To bring up the subject of troll hunting *again*, and look for input please from MNHQ?

[WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat]

I've read so many threads in the past couple of weeks that have been absolutely drowned out by troll hunting. Someone mentioned that they thought troll hunters were ruining Mumsnet and I couldn't help but agree.

I've been here for years, and this comes up fairly regularly, and every single time mnhq come back with the same response - troll hunting is NOT allowed. Report, and move on. It's not hard to understand, and what's even more fucking irritating at times, as it's often (not always) the same old names doing it over and over, like they think they're above the rules.

@MNHQ, are there actually any sanctions for people who continually do this? I know posts get deleted but it doesn't seem to be any deterrent, and even sometimes ends up in the whole thread being zapped, even in cases where HQ have stated that the OP is legit but the troll hunters with their smart assed, 'I'm so clever with my trolldar' comments have made it unsustainable. How is this fair?

I've been on the receiving end of mild troll hunting, and it's really fucking hurtful, particularly when the reason I've posted is because I'm upset to start with, and looking for advice or support.

So why do people seem to think that the rules don't apply to them? Arrogance? A need to be 'right' or not (god forbid), 'gullible'? Should there be a 'three strikes and you're out' type approach? I honestly don't know myself, but I just think it's horrible to see OP's with what could easily be a real, fucking horrible life situation, be shredded, when it's so easy to report and scroll by.

And before people come along to defend their right to troll hunt to 'save' vulnerable posters from giving too much of themselves - aren't we all adults, who can choose how much of our lives we wish to divulge without the need for knights in shining forum armour coming to our aid? (That's ignoring the fact that MNHQ's job, which they carry out regularly, is to remind us of exactly that).

Also in oz.
I'm calling troll

Hi cock

In seriousness, YANBU. I agree with you.
It's hurtful I've also been on the receiving end of troll hunting... still here though
I've suspected a few trolls and I'm generally correct but I just don't engage with the thread and report.
Another thing is people commenting
"Reported" eh? are you trying to be subtle because you're really not

I've been here for donkey's years too and I don't agree that troll hunting is ruining MN, sorry.

Are you thinking of posters challenging bots / posters paid by political organisations? Because there has been a rise in paid bots and they are a different beast. I have no idea how MNHQ could deal with that.

I am a UK insomniac BTW

God yes! The 'Reported!' posts - just what is the point other than to look smug, and break talk guidelines.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being all 'MN has gorn to the daaaawwgs', it's just so fucking infuriating to see people blatantly flout the (one particular non negotiable, easy to understand) rule at the detriment of other posters.

I actually haven't noticed the bots/political Rep posts so I wasn't meaning them. I more mean people who have possibly a slightly outlandish situation or who might have been vague on details to protect their ID being torn to pieces. Are some people so sheltered that they don't realise that other people's lives and families can be pretty out there and unusual?

Are some people so sheltered that they don't realise that other people's lives and families can be pretty out there and unusual?

Sometimes yes, they are. Whilst all of life's tapestry is probably represented somewhere on MN, it is for the most part overwhelmingly white, well educated, & middle-class. There are lots of people who genuinely have no idea of the daily grind that most of the population face as a matter of course.

I dont like troll hunting. Tbh i do report a fair few posts. But I am rarely 100% sure, so i report and leave it at that.

The people who do just appear to say 'reported' do annoy me. Why do you need to announce that? Its simply place marking to see if they were correct, so they can see the deletion message.

If you think its a troll, just report it. Its really quock and easy.

People like to be know it alls

MN is middle class, white and educated???

That is very doubtful. It is far more diverse.

There was indeed some hardcore JC fans on here - are you saying they were not real members??

Did you actually read the whole of my post?! The main demographic is indeed white middle class, but as I also said, the whole of life is represented here!

And for the record I am probably the MN stereotype at first glance right now, but I grew up in a poor and thoroughly working class family in a northern ex mining town that is over represented on Jeremy Kyle! Unemployment at twice national average, health outcomes very poor, similar education outcomes. I'm also a life long labour supporter and think JC had a lot to offer society. I have more experience of different family and social situations than 99% of my current friends but from the outside I fit the trope very well.

