Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk

Back to thread
Original poster

To Be Pissed Off By Troll Hunters?

15 replies

DioneTheDiabolist · 01/08/2013 13:27

They feed trolls and disrupt the flow of threads.

Troll Hunting breaches the Talk Guidelines, if you believe that someone is a troll, use the Report button and ignore the thread. It really is that simple, but repeatedly I see people accusing posters of being trolls.

So why do they do it?Confused. Does it make the hunter feel superior, that they have been so insightful and feel the rest of us, mere mortals need their wisdomHmm or do they live such sheltered lives that they cannot imagine anything outside the realms of their own personal experience?

I have recently seen it happen on threads regarding child abuse and suicide. I understand that these are sensitive, triggering topics, but they are real problems for some people who come here seeking support.

So AIBU to be pissed off by Troll Hunters and wish they would stop it? After all, if it really is a Troll thread, all the hunters do is push it back up the Active board and give it more traffic, thereby feeding it.Angry

Go to post
MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 15:34

Afternoon.

Thought it might help to explain our position on this a bit.

First of all, the most important thing you can do is report a suspected troll to us. Otherwise, we don't know they're there and we can't do anything about it.

You'd be amazed how often we get a report, arrive on a thread and find 15 gazillion posts saying "troll" (or equiv). And we've had just this ONE report.

If it is indeed a troll, the sooner we're alerted to it, the quicker we can get rid.

Secondly, it's really important to know that, sometimes, what may seem obvious, as-hairy-hooved-as-it's-possible-to-get trolling can be absolutely genuine. And, in that situation, it's absolutely horrible, when you're in the middle of a hideous real-life situation and desperate for advice and support, to see post after post calling "troll" or worse.

And it happens far more than you'd think. We know because we can see stuff (namechanges etc) that you can't.

It's even happened to one or two of us at MNHQ.

That's why we have a rule about no trollhunting. As we say in our Talk Guidelines: 'we'd rather err on the side of being taken in than of accusing a genuine poster, who's in need of support, of being a troll'.

Yes, there are times when we may look like complete twats but we reckon that has to be better than the alternative.

And finally, don't forget that there's nothing a troll likes more than an almighty hoohah: everyone jumping up and down being outraged/shocked/offended and posting "I've reported this!"

In troll world, that's scoring a bullseye - giving them just the kind of attention they're looking for.

Far better, in our view, is to starve them of that attention, quietly report without posting - and let them be zapped to oblivion if that's what's needed.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 15:55

@dontmeanto

Ok Helen, thanks for the reminder. Next time I see an obvious paedophile and people playing right into their hands by talking about their own naked children, I will silently report, because I wouldn't want to, you know, offend the sick fuck.

Thank you. We would be most grateful. The sooner we're alerted to posters like that, we sooner we can get rid of them. Smile

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:03

@FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin

But the point is that even a half hour delay in deleting the thread can be a long time on fast moving mn threads. Plenty of time for the damage to occur.

True. But the thread wouldn't be fast-moving if folks were piling in to post "troll", "reported" etc.

It would have dropped off Active Convos like a stone.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:05

@dontmeanto

It wasn't dropping off, and it stood for over an hour. One poster thanked others for giving her a heads-up as she was indulging the OP, believing him or her to be genuine.

From what I understand, that thread wasn't reported till it had been active for nearly an hour.

I will check on that. But, if that's the case, it kinda underlines our point.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:18

@ComposHat

Helen do MNHQ not monitor the threads, or do they rely on a report?

Surely you could have deleted without the need of a report.

Saying 'if you all ignored it and not written troll it would have gone away' seems like a bit buck passing and a dereliction of duty in my opinion.

No, we absolutely do not monitor threads.

We couldn't possibly, even if we wanted to, as there are so many every day.

We rely on user reports to alert us to folks who are breaking our rules.

