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).

My views don't change simply because a few women like to hiss 'troll' at me.

My views don't change simply because a few women like to hiss 'troll' at me

How do you know the sex of posters here?

And how does one hiss when typing?

It's reassuring to see that most people so far don't actually agree with troll hunting. The rule is there for a reason, so it's irritating to see flouting of it being essentially ignored. Yes, it gets deleted, and oftentimes an "ahem", but really, how often are prolific troll hunters suspended or banned? Or do we just not hear about it.

Sorry, I didn't even actually think of putting it in site stuff. I suppose I maybe thought that was more for technical issues? I reported my post to HQ anyway to ask for their input so they can move it if they wish.

Oh, and I probably, like a pp, report for troll hunting more than for any other thing, but I don't comment on the thread or announce that I've reported so no one would know. I sometimes think MNHQ must think FFS when they see another report from me!

A forum I used to contribute to semi-regularly was actually ruined by one woman and her troll hunting. It sounds unbelievable when I put it like that, but she joined and was an exceptionally prolific poster. When anyone new joined, they were accused of being a troll. So obviously, they left. In time, the older posters drifted away and the forum was dead.

It's a real pity as in its heyday it was a lovely place.

Oh and sorry, (((((((hugs))))))) and 🖐🏻 to Hugger from NSW.

Otter, id dread to see how many users here have been scared off, even temporarily by troll hunters and that seems sad somehow, when a big function of this site is to support parents.

I find it more annoying that sometimes long threads are removed because the OP is a troll and I have wasted my time reading them. At least if someone warns early on in the thread that it probably is a troll I can stop reading and wait for MNHQ to decide.

I think it's the trolls that ruin MN, not the hunters. I have never reported trollhunting and am fine with being alerted to the possibility of a troll thread by other posters.

Well, I've just reported this thread
I think MNHQ need to see it, and not sure if the tagging works without the name after it of not.

But apart from that, I agree with the wrongness in troll hunting, dubious comments, and "reported" comments.

Oh.... is this a TAAT?

Which is also against the rulz

Some people find it easier to call "troll" when they disagree than articulate their own argument. I have been called, and reported, a few times for being a troll, a lot when I was talking about the way things work in my industry or company. It's actually quite funny!

Some threads have just been started to start arguments, and the more the OP goes, the more the contradict themselves or make no sense. You can see that some posters get really upset not realising the whole thing is fake, so I get why others warn them that's it is a troll, and not bother wasting time and energy. You can recognise a few names, and some belong to posters who seem really helpful, so they obviously mean well.

Also MNHQ don't always respond quickly to reports, especially at nights and weekends, the nightwatch thing is faffy, trolls know and exploit this, so I do think troll hunting can be useful. I know some people say they'd still rather reply in good faith even if the OP does turn out to be a troll, I don't feel that way and would prefer to be warned.

OK ladies (and possibly gents) I'm new, joined MN a couple of weeks ago and still getting my head around terminology etc. Can someone please explain to me what 'troll posts' and 'troll hunting' are?

It's actually a thread about heaps of threads - no one in particular. Don't think that's against the rules, and as I reported my own thread I'm sure I'll soon find out. I want HQ to read it.

I'm still not quite grasping why some posters think that because they believe that troll hunting is ok, this give them (or others) carte blanche to completely disregard the fact that MNHQ have said emphatically on many many occasions that it is completely not allowed. Do the rules not apply to them? Why not?

YANBU. My pet hate has been vocalised. I tried to do so myself once upon a time. My thread was reported and deleted. The fucking irony.

The image that pops into my mind when someone calls 'troll' or 'report' is a sad sack. That's the honest to God truth. A very sad person, with this little 'victory' becoming the highlight of their day. Like they are some sort of super sleuth. Mumsnet Miss Marples. It's weird.

Some of my favourite, most entertaining threads have been deleted because of these sad people. I don't actually care if there is a possibility that the threads in question are bogus, they are entertainment and for that alone they are worth the read.

My philosophy is simple; if you don't like it, hide it and move on. Save your self-righteous, saving-us-all-from-the-troll mentality. It is rife on MN. I have been a member of various other forums over the years and never before have I found so many trigger happy posters just waiting in the wings to shout 'Troll, reported'. I really wish they'd fuck off (dear).

