To be annoyed to learn a certain thread was not genuine.

[Canthisonebeused]

So the sports day thread where the child was victimised for being slow and adopted has been pulled and seems not to be genuine. Why would someone do that?

what is a sock puppet?

A sock puppet is when the OP changes their name and posts on their own thread, usually in support of themselves.

thank you

Ahh! This drives me crazy! Every time I read a thread that someone calls troll on, I find myself thinking "no way, this is definitely real, why would someone make that up"... Only to find out later that it was, in fact, made up. There was one recently which really got under my skin... I will try to remember which one, because it really made me ANGRY!!'

I saw the sports day thread and thought it seemed too over the top to be true.

Sometimes I wonder if there is a grain of truth in threads like that. Maybe the OP had reason to believe the PTA woman was judging her son for being adopted and her for being "common" and she wanted to rant about it, but had no concrete proof, so she made up a story in which PTA woman said out loud all the things OP suspected her of thinking because otherwise everyone would just say, "You're probably misinterpreting things," instead of giving her sympathy and getting angry on her behalf.

But, on the other hand, she might have just been a fantasist with too much time on her hands.

It never ceases to amaze that people actually respond to "first" posts on a sex theme. Oversharing abounds.

My suspicions are sometimes aroused by posts that are started with "have name-changed in case this outs me."

But the Sports Day one was bloody ridiculous. No one would behave in the way that the OP maintained this other mother did.

I ran the anorexic one past dh. His reaction was a and "sounds like a load of bollocks to me."

Troll hunters can be awful too. I remember one op said her child had been left in the dark and the nursery staff had gone. Ok it was a pretty unusual tale but one poster went on and on about trolls constantly. She was wrong as i saw the full story in my local paper a.d was tempted to pm the nasty poster. She was awful.

I figured the anorexic story was BS. Glad to see my radar works, most of the time. Hadn't really read the sports day one, apart from a quick glance, and did think it sounded over the top.

I wouldn't troll hunt on a thread.

But if it is a dramatic tale in AIBU - say if involving death/injury/miscarriage/arrest with supporting cast of unprofessional conduct/shitty neighbours/rude bystanders, plus rounding on one or more other posters on the thread, then I really would think 'troll'

As TSSDNCOOP, if the thread is zapped, we never know the full reasons, or the extent/nature of trolling.

Am i imagining it, but wasn't there a poster who said she was a vicar and was hounded by people saying she wasn't, till eventually she had to prove it? I can vaguely remember it.

I remember that thread of the DC left in the dark when the nursery forgot her and locked up for the day.
It was an incredible story, so there was some very tough troll-hunting - but it was indeed all true.

However experienced you are, please don't risk troll-hunting: someone in serious distress might stop reaching out for help.
Just bite your tongue and report it.

There was mrskoala. It was horrible actually .

The be that stand out for me was Sassy Susan. I know she got banned for multiple personas and generally stirring things up (I think) but I always believed her child died and that part was true.

I am a little tempted to Troll. I promise I won't, but I can't be the only person to see a troll and think "I could do better than that".

I also read an article written by a Troll who said that he added grammatical and spelling mistakes as this drives other posters nuts. It does make me wonder about far fetched OPs with hideous spelling.

mrskoala that is absolutely right. That was a very good example of why troll-hunting is shit and mn don't like it.

I didn't see the nursery thread. Sounds grim.

Both of those remind me of why it's always best to just report.

I don't think i read it but caught the fallout and recriminations at the end. I remember feeling really sorry for the poor lady. It's one of my general fears/recurring nightmares - to tell the truth and not be believed. Not necessarily by strangers on MN, but in life in general.

Please remember though it is the trolls that spoil it for others with slightly out there stories. There has been such an influx it is hard to know if anyone with a more than humdrum post is genuine or not.

I reported that post. My troll'dar doesn't always work but that was a bit far fetched.

I do agree Porto - i didn't realise there'd been a lot more recently. Not sure if i've read any. I have no idea about the nursey one. I stay away from the really emotional threads too as i get quite upset sometimes. I stick to AIBU and chat.

I know troll hunting is a reaction to trolls, but trolls don't make people chase vulnerable and distressed people away from getting help... It's not like there is only one reaction that people have to have after being trolled.

I do think it's a very real issue on mumsnet, and beyond, and it's awful to be on the receiving end of it. Accused and vilified - for daring to hope ofr compassion, yearning for some human contact and support.

It's always better to report than call some poor person a liar and cut off what could be their only source of support. The gains don't outweigh the risks.

The "troll-hunting" of one poster continued off-board and into RL - with RL consequences for the accused poster.

Personally, in that situation, I think calling it "troll-hunting" is too gentle: it was harassment.

All sorts of very weird, sometimes quite unpleasant, drives can be unleashed by the (supposed) anonymity of the internet. And not only in trolls - also in those who think themselves acting for "good" reasons, and thus giving themselves permission to act very badly indeed.

I do wonder how the posters who did the above feel about themselves now - genuinely - I think it must be quite strange to live with knowing you have done something genuinely appalling to someone when your psychology is (obviously) very dependent on thinking of yourself as some kind of hero/Head Girl/sheriff-type.