I've pointed it out before, and I was correct. I could see the troll starting to turn and it was about to get really nasty. Seemed nice to do the "wrong" thing and mention so some people would be aware their buttons were being pushed deliberately. It was deleted swiftly after I (and others) reported it. Sorry, but if it stops someone getting really upset about the awful scenarios this jerk was dreaming up then I think it's ok.

What I find worse is the "you must be a journalist" crap. Been accused of this on almost every thread I've started. Can't people just search your name before they start with that tired old shit? Journalists don't need to start threads. They just copy and paste any old thing.

((((((((Hugs)))))))) and Waves Hi from South Oz 🐨👋🏼

Really dislike the ones that post 'Reported'

It's Cyber bullying and I always follow the guidelines as to how to let Admins know

It makes people feel superior, perhaps something they don't get out of RL?

I'm inclined towards believing threads (unless they're totally ludicrous), but IRL I tend to look for the best in people too. I've recently met a few people under various circumstances and it's popped into my head "I bet you're one of those mumsnetters" - and by those I mean the biscuit proffering, hole-picking, thinly veiled bullies you often see on here.

(I see a lot of good on here too though-I must add that.)

There are some who are regulars though. Poo troll, step children troll, Almond Amy. And some that are just obvious like PippaPavlova and Maui.

I quite like it when somebody subtly hints that it might be a previous banned poster.

I've not been on MN that long and it does my head in writing a reply only for it to turnout to be a Troll and people who've been here longer seem to suss the post style or a link to an earlier post.

By the way, I'm not saying I'm OK with nasty Troll hunting.
Just sometimes if it's a repeat, it's nice for people to let us know.

Also, the 'interesting first post op' thing is so bad. Passive aggressive troll hunting at it's worst, but they get away with it because they're not actually sayyng 'troll' - although they are of course.
There used to be a really prolific troll hunter on here for years, who thankfully I haven't seen in a while so maybe she was finally banned.
She'd spend her life hanging around AIBU waiting to shout 'troll'.
Why is it so hard just to report and say nothing on the thread like HQ say?

It depends. If the post is full of bigotry then it is quite reasonable to put reported. I'm thinking of the disablist trolls that have recently appeared. People want to feel that they are not alone.

I think the vast majority of troll hunting is arrogance especially the "reported", nudge nudge wink wink, faux "is this your first post?", "schools out" type comments. I also find it very infantilising. There's trolls on all online forums, I think the most "damaging" trolls are those that have been members for a long time, those that float along slightly stirring the shit, as opposed to those that may post something that other posters find strange or aren't used to.

I've been here donkeys and have had a raised eyebrow or troll sniff on a couple of occasions - once because my child had finished for the summer by the third week of June, another because my child started primary school a few months after turning 4. It really didn't occur to the eejits that I lived in a different part of the UK, it made them look a bit thick to be honest.

I've been accused of being a troll. Usually when I post an opinion out of sync with the mn 'hive mind', other posters chip in with "ignore tamatoa, she's just a troll".
(Which is why I name change a lot)

What exactly is a troll? I am always being accused of being a troll, a gf or a journalist every time I contribute to a thread.
I have quite robust views and can cut through the emotional first responses to eg Grenfell, and I always end up leaving the thread because it usually gets do nasty.
I have had treads run for several hours then someone calls troll and reports. The thread is sometimes deleted.
I am not a troll, but I think sometimes there is an 'accepted view' of events and any deviation must be suspicious and stopped.
AKA an echo chamber

I report troll hunters more than i report suspected trolls.

Exactly Tamatoa

@MNHQ

Won't that just notify a poster who has registered the name MNHQ rather than actual MNHQ? Site Stuff would probably have been a better place to post this if you wanted them to see it.

YABU for putting what is clearly a Site Issues thread into AIBU.

If you want MNHQ to read it, that is.

Also, the way to deal with troll hunting it to report it. It certainly does get deleted. Persistent offenders can be warned, suspended or banned. But none of that happens if it's not reported. No matter how many threads about it are started or in which topics.