AIBU to think mumsnet should do at least some vetting of the blogs before endorsing?

[WidowWadman]

On another site I came across the link to www.mumsnothavingchemo.com/ which proudly sports the "Mumsnet Bloggers Network" button.

The blog is about foregoing medical treatment of cancer in favour of all kinds of woo from homeopathy to Burzynski's neoplastons.

Now, I think everyone should be free to blog about what they like, and I'm more angry with snake oil salesmen selling false hope than with the desperate ones who buy it, but I think it reflects badly on the blogging network to endorse a blog which - disclaimer or not - propagates foregoing medical treatment for cancer.

The blogging network is just another vehicle to raise advertising revenue, but do contents like that not ring any alarm bells at all?

The blog reads like one big advertorial for alt med cancer treatments - doesn't it actually sail quite close to what is prohibited in the Cancer Act 1939, and therefore go against the editorial guidelines?

(I guess I better put my hard hat on now)

xpost orchid think you might have said it better :)

I am part of a community (Mumsnet) and of course you have every right to complain and dispute the blogs.

Opinions however have to be varied and good luck with your campaign.

"But where do we stop where opinion against the mainstream comes in?"

I would say with bullshit like this:

"A few years ago Bogna was at a dinner party when an acquaintance of her husband limped up to her in the kitchen.

?What are you carrying on your right hip?? she asked him. ?Are you carrying your sister??

The man looked dumbfounded. Bogna was right, he?d spent years worrying and feeling responsible for his sister?s predicament.

?Although I didn?t know anything about his sister, I just sensed, very strongly that his sister was the reason his hip was sore and he was limping,? Bogna said.

?I certainly can?t always intuit what?s happening in people?s lives ? and what?s impacting their bodies- but sometimes if someone asks me a particular question, that information will come.?"

And

"? When I put my fingers on someone?s body ? whether it?s their foot, head, or knee ? I can feel how a person?s energy moves through the fascia, and I can analyze very quickly what?s going on.?"

Laying on of hands, rubbish.

'But would like to read whatever nonsensical theories and alternatives are available.'

foglike - that's fine, and Google is there to link you to as many sites about alternative medicine as there are. But can't you see that if Mumsnet endorse the blog it implies that they approve of the content? And many people, given how successful and well thought of Mumsnet is, might take the content of the blog as Mumsnet endorsed advice?

Laying of hands is all kinds of evil....in fact it's the worst kind because it uses faith in God to completely deceive people.,

Where do we stop? Maybe here?

"Yesterday we prevented serious harm or an unpleasant death in a new patient who had read Laura Bond?s blog about hydrazine sulpate, (HZ) a derivitive of sulphuric acid. This patient, who has a serious gastric cancer read Bond?s blog and went out and purchased the HZ. Luckily we were able to advise against this action and suggested she return the product. In her case it could have perforated the stomach walls causing a painful death.

Later in the day two more patients revealed they had also bought or were planning to buy the HZ based on Laura Bond?s blog. Now this is getting serious. Bond should stop her blogs immediately ? she has written 21 in all. If 3 people in 2 days buy products recommended by Bond then how many patients in Australia or the UK in total have been impacted by this one article."

gracegawler.com/surviveandthrive/?p=210

fog things that are a matter of opinion can be debated and all opinions welcome (like this thread) but the current best treatment for cancer type X is not a matter of opinion if the relevant trials have been done, it is a matter of fact. Ignoring those facts and telling people not to take drugs in favour of random woo-based alternatives is very dangerous. Of course the blogger has the right to blog whatever they like but MN should be very careful about who they advertise.

I thoroughly recommend Sense About Science's download, "I've got nothing to lose by trying it"www.senseaboutscience.org/data/files/resources/11/SAS002_NTL_HR.pdf which outlines why it's not a great idea to believe alternative cures for long term and life-threatening conditions.

widow that is just terrible.....my main aim in life is to through without being responsible for killing anyone...how do these people sleep at night? Oh yeah apparently if you actually take on board what she is quoting as if it is fact then it's your fault not hers.....just amazing.

I'm glad to have seen this thread. I think Mumsnet's tacit approval of the site lends weight to its claims, which are against all the best current scientific advice. The sites own disclaimer is as weak as a bottle of homeopathic jollop.

The NHS doesn't piss about with cancer treatments and thank god they don't. Chemo is unpleasant but it's a life saver.

Hi again. We've done our research and this blog is not what it was when we let it in as a new blog back in July. We agree with you that it isn't appropriate for us to run it and we'll be removing it from the network. Thanks for pointing it out.

Thank you

Thank you for listening Elinor and thanks for raising this WidowWadman.

YANBU - I am completely about the Mumsnet Bloggers network.

I think Mumsnet are diluting/corrupting their brand.

The only place IMO for a blog with a Mumsnet logo on it is one from a long established MN poster -eg MmeLindt. Even then I think it should be more of a "I'm a MNer" type badge rather than part of a NETWORK - whatever a NETWORK is.

The strength of MN is the content on the boards not for example on something like this.

BTW MN have already had to withdraw at least one blog when it was pointed out to them that it was promoting a blog which protests the innocence of a convicted rapist.

cross-posted - I see that this is now leaving the NETWORK...

The damage to the MN brand may have already been done.

MNHQ -Do you not read all the new posts on all the MB blogs?

The MN spring is in full flow.

But seriously some of the questions raised are excellent and well listened to

@forkful

cross-posted - I see that this is now leaving the NETWORK...

The damage to the MN brand may have already been done.

MNHQ -Do you not read all the new posts on all the MB blogs?

We read every single application thoroughly - and take the quality and credibility of our network very seriously. But we have hundreds of members and can't be expected to keep across every single post. We have encouraged our readers to help us here, as we explain in our editorial guidelines. We have a report button for exactly these situations, and we move fast to address issues as they arise, or through emails to [email protected]. We're really grateful for feedback.

We have taken down two blogs in our six months, which is pretty good going for a network of our size.

Thanks Elinor and Mumsnet and well done WidowWadman for starting this thread! A good result.

Jolly good- I'm really pleased you've been able to deal with it so swiftly

Thanks MNHQ - particularly for the speedy response.

Thank you

And to WW for pointing it out