To ask about ‘reverse’ and ‘trolls’?

[Naranja]

I often see people say ‘is this a reverse’ in response to threads, what does this mean? Is it when someone is pretending to have an issue with their ‘DH’ but they are actually the DH?

And likewise people often say ‘this is a troll’ but I’m not sure I would ever notice anything is off - what are the things to look out for?? People say about the ‘poo troll’ etc - is that someone trying to get people to share private stories for their own pleasure? How can you avoid responding to a troll?

Also the biscuit (?) symbol some people post? What is that?

Are there any other MN things I should understand?

Yes the biscuit was for Gordon Brown.

People post a reverse when they want validation that the other person is being totally unreasonable but they don't want to explain it from their own POV in case people take the other person's side. They usually represent the other person's position so ridiculously one-sidedly though that it's completely obvious what they are doing.

Normal trolls you just get good at spotting them after a while. It is something to do with writing style. If it feels like you're reading Take a Break, rather than a message from a friend, it's probably a troll thread, even though it is more entertaining.

@nopenotplaying

Oh good grief I'm expecting twins imminently, will I forever be thought of as a troll??

Nice try. Get back under your bridge, eh?

I can't believe Gordon Brown of all people kicked off the biscuit thing Every day's a school day.

Some trolls are obvious but some make no sense to me.

You’ve gotta be lacking in attention with plenty of time on your hands to create a thread about being ill and your teens are being horrible then the deletion message confirms it’s fake.

I had a thread on how to spot trolls recently because I had got so sick of wasting my time writing a reply only to see it deleted. Was pleased I spotted the Deaf thread was a fake but many people had replied taking time to write thoughtful posts about their own experience. So nasty when this happens.

I didn't say trolls changed from thread to thread, I said they changed within the thread which is entirely different and clearly disingenuous. Read posts properly eh?

I thought the biscuit thing derived from people settling down with some biscuits to watch the ensuing flak the OP was going to get for her controversial opinion?

I've started saying "you start " when people say 'cheer me up and tell me your stories of...'

But how do MNHQ identify someone who’s been banned before, when they’re presumably using a new email address?

They possibly can check an IP address but I suspect most of the time they presume someone is a PBP and make the announcement in (a) the hope it appeases anyone offended by the troll and (b) deters others trying to troll themselves. Bit redundant I think, trolls will be trolls now and forever more.

I'm only really any good at spotting the knicker troll, the one who says they're angry with the school because their daughter was made to do p.e in their knickers because they forgot their kit.

I could also be mistaken for