Op.... we get one of these wrist slapping threads every month. Majority of people who duck in and out of MN don't really have time to invest in this sort of thing

If you live your life on here then I can see it would be mildly annoying but enough to attempt a bit fuss? Mnhq will maybe appear on thread and say what they always say

Your thread won't change a thing.

I agree that MNHQ should delete troll hunting but I find troll hunting a lot less irritating than the actual trolls. I don't think troll hunting is as bad as it used to be and it certainly doesn't 'ruin' the site.

There have been plenty of upsetting and emotive troll threads in the past where posters were getting over involved and which were taking a long while to get deleted. There also used to be a lot more threads where posters were asking or heavily hinting for money. I don't think I see as many now but I don't exactly read all the threads. I think MNHQ responding quickly to reports is important.

I've never been effected by troll hunting but I have been sucked into troll threads. I'm not one to over invest or get angry about stuff but it's annoying to write a long thoughtful post and then find out it's a troll.

I guess if you get accused of being a troll when you are not then that would be upsetting. I presume that's what's happened to the posters who are really irate about troll hunting.

Well MumIsRunning, consider me suitably chastised. Actually no, don't, because I couldn't give a flying fanny how many times this has come up. If people complain about things often enough, then change will eventually happen.

Will it be my thread that changes things? Probably not. Do I care? Not really, because it's maybe got some more people thinking.

Thanks anyway for your sage advice though.

RubaDub: "Can someone please explain to me what 'troll posts' and 'troll hunting' are?"

Troll posts are fake posts designed to get a reaction. A recent one, which drew hundreds of posts, was by a woman who said she had ordered a birthday cake that turned out to be really crap, and the maker was asking her to pay £65 for it. There was even a photo of the crap cake. The thread went on for hundreds of posts, with the story developing as it went (eg angry emails from the cake maker, OP making her own cake) until eventually the OP owned up.

That was moderately amusing, but sometimes troll threads are really nasty, e.g. people claiming their child has died, that kind of thing.

Troll hunters are people who accuse the OP of being a troll. It's frowned upon because often the OP is genuine and therefore it's hurtful. If you suspect the OP is a troll, you're supposed to report it to Mumsnet. People regularly ignore this. I must admit I've sometimes seen really obvious troll posts and felt it would be easier if you could just warn people than report the thread. But heigh ho.

So much superiority on mumsnet nowadays. Something that is as bad as troll hunting is when a thread gets pulled and then everyone harps on about how obvious it was that it was a troll and how you would have to be spectacularly stupid to fall for it. This happened to me with olivers army posts. I fell for it hook line and sinker. This is despite me having a small ds with the same cancer and had just spent the best part of half a year in a children's hospital. I offered support, linked to our blog about ds and his illness. I am not sure what was worse- finding out it was a troll post or other mumsnetters harping on about it was so obviously fake and how stupid people were for falling for it. Double whammy there and an awful feeling, made me feel terrible. I am now very wary about posting on certain threads.

Jemima I'm so sorry you were subject to that, both the original evil troll and the idiots who thought it appropriate to sneer at the gullible posters who were taken in. Why would anyone want to do that? Just to put the boot in a bit harder? Disgusting behaviour. I really hope it hasn't put you off seeking support

Hackmum, your last paragraph explains it well. Why some people have the inability to think 'hey ho' and also consider that the OP might just be genuine or report and move along is beyond me.

so what? really its a website where people chat, and this is a fairly normal consequence

and frankly most of the people that call troll, there is some rationale. Put it this way, I frequent fairly tame mundane threads and it rarely gets mentioned.

why does it big you so much OP?

I often find myself on the opposite side of the prevailing hive viewpoint - I feel like the little boy and the Emperor's New Clothes at times, but I don't always post in those circumstances, just slink away and then go back a day or two later to see if anyone else has been brave enough to challenge the prevailing mantra.

As for troll hunting it seems to me that lots of MNers think that every time a story seems slightly over the top, it must be made up. I take everything more or less at face value because I know people can be very weird!