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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

to think we should have a "date joined" shown against our user names

242 replies

ssd · 05/06/2017 10:07

so that those posters who clearly have joined in order to promote their political views only, are shown for what they are?

no matter what party you vote for, when you try to discuss something here, there are posters who are determined to close you down or present facts when they aren't true

I think the older posters here and the newbies too I guess, would appreciate knowing how recently some of these posters joined....or not as the case may be.

I dont mind getting into a heated debate with genuine MN posters, we cant all be on the same side, that would be very boring, but when someone suddenly joins a few weeks before the general election and is all over political threads saying the same thing over and over, it dampens debate and is shit, frankly

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 06/06/2017 10:08

You don't. If someone doesn't namechange you can possibly think 'ooh that's a bit out of character' which makes it a bit easier

But you are not allowed to even raise a hint on an eyebrow on a thread. Sometimes asking a simple question to help you understand a bit better brings accusations of trollhunting.

Just report. And wait. And wait....

NavyandWhite · 06/06/2017 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JennyOnAPlate · 06/06/2017 10:12

It's a bit "my views are more valid because I've been here longer" isn't it? I don't agree with you ( and no I'm not new, I've been here for years)

Original poster
ssd · 06/06/2017 10:14

okayyy........

but why is troll hunting so bad? surely is someone joins up just to post really nasty or inflammatory stuff people should be allowed to call them on it?

why all the cloak and dagger reporting and waiting stuff?

OP posts:
Original poster
ssd · 06/06/2017 10:15

jenny, did you read my posts at all? I dont mind if you didn't, but I wrote this earlier

I've nothing against new posters, they have as much right to an opinion and the support of others on here that older posters have had for years

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 06/06/2017 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ssd · 06/06/2017 10:24

ok

sorry to go on about this, but surely they can see the difference between a genuine new poster even with an outlandish situation and someone being really horrible to someone else?

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 06/06/2017 10:24

There's very little 'hunting' involved TBF it's more troll 'spotting'. Grin

Sparklingbrook · 06/06/2017 10:26

MNHQ will never comment on how they can tell. But if it's a brand new poster with a ridiculous situation then MNHQ can't be expected to know if real or not short of driving round to their house to check.

But trolls are very often PBPs anyway which must make it easier.

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 06/06/2017 10:29

Folks, come on.

People like the trolls. MN likes the trolls. The DM likes the trolls. Other posters like the trolls. We know this because they post on troll threads a zillion times.

"MIL just asked us to spend £5k to attend her childfree wedding on Maui. But I don't think she's middle class enough since she objects to the DC being tutored for grammar school. AIBU not to go?"

Come on, you know that will get hundreds of replies. I'm not even trying to act like my hands are clean here. Everybody has had a bad day and risen to obvious bait.

And that bait is worth money. Time and attention - this stuff is the engine of the MN economy.

The notion that MN wants to make Maui posts impossible is silly. They love it. They may not be able to admit they love it, and they delete the crashingly obvious stuff, but the reason people keep coming back is because of goady fuckers.

And incidentally, some of the most talented, goadiest fuckers have been here longer than me (and I'm 5 years on this nn and years more on a previous one) and they are going nowhere because the goadiest ones know how to stay within the rules.

If you want a friendly forum where everyone is truthful and goady bullshit is not permitted, I've been a part of them, but they need to be SMALL and PRIVATE. MN is not either of those things and it never will be. It doesn't want to be. The users don't want it even if the management did (and it doesn't).

Sparklingbrook · 06/06/2017 10:32

YY I think Penis Beaker proved all that a million times over.

Original poster
ssd · 06/06/2017 10:33

honestly, I think I'm too old and thick for all this new fangled troll nonsense internet stuff, maybe I'm reading into it too much, I can't see what the big deal is.

if someone is being an arse, call them on it

if someone name changes and then answers themselves, pity their sad lives

if someone posts something and it's nothing you have experienced or recognise, thank your lucky stars for that, don't immediately disbelieve them and shout troll

if someone shouts troll, don't ban them, ask them why, without the cloak and dagger stuff

I think I should go and have a cuppa (and a lie down...)

