To wonder why on earth people report posts?

[curlew]

Well, obviously if they are libellous or "outing" I can see why, but otherwise it just leaves bizarre gaps in the thread, and means that people have no idea how bad whatever it was was. It's particularly bizarre, I think when posts are reported on somebody else's behalf. How does the reporter know that person wants the post deleted? They may want it left up in all its glory.

The problem with free speech and the internet is that it tends to assume that the internet is public property, when in reality it's just a whole load of private property sewn together and made accessible by the owners. So like all private property the owners get to dictate what behaviour they will allow on their "land"

Ans they also have to abide by the law of the country they are registered with. In this case UK publishing laws.

If someone wants a truly free speech website they need to buy their own web space. And I don't mean going to a hosting company (that's basically renting), I mean buying a server and hosting their own. Then they can dictate the rules, or lack of, within the law. Hard work though and expensive.

Well quite, Murder. In their position I'd delete far sooner and for far less. Because ending up in court for something someone else chose to say would be awful.

Sure I read that there's meant to be some change in the law about who is liable for content on community led sites, will have to Google, but it's always been an odd one AFAIK and usually safer to err on the side of caution. In comparison to some other forums MN is actually quite easy going with deletions, especially when it comes to naming companies/individuals on threads.

I report troll hunting. There are some posters that are very quick to shout troll just because someone has a different life from the one that they themselves lead. Many of those threads are quite innocuous and OPs are looking for help (? what would a troll possibly gain from making stuff like that up???). To be accused of being hairy or living under a bridge when you are undergoing a personal crisis is unfair and stops the message boards filling their supportive functions. If people suspect a troll, they can always, um, report it then no harm is done (although I also think that MNHQ have sometimes decided people are trolls when they are not just because they may have changed personal details from previous posts in order to preserve anonymity.). It does no harm to give the benefit of the doubt to OPs as, even if they are trolling, the thread stands to give advice and perspective to those genuinely in a similar situation.

Example, say I was Nigella (I am not) and her circs had not had the publicity they have had. Imagine if she posted about her marriage troubles and then it came out how rich she is, being widowed young, having staff, having a father who was a top politician, the art she owns etc (won't say more in view of ongoing legal case). Just imagine how many people would have shouted troll.

When I have actually posted about my real life in that kind of detail, wanting help and perspective, I have not only had my thread deleted for being a troll but also had my whole account deleted by MNHQ.

I agree that people who have different lives to the norm on here, face an uphill battle to be believed.
Very silly if you ask me.

curlew

that was me and I was only kidding - I thought the grinning face was giving that away!

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you or annoy you.
It's just my sense of humour, I guess it didn't work this time - again, I'm sorry.

I think it's great that PAs are deleted. If there wasn't the threat of that the whole board would fill.up with people swearing and laying into eaxh other

That's all right Zing- I didn't think it was you- I knew you were joking, I just though it sounded as if someone else had. But thankfully not!

Gold I agree. I once shared something and was accused of being a troll, now I don't share anything much on here at all - or, indeed, anywhere. It's just not worth it if your family doesn't fit the typical 2.4 children, white, anglo-saxon family. Sadly, it's the same IRL as well I reckon.

I have been accused of sockpuppeting before. I was surprised how annoyed I felt tbh. I corrected the poster, and told her to ask mumsnet if she didnt believe me, which made her backtrack.

octopus, that is sad.

I do understand why people query. This is an anonymous open forum. But the place to do something about it is with mumsnet. It is unfortunate they take so long to roll up and decide one way or another. But I think they have checks to do which can take time?

I think everyone gets called something once in a while. But I suppose that is to be expected.

curlew

phew, good.

thanks

i think it may be that people have taken a dislike to a certain poster and therefore more inclined to report their posts.