to want to know if DogsBestFriend has been banned from mumsnet?

[GetOrf]

Because if she has been I would like to know why.

Sue What sort of raft is it? One like

I've only been on here a few months - & am now a regular addict but a few things have really shocked me (and I've been online since pre-web days and have moderated lots of groups so am not easily shocked) . The first thing was MNHQs response to the nasty trolling postings on the feminist section which made the section a very unpleasant place to be at times. The HQ response to this in terms of "space to debate" etc etc seems to be totally at odds with this decision to ban DBF . So the doghouse has to be a 'safe space' where people can't be challenged but the feminist threads have to be able to be hijacked by misogynists in the name of free speech

As for DBF - i didn't see the thread in question, but I have seen many of her posts, both in the doghouse and more generally in other threads and I am really shocked that she has been banned - I have seen her 'robust' postings yes - but they are honest and straightforward and I have seen her be kind and helpful and funny.. and I think she is an asset to MN not a liability.

The moderation policy you have implemented suffers from the fact that you only see the negative posts that get reported, I think you really do need to listen to people on this one and revoke the ban. it's not DBFs "friends" posting here - but people who spend too much time on here for their own good and perhaps have a wider perspective than the one MNHQ is able to get

@dreamingbohemian

Justine If the thread is staying, can we talk about some actual solutions going forward?

I suggested earlier a temporary ban from the Doghouse rather than a permanent MN ban.

Is this something MN would consider?

We will consider it yes, dreamingbohemian. Think I need to talk it through with the site duty team, though. After all, they have to pick up the pieces of the fallout and it's not that this hasn't been tried/floated before. We'll get back to you soonest though.

I use the Doghouse topic quite a bit and have hated some of the unbelievably aggressive posting that I've seen there. I'm very very happy to say goodbye to people responsible for that level of aggression.

It's perfectly possible to be passionate, and effective, without it. There are people across MN who have professional experience of all sorts of wrongdoing and suffering but who don't use that as an excuse to post aggressively. Not sure why people use it as an excuse for inappropriate posting in the doghouse topic.

Perhaps today's offence was mild, I didn't see it. But if there have been numerous warnings, a ban seems reasonable. Hopefully now the dog topic can become what it used to be.

Prion
That may well be true but DBF's biggest problems has always been that she is unable to stick to facts and give advice. She has to tell the poster that they are a complete and utter moron.

And this does so much harm that it completely obscures the good advice that she has to offer.

If my dog were to have puppies, the las place I would ask advice in homing them would be MN

YY fortyplus, that'll do .

boglach are you saying that someone you know was hounded out of the boards because of posts from the doghouse? You seem to be posting the same thing again and again about bullies but I'm not clear what you're on about.

I also would like to very humbly ask mnhq to unban Val/Dbf.

She gives great advice and always offers to help rescue dogs - which is bloody great.

Frankly if we can't have a bit of forthright bastardyness when it comes to animal mismanagement/cruelty/neglect when can you??

My solution would be other posters on DH consistently moderating the 'tone' if it starts to go off the rails, and reporting individual posts for deletion if we think they are OTT. I don't want DBF banned from the doghouse - just a chance for the rest of us to step up to the mark.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has huge respect for what DBF does, but who isn't a 'groupie' and would appreciate the chance to help make the doghouse a consistently constructive forum.

Vile nasty mantrolls run rampant in Feminism, utterly unchecked. They are neither use nor ornament. And even though DBF has upset people before, she has done a lot of good too.

It doesn't sit well with me that she is banned, and they are left to ruin an educational section and -worse- harrass vulnerable posters in Relationships.

personally i think a ban from the doghouse is a bit adolescent... if she's to come back, let her back. but one more shitty post ripping into a perfectly innocent question made by a poster looking for information about (i mean wtf are they thinking)... dogs and dog ownership and that is it. offski.

Oh, and I agree with Grimma.

(begs) Please address the Feminism/Relationships/MRA anomaly Justine.

I agree with Grimma too.

But maybe 'we' should be stepping up in other sections too ?

I am a Mum, a dog/cat/bird/hamster owner, I have many different hats I wear, but I don't profess to be an expert in any area.

If I feel I can offer advice, or console with someone, I do.

Justine thank you

I would really encourage you to read her posts in other topics. I've seen her be blunt but never aggressive or mean, and I think that should count for something.

Yes MrsDB helps with all sorts of odd queries

I didn't say they were all worthwhile, Broom !

How are the little people in the telly ?

I understand that DBF/Val has done lots of GOOD THINGS but surely if its got to the point where other posters are saying things like 'wait til DBF sees this!' or are scared to post opposing views then something is going wrong somewhere?

FWIW I thought the whelping thread was appallingly rude

Could we have a 'warning' on the thread for dodgy posts please. So we know when we've stepped over the line.

Please don't make Mumsnet into Netmums. Please. We don't need more rigorous moderating, just a warning on a thread telling us to watch it. Please.

I like the meaning behind DBF's posts but witch hunts are just not the way to get people to change opinion.

I have moderated a busy pet based forum and we had many similar issues with witchhunting, and the bashing of posters just doesn't change opinion, it just doesn't - all that happens is what has happened with yesterday's thread - the OP gets affronted, upset and angry, and either leaves or decides that the poster who has bashed them is wrong. And the animal is still stuck in the same position.

Softly softly catchy monkey is the term I have to use in situations like this - no one likes to be beaten to a pulp (verbally) over their mistakes - you certainly wouldn't treat your children like it.

Monitors are a great idea, especially for such a busy forum like this, I don't know how many team members MNHQ has but even for the forum I moderated we had a team of 6 or 7 main admin and an admin aide team underneath us who were in charge of keeping an eye on threads, flagging any turning bad, and helping to remind posters to post helpfully and politely.

I'd happily volunteer to be a monitor on the doghouse, did try to pm Justine but it told me not to be so silly

sue, i certainly know of one friend who will never post on MN again because of the treatment she got from Val et al. it was just totally... embarrassing to have to sit and listen to her repeat the total shredding she got, and to watch her shake with anger at the memory, while there's me being such an advocate of MN. i was absolutely mortified.

do agree that there is an anomaly here, though, wrt the feminism board trolls. not uninteresting either in light of recent newspaper pieces about troll-y attacks on female bloggers being absolutely par for the course.