OP posts:
Maudlinmaud · 06/06/2017 10:41

I would be up for this.
A thread I was on yesterday was put on the dm website within 2 hours of it being started. It was a difficult situation that involved domestic violence and the op didn't appear particularly bothered that it had made its way into the news.

LadyinCement · 06/06/2017 10:48

Yes, I can't see the problem really. I'm sick of political threads. Roll on Thursday. Except then there's the aftermath... groan.

I think all the name changing has been good, though, because there used to be all this "Mumsnet Royalty" business which was very tiresome. People would routinely agree with the in crowd and ignore other posters who were saying exactly the same thing. And the worst thing was suddenly in the middle of a thread there would be [waves to RoyalPerson] and then RoyalPerson would wave back and suddenly there would be a private conversation running in parallel. Very tedious.

MsSlocombe · 06/06/2017 10:56

ssd, I've been here long enough to 'know' you as a poster, but I'll tell you why troll-hunting is bad. On the rare occasions I've been upset by something in real life and then decided to post here, I've been accused of being a troll or trolling. Because my reluctance to reveal enough information to satisfy the curious (which might have outed me) was deemed to be trolling. It's really hurtful when you're already hurt to be accused of trolling. To be told by some faceless self-appointed moderator that you're nothing but a troll when you're already fragile is horrible. So it's important for those who don't protect their anonymity so closely to remember than a 'troll' whatever that is is a human being. Even if somebody's story is ridiculous in my opinion that's merely my opinion and a person in pain reacts in different ways.

NavyandWhite · 06/06/2017 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 06/06/2017 11:18

there are genuine posters that have been affected by something that a troll is making up.

I always report sensitive threads started by newbies for that reason. As part of my report I do point out to MNHQ that I have no reason to believe the OP isn't genuine but it is worth keeping an eye on it. I've seen too many posters upset at having shared their own stories on threads like that only to find out it was a sick troll.

I don't seek them out though, it's only if I see one in active conversations.

Wecks · 06/06/2017 11:21

Yes. Yes. (2008).
It is actually possible to show the date you joined by updating your profile. Hover over my name and it will show when I joined (though not my original user name).

Oblomov17 · 06/06/2017 11:35

I'm useless at spotting trolls. All the best threads get deleted.
I hate the recent user-number-123456789.
I'm not sure how when you joined, how many posts, or whether you are a 'gold poster' is going to help any of those annoyances.

Original poster
ssd · 06/06/2017 11:38

this thread is going the way of troll spotting, it wasnt what my original post was about, I started it as I was sick of recent political posters taking over threads and not doing much else

OP posts:
HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 06/06/2017 11:43

"AIBU to think Diane Abbott/Theresa May is the Mother of Satan?"

YANBU to hate it ssd, and I reckon many, many of those threads are being started/fuelled by people who are uninterested in being "proper" members of MN and are only here to boost their agendas for a couple of weeks.

BUT - ultimately there is an audience and a demand for their posts. If there wasn't, they would fall off the Active page within a few minutes. At the moment, many normal posters want to have poo-flinging political threads. So they are thriving.

Maudlinmaud · 06/06/2017 11:55

I just wish the political threads would stay in the political section. There was a thread asking for suspension of new registrations in the run up to the election but hq didn't go for it.

Sparklingbrook · 06/06/2017 11:59

Going back to the original point of the thread thank goodness for the 'Hide Thread' function.

MaQueen · 06/06/2017 12:06

Hold sadly, very sadly, I think you are absolutely spot on with what you have posted [sighs]

MaQueen · 06/06/2017 12:08

Sparkling I only recently realised there was a Hide The Thread button, and it's been a revelation Smile

But, if we can have a Hide The Thread button, why can't we have a Hide The Poster, one? Would it be too technically tricky?