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Original poster

to wonder why bored twats want to troll a site like Mumsnet, of all things.

7 replies

GetOrf · 20/01/2013 19:07

'Let's go and wind up some mums'

Aside from the deliberate and nasty trolling of the feminist board, what possesses people to come over here on the wind up?

Is it really that thrilling to get a load of potentially outraged responses from a load of strangers?

Wankers.

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MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 09:09

@AnyFucker

Perhaps we could ask the person who is currently resurrecting old "my husband used escorts" threads the answer to this question. Mind you, the reason is clear here....to advertise escort sites

Morning. Have you reported this one, AnyF? We'd be most grateful if you could please...

MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 10:27

@GetOrf

Helen - I know it is a moot point and probably no. 865294 of the most important things in my life to worry about, but it is a bit annoying where a thread is deleted with an annoyed comment 'this was full of troll hunting'. It was full of people being exasperated, but I (and others presumably) reported it, and it actually was full of trolls. So people play by the rules and still feel like naughty children when we haven't actually done anything wrong. Just tried to have a conversation like normal people and avoid the complete lunchpackets who troll the site.

Yes, GetOrf, I'm glad you brought that up.

The wrong deletion message was put on that thread (unfortunately, at the moment, we have no way to retrieve and edit them if the wrong message is put out initially).

But, just fyi, we would always hope to say in the deletion message/in our post before deleting if we know the hairy of hand have been at work.

Apols for the cock-up last night.

MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 10:38

@amillionyears

I am still of the opinion, rightly or wrongly, that when a troll is suspected, that at least one person should say so. to help some people like me, to be alert I sometimes spot them, and occasionally before others, but other times dont spot them. [I am a bit of a mixed bag in this respect].

No, that would SERIOUSLY break our site rules, amillionyears. Voicing the opinion that any poster is/may be a troll is trollhunting and breaks our Talk Guidelines.

It's not helpful for two reasons:

    1. If the poster under suspicion is not a troll, it can be hugely upsetting. Trollhunting of genuine MNers has happened, and we know from our inbox how hurtful this can be.
    1. Voicing your suspicions on the thread won't do anything to hasten the poster's removal from MN, if they are indeed a troll. The only way to make that happen (if it needs to happen) is to report the poster to us at MNHQ.
MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 10:44

@baremadness

Manic the most disturbing bit is that, from the contents of some of theor posts, i suspect that at least some of yesterdays little lovelies were in their 20s and 30s. Teens I can kind of understand...

Yes. Weird, huh? They should all be back under their bridges now, though, we hope. Please do report any possible stragglers to us.

MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 10:45

@AnyFucker

Helen, yep

Marvellous! Ta v much. #trollteamwork

MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 11:00

@amillionyears

Yes but... Not meaning to be awkward, but when "troll" is called, it is normally right I would say 90% of the time. You obviously know the real figures on this.

so

  1. It stops giving lots of oxygen to a troll, which is what they want.
2.It stops posters wasting their time, energy, and in some cases, saying things they may not otherwise have revealed.
  1. I appreciate your point one, but I think the advantages of just one person calling troll outweigh the disadvantages. And if the poster was genuine, sometimes others can see it and carrying on posting. And after time, everyone would know the rules including genuine posters, and hopefully shouldnt get too upset.

Obviously this is your call.
But tbh, having troll after troll on your site, can get a bit upset for the thousands of genuine posters on your site too.

It actually happens a lot, amillionyears - the calling troll when it isn't or might not be. It's even happened to a couple of us at MNHQ.

And as we have always said, and continue to believe is right, we would always rather err on the side of giving folks the benefit of the doubt, and risk being made to look a bit foolish once in a while, than pounce on someone who may turn out to be genuinely in need of help.

And (if it is actually a troll) NOTHING give lots of oxygen to a troll better than shouting "troll" all over their thread. They'd be rubbing their hooves in glee at all the hoohah they're causing.

MNHQ

MotherSuperiorHelenMumsnet · 21/01/2013 11:05

@AnyFucker

No, no, no, AMY. I think it's a very bad idea to appoint official "troll hunters". For a start it would make you very unpopular (oh, here she comes again, who does she think she is etc) and there is still the chance of getting it wrong.

Only HQ with their extra info about whatever they have extra info about (they won't tell us see..?) can know for sure. Leave it to them. I understand that is a bit hypocritical of me as I have been banned for troll hunting before, but when I think about it rationally (not in the red mist of spotting yet another wind up merchant) it makes perfect sense Smile

Thank you, AnyF.

And yes, we agree.

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