To think it's time MN becomes a closed forum?

[minipie]

So:

The bastard Daily Mail cuts and pastes very personal stories from MN, discouraging others from opening up and seeking support.

Trolls come on and waste everyone's time, increasing our cynicism in genuine cases and discouraging others from giving support.

Spammers jump on any related (or unrelated) thread and post a link to their crappy product, wasting MNHQ's time in weeding them out.

Hairy handed truckers come and get their weirdo jollies from MNers seeking sexual or physical advice.

Isn't it time we became a closed forum?

I appreciate that wouldn't completely solve all these problems - but it would surely reduce them.

Otherwise, I'm worried the site is going to die, or become limited to the most bland and anodyne threads (lentil recipes and so on).

This is a genuine AIBU - I am not at all techie so there may be downsides I haven't thought of.

Open to debate...

im not worried if dm nicks my posts but the fact mnhq will get all moral about certain things being said and trolling yet dont give a crap if a national newspaper wants to print it

Actually, whenever these threads come up, I always wonder what the silent majority think?

These threads only mainly seem to attract those who feel the same way as the OP, so there's a possibility that it looks as though tons of MNetters are in agreement (and maybe there are).

However, I suspect there are just as many people (if not possibly more) who can take or leave the Daily Mail, and really don't care if MN posts end up being printed in it.

But I suppose if they're that apathetic, they're not going to bother posting to say "I really don't care"

Lying - I'm with you as my post demonstrated. This idea that as a member of a free Internet forum ( that you don't have to be a member of) you ask/demand things of it as a voluntary, free user. I just don't get it.

I really don't. It's not something you're paying for nor is it something you're entitled to like the NHS. Though there seems to be this idea of ownership or entitlement - MN I don't like this or that. If you don't like the way things are run, don't be part of it. Like you said, I don't think MN will mind.

Isn't there some disclaimer on here...saying that legally, anything we write belongs to MN?

Or did I make that up?

If it IS that way, then MN COULD tell DM to leave the threads alone. No? Legally?

@EmmelineW

I was contacted by a different news paper to ask for permission, if they didn't need permission why bother asking? I reckon Daily Mail have some kind of deal with MN.

Hello all

Just to confirm that we absolutely do not have an arrangement with the DM.

Emmeline, the journo who contacted you to ask permission was being courteous; in truth it would be very hard to challenge media outlets who lift posts without asking (though they shouldn't PM you - against our rules.)

We do understand your frustration with this wholesale lifting - it's not ideal, for sure, and we're really sorry if you've been upset by it. We've posted before on this over here, but I'll c&p here too:

As many posters have pointed out, unfortunately there’s not a huge amount we can do about it - they'd likely claim Fair Use and that would be difficult to challenge. It’s one of the downsides of Mumsnet being an open site, and as always, we remind everyone that this is a public forum, searchable by Google, legally linkable to - and quotable by - all and sundry.

On the upside, this openness means volume of users and volume of users means Mumsnet is available for free to anyone who needs advice 24-7. It also means fresh faces, a variety of points of view, and the wisdom that comes from a very sizeable crowd (which, as an aside, tends to mean that wrong or misguided advice doesn't stand unchallenged).

Only you can decide whether the upsides outweigh the downsides; we hope you’ll stick with us, of course - and making use of the name-change facility with reasonable regularity (perhaps with only a small tweak) makes it a lot less likely that your anonymity will be compromised.

Thanks Katherine that's good to know about the "DM deal".

Hairy handed truckers come and get their weirdo jollies

How do you know they are truckers and how the heck do you know their hands are hairy?

When people ask for advice isn't it almost certain they will get both sides of the argument, verbally quite vigorous.

Do posts where people include in the title a disclaimer indicating, only supportive comments welcome, get trolledl?

Given these accounts are anonymous does it matter if DM uses them, do people ever get outed?

they'd likely claim Fair Use and that would be difficult to challenge
Sorry to be really pedantic but "fair use" is a US law concept whereas "fair dealing" is a UK law concept.

It's a bit harder to join Digital Spy...you have to wait 48 hours for them to verify your account. No name changing allowed on it and I think they have a look at your IP address when you join to ensure you're NOT a PBU.

DS used to charge a fiver to join but not any longer.

That 48 hour wait would stop sock puppetry in its tracks, that might be something that would help.

Weird how PMs are forbidden but lifting whole threads is ok. Publicity is automatic with the latter, I suppose. A private approach wouldn't necessarily lead to MN being namechecked if someone wanted to share their story.
No doubt we will be spun some guff about 'privacy' and 'right to enjoy MN in peace '

How do you know they are truckers and how the heck do you know their hands are hairy?

We don't, 'Dave The Trucker' is a mythical beast but is so manly that his knuckles are hairy and is just a handy shorthand for reminding us that none of us actually, really know who anybody is hiding behind a NN.

Yabu, you are obviously truckist, all the truckers I know are very nice and do not have particularly hairy hands.

How very dare you!
Some of my best friends are tuckers

truckers

I really don't know what 'tuckers' are but they sound dodgy...

I have hairy hands and am not a trucker. Where did it all go wrong?