to STILL be angry about that troll from the other day?

[retrocutie]

MNHQ, I hope it's OK to post this. Please feel free to delete if not.

The thread has been deleted now, but it was started by a woman who said she found some incriminating emails between her husband and an ex-colleague of his. They were very graphic. She also said that he was saying very spiteful things about her (the OP). She talked about having 2 small children and was worried about what she was going to do. She went into great detail.

It all turned out to be bullshit.

The thing that upsets me, is that MN'ers were so helpful and took time out of their day to post and offer support. Some people even offered to go to her house! It makes me want to cry when I think about how caring everyone was, how generous of spirit, towards someone they don't know.

I don't believe the OP was mentally ill, I guess she was just bored and felt like doing something nasty. Like a child making a prank call.

It has upset me very much and it was days ago. Does anybody else feel the same?

[BIWI]

It was the post started by DevastatedHumiliated; one DC was, apparently, in the middle of AS levels (which gave the game away, because AS levels are already finished)

[Greenrememberedhills]

It is awful, though, when people are fooled like that, because the relationships board has helped so many, including lurkers.

[alrayyan]

That's why I get so upset when people make sceptical face symbols (what are you, like 12?) because I have not agreed with them. Had a really nasty one who called me a troll repeatedly about something so mundane I can't remember. At that point I deleted my account and name I had used for years. There are some sicko trolls and some nasty bastard mners (a sad little man once threatened to kill me because I lived in Qatar and his friend had been deported) but the nice people make up for it 100 times over. If one person gets help and support then it's worth it.

[WorraLiberty]

I'm so cynical that I barely believe the what's for dinner threads

Same here!

Home cooked meals from scratch?! Yeah my arse.

Everyone has nuggets and chips from Iceland!

[Bruffin]

I didnt get the impression of that much helpfulness. I saw loads of women rubbing their hands in glee that a man got caught with his trousers down. The troll gave them exactly what they wanted

[retrocutie]

Hang on - was this the one where the OP had 2 daughters, one at university and one doing A levels?

Yes, that's them. I had forgotten that. She said one of them was a champion horse rider, or something.

[Caff2]

Oh! It was that one then! My troll radar is crap then.

[retrocutie]

My troll radar is crap then.

Yeah, mine too, I was totally taken in by it all

[Penguinandminipenguin]

I remember this thread, and thought the support offered to the OP was quite overwhelming, and MN at its best. I'm quite upset that it was all bullshit!

[Ireallyneedtoletitgonow]

I have to agree with you there bruffin,there was ssomething g unsavoury about the whole thing.

All the place marking and "any update op?" People were practically dribbling.

[gamerchick]

You'll always get trolls on every public forum.. Some more nasty than others.

The ones where well known regulars who have been to meets turn all funny, end up in hospitals or need a trolley with wheels for their disabled dog so money starts being collected and people find they've been ripped off are the ones that harden you up to barely believing anything anymore.

Thick skin is needed on the internet I think.

[Ireallyneedtoletitgonow]

Sorry for typos, on phone

[Meerka]

OP, agreed that the troll is a shit. Sadly they just get off on it all :(

"Never invest more caring that you can afford to loose".

Relationships has helped many people who are genuine and I think of that. Damn certain that I've not detected some trolls, but some of what I've said has helped some genuine folk too. At least I hope it´s helped! :)

[SabrinnaOfDystopia]

retrocutie, this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/a2398700-the-Sordid-affair-thread-the-story-goes-on is the best medicine. Have a read

I like the pisstaking, jilly cooperesque response to this particular troll.

[Petridish]

Was that the one where the wife found graphic messages / pics from husband to another woman?

[Caff2]

How did they know it was a troll? I never post on threads like that as have no helpful advice, but I did believe it! There was so much detail about the teenagers!

[IsItStupid]

My "troll radar" is rubbish- I totally believed it! Never even thought about the timing of AS exams. What happened that gave the game away? I stopped reading shortly after she supposedly told her friend about what was supposedly going on.

[Caff2]

Same here, IsItStupid.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

I'm not sure that it actually matters if a poster is real or not. MN is all virtual to me - it's not like I really know anyone here.

I did see the post(s ) in question and just had a good read. Didn't offer advice as I had none to give but it was entertaining enough for a long afternoon.

I think I operate with the basic assumption that nothing here is real but I just enjoy the ride anyway. I might join in with something if it interests me but generally I don't get too invested with MN lives.

[BishopBrennansArse]

I've been using forums for 11 years now. Whilst they're valuable to me (firstly as a parent of young children who often found it hard to get out and now with disabled children ditto) I am now very cynical and don't take things at face value. I don't give of myself emotionally more than I feel able to.

[OVienna]

It feels to me like there are more made up threads than usual these days. Most seem harmless but I know what you mean OP- i sometimes wonder whether it's worth bothering to reply, which is a shame cause I enjoy Mumsnet.

[CatPersonNotaDogPerson]

IMO, it doesn't matter. You never know if what another poster posts is true anyway, and you should never have 100% trust in it unless you know it's true from another source.

But, responding to it as if it is true isn't a bad thing, and doesn't make you a fool (in as far as just posting your caring reply etc.) because it's all useful. Someone else could stumble across the thread and realise MN is a place they can get support. Things people say could give strength to anyone in the same situation. It can also be helpful for the posters on a thread to feel part of a community and shared experience - threads often go off at tangents where people bond over particular details – it's not wasted.

I'm sure I've been trolled many times and taken things at face value, but I'm not ashamed.

I think that wariness is important when it's things like being talked into handing over money or going to meet someone, and you need to be very sure before you do anything like that. But posts on a thread, I wouldn't feel bad about. Even the troll may be a person who needs that support, in their own way.

[Caff2]

That "sordid affair story" thread is really funny though

[irishmummy22]

I read that thread to my sister. And the advice from the posters really helped her. She finally put things in place that she previously didn't have the courage to do. I hope that makes it less of a waste of people's time OP.

I didn't post on that particular thread but I completely understand where your coming from. Trolls waste peoples time when other genuine posters need advice.