If no one had reported that thread you're all talking about, it would still be there.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:21

@dontmeanto

Ok, how does it underline your point? Earlier you say it stood for so long because no one reported it. Meaning people thought it to be genuine/saw no reason to report. Now you're saying it stood for so long because people fed the troll??

No, dontmeanto, that's not what we mean.

It stood for a while before the first reports came in.

But, from what I understand, folks were suspicious about the OP from the get go.

Rather than reporting their suspicions, as we ask folk to, some of them posted their concerns on the thread. Which doesn't help the thread get deleted at all.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:26

@ComposHat

Thanks for clearing that up Helen although my point still stands that blaming people who wrote 'troll' or 'reported' for the activity on the thread isn't cool in my book.

We're not blaming anyone. We're just reminding folk that trollhunting is against our site rules.

We appreciate that, in this specific example, some may think that a shame. But, as we said earlier, we could point to many examples, over the past decade or so, where genuine posters, in great distress, have been called trolls in error.

And, on balance, we think our philosophy is the right one.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 16:27

@dontmeanto

And if people report and it doesn't get deleted right away, and others come on talking about their own naked children to the OP believing them to be genuine, we just sit back and let that happen. Ok, great, thanks for the clarification.

Well, we would argue that everyone should perhaps think twice about talking about their own naked children on a freely accessible, Google-indexed discussion forum, no?

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:11

@FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin

And presumably we can remind people of that fact on such a thread? Genuine question, not trying to be smart

Yes, that's definitely worth doing. Always.

And might well serve as a potential-troll warning to others, without breaking our guidelines Wink

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:25

@FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin

Right so

Report
Rmind people if necessary to be aware eerythibg theyre posting is on a public site and is available for everyone - nice and less nice people to read
Stop bumping

Does that sound like a plan

That's exactly it. Smile

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:30

@FreudiansSlipper

but people don't

i do not always read a thread through can take ages

really why add to an obvious troll thread the still come on again and again its what happens in public forums

the best way is a post along the lines of I AM REPORTING THIS THREAD I BELIEVE OP IS A TROLL is the best then to leave it unless you have nothing better to do with your time

Actually, no, that post would break our site rules, FreudiansSlipper (as we've outlined earlier in the thread).

Best not to post at all. Or, in cases of the perves out to encourage folk to post the kind of stuff that turns them on, to post a general and unspecific message reminding folk that it might not be wise to post on a publicly accessible forum such graphic detail about particular subjects.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:32

@bruffin

Rmind people if necessary to be aware eerythibg theyre posting is on a public site and is available for everyone - nice and less nice people to read

how can you do that without bumping Confused

You don't HAVE to do it. Obviously.

We were just suggesting it for those who felt not posting was not an option for them because they felt a need to alert others.

Clearly, the fewer times a thread is posted on, the fewer people it will draw in.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:46

@Souredstoneshasasouredpebble

If a thread has been utterly derailed and descended into silliness do they stand or get deleted?

Or is it on a case by case basis?

Deffo case by case.

It depends on the nature of the troll in question. (If indeed they are a troll.)

The truly revolting perves and suchlike, we tend to zap.

But occasionally, if the troll is not positively nasty/pervy/boaksome, and the thread is hilarious/interesting, we may leave it.

As in Brian from Hull and his yoni massage...

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 17:52

@FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin

Brian was a troll???!

Oh dear. See, trollhunting only upsets and disappoints.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 01/08/2013 18:04

@WorraLiberty

What I think doesn't help, is the length of time some nasty troll threads are allowed to stand...from the time of the first report to actual removal.

Some threads started on Saturday nights, are still there Sunday lunchtime.

I think that has been true in the past Worra (and I know you've suffered personally over that, which we're truly sorry for) but I don't think that would happen now.

And we have more plans in the offing to ensure more efficient night-time oversight.

Watch this thread for updates

Tap "Watch" to get all the latest updates

End of posts

There are no more MNHQ posts on this thread

Back to thread