To think raking through a poster's old threads is despicable behaviour

[Behindthepaintedgarden]

There's a sideways discussion going on at the moment on another thread about this.

I've seen it a few times on here where two posters are disagreeing and one of them suddenly starts posting comments about previous remarks the poster has made (often months ago), or picking a tiny selection of threads the poster has started to imply that they're 'anti children' or 'anti weddings' or 'obviously have difficulties getting along with people'.

I remember someone doing this to me on another forum once and it creeped me out. AIBU to think it's horrible behaviour and a really cheap way to try and win an argument.

Hmm, I don't know. It's an interesting question - really you're asking how anonymous we collectively agree or accept MN should be. Because to string together an identity in that way undermines the essence of MN, which is that most people on most threads don't know or know about each other at all.

I've never done it myself so I suppose I agree that YANBU. It is unkind. But I have a couple of times gone and looked up a poster who's really rubbed me up the wrong way (and ones I have loved!) to try to get the measure of them, I suppose. And I then just avoid them, because I don't come here to be combative or feel crap (usually ).

All that said, it's a public forum. We all know that what you post here is available to everyone, and it endures. Once you say your piece, you have no control over how it's used.

I dislike it but just sometimes it is relevant.

YANBU but if someone posts something particularly goady, I'll look at their history to see if they have form or are new.

It's not exactly snooping is it? Easy to search and the threads are there for all to see.

apart from anything else I just couldn't be arsed

For me it depends on your intention. I have recently just brought up another posters previous thread as I felt the issue was the same and wanted to offer some advice that reference both situations iyswim?

I also do what EdSheeran suggested.

in the particular instance I think you are talking about it was completely irrelevant to the thread

it was done by someone who was losing an argument and felt the need to be a nasty piece of work about it

Depends. I did it once to someone I knew damn well was goadyfucker trolling. They had significant form and people were getting sucked in.

Now I want to know what thread you are on about.

Despicable behaviour..! I think you are taking this far too seriously. It's the internet and if you're going to post personal information then you have to accept that at some point, some idiot could rake it up and throw it at you. It goes with the territory.

Past-quoting a poster is only OK if they have a history of being nasty or trolling. Otherwise it's can be a bit creepy, like arguing with someone in real life, and they suddenly throw in something you said on fb years ago for no apparent reason than to be 'right' by any means. Usually shows the person has no confidence in their own argument to be honest.

I've never done it but have been sorely tempted a few times with opinionated but hypocritical posters. If someone name changes I think that should be respected though.

OP I generally completely agree with you. Really bad form just to score points and 'win' arguments.

But sometimes, if the poster is offensive or people suspect them to be a troll, it's legit.

It happened on a thread I was on earlier, a poster realised the OP had said two conflicting things on different threads. MNHQ pulled the thread due to the OP not being genuine.

I look at people's previous threads/comments to give me insight into whether someone is a troll/goady twat.

I don't necessarily use that information on a thread though it might influence whether I report or not.

Nothing wrong with searching, but "using" choice bits of threads is really bad form. One particularly aggravating poster (now banned) did this incessantly and it drive me up the wall.

I've certainly looked up posters for various reasons based on a thread, whether to see if they're always so rude/goady/bigoted or to find out about a backstory that everyone on the thread but me seems to know.

But I would never bring what I've found to the thread in question. It's backhanded, rude, generally irrelevant and, as others have said, a cheap shot to win an argument.

*drove

I haven't seen the thread you're talking about, but sometimes I think it's relevent. It all depends on the way it's done tbh, if it's dragging up shit to score points in an argument then yabu, if you're trying to use a previous situation to help someone see things from your point of view then yanbu.

I do think even if you have good intentions you'll end up looking like a wanker, so it's best left well alone.

Can I ask what thread triggered this one?

I think, if you only post what you believe, it should be fine.

I've seen some posters who pick a particular topic and post on any thread which contains that topic. Usually unhelpful and potentially upsetting posts.

In that instance I do think it's fair enough for people to say "oi, you've said x about y enough times now, it's not really relevant to the current thread".

Not sure that makes much sense but it does in my head!

usual I too want to know what thread it is....