fake threads/trolls

[ghostspirit]

just seen 2 threads removed. so must happen often, Are there really lots of fake threads/trolls.

is there such a thing as a harmless troll?

i was reading one of them threads to! never mind

I don't mind a bit of name change gone wrong but when you advanced searched the usernames you could see one name supporting the other on threads where they were purporting to be different people. The very definition of sock puppetry. The same poster's miscarriage threads were proper emotional vampire stuff. Some other posters were really upset by her.

I must admit I do name change just because I worry about being identified.

I do try to make it so I'm recognisable to TES people :)

purple thats just weird. pretending to be 2 different people. would have to be on the ball not to trip over each other.

yeah the shop thing was stupid im sure debates weather fake or not could be made without hurting people

whats TES mean? i name changed once. everyone knew who i was by my 3rd post

ghost I know that.

I meant one poster who returns every few days often using variations of names she's used previously. Her style and content is always the same and she's absolutely tedious.

TES = Times Educational Supplement. It's a teacher forum.

I completely missed her this time around (fortunately) but if it's the same one I'm thinking of, I don't get the obsession. Is it just the need for sympathy? So strange.

There seem to be an amazing number of 'my toddler is a genius' threads at the moment, even by MN's aspirational standards. I think someone has realised that they generate lots of reactions as posters rush to tell the OP she doesn't really need to teach her two year old Sanskrit.

Yes, I agree irene. The gifted and talented board seems like it has more than it's fair share of suspicious activity at the moment. It was wwyd a few weeks ago.

Why does it matter if there are harmless made up threads? They're usually the most entertaining. Not talking about miscarriage ones of course

Unless a thread is emotionally harmful, why do people care? I'm astonished by how many troll-hunting comments I see, often provoked by someone saying something the poster disagrees with. Some people seem to have trouble grasping that it is possible to have different views or experiences from them. And others seem to get an emotional boost from "spotting" a supposed troll. Life can be very strange sometimes, and bizarre things do sometimes happen, especially given the size of the Mumsnet population.

If I think I've seen a troll I report it. I don't always even post on the thread let alone troll hunt.

I think 'harmless' trolls are often harming on other threads.

All those weirdos suggesting Dulux Timeless on the DIY threads are definitely suspect. Everyone knows that Dulux trade white is what you use.

what if someone is not a troll/fake and get kicked out for nothing.. that would be so hurtful

This happened recently to a poster. I never saw her thread as it was in a topic I don't visit, but I saw the "Err HQ we were all wrong" thread. HQ emailed the poster a sincere apology. I didn't keep an eye on the thread so no clue whether she ever came back or replied, but no one really thought she would due to the RL shit storm she was dealing with when she was booted.

I do think that unfortunate scenarios like this are rare though and that there are trolls/emotional vampires who play the long game and cause more damage than those who are obvious and banned in a fairly short time, because it takes so long to realise and then gather proof of their hairy handedness bitter voice of experience

I always wonder what happened with CvQ. I mean - she actually met another MNer didn't she? That really is fucked up.

I was off MN for about 2 years, came back and realised I'd missed it all!

Do you think trolls BS in real life too? Or do you think they just do it online?

I'm sure we've all met someone who just likes to make things up just for the hell of it. Do you think those are the same people who make shit up online?

I've mentioned this before but ages ago there was a thread that was deleted for not being genuine and since then the OP has moved onto a different forum I frequent and has been posting on and off there ever since. She has also posted things that do not necessarily prove that she's not lying but do prove that if she is a liar then she has dragged it into rl and is lying about it there too.

toads i know someone who is a real life troll. but i dont think she doe sit on the internet. she made up sick shit about having a baby that died and is buried next to my mum. my mum is not dead and the baby thing never happend...lots of other stuff shes said

I think there's all sorts. Some are bored and doing it for the lols. Some do it (on here) to get others to over-share for their own gratification pervs, and some have ishoos I think, out of loneliness, psychological, etc. They have varying degrees of danger/damage they cause.

I tend to believe everything, I just can't imagine how people gather the emotional energy to make stuff up - i know it happens its just so odd. Years ago i worked on a phone helpline and we got some repeat callers who obviously got some kick from telling the same story. There was a man who found a pregnant lady attractive, he had been calling for months saying she was eight months pregnant.

Fwiw I have read posts on here directed to others, and the advice has really helped me, and i have seen those threads disappear - think they were trolls. but I understand why people get upset with fake threads about sensitive issues

Last night I had a thread deleted because it was supposedly a troll. It was about visiting Paris, because there have been so many reports of people cancelling tourism trips and I wanted to say that I'm intending to go back very soon and just generally have a positive thread about what a wonderful place it is and encourage others to do the same. Clearly I failed to explain that properly because it triggered an avalanche of troll accusations.
That's fine, I understand that reaction - but by the time I had typed a (quite short) post explaining what I meant, I tried to post it and found I couldn't - my entire account had been deleted.
I had to email MNHQ and say I thought they'd made a mistake. To be fair to them, they did reinstate me (though not the thread), but it's left me feeling rather upset tbh. A quick look at my profile shows that I mostly post boringly about knitting and the occasional chipping-in on relationships. I'm not a fucking troll.
There's a reason why MN asks people not to troll-hunt, and I never really appreciated it before - it's really bloody horrible when the entire sanctimonious weight of the MN-police comes crashing down on your head, when you meant well but have made an honest mistake in not explaining yourself properly.

Many people love the feeling of being offended. Troll threads give them the perfect opportunity.