's previous posts.

So if you're taking anti-troll-hunting sentiment personally, you shouldn't be. Troll-hunting is a different animal altogether from what you were doing, imo.

(Whether suspicions about trolls should be voiced on threads or simply reported to MNHQ is another matter, I think rules are rules but I can see why it's hard to just sit and watch it unfold).

All I am suggesting, SM is that you cannot tar every doubter with the troll hunter brush.

I think that is reasonable?

troll hunters are more purposeful and explicit in their i call ye troll. conspicuous questioning, recall and possibly links of other posts

Thank you MsP, but I did get a hell of a lot of abuse for it. Which genuinely shocked me.

look,some canny folk spot the sock puppetry and weirdy posts.clever at times
and some folk are troll patrol and love a glistening torch

So we sort of agree?

It's a sensitive and divisive issue. Troll-hunting can be hurtful and damaging, and it's been discussed so many times on here that people are now so wound up about it that the teeniest smidgen of a suggestion of trollery gets shouted down in the strongest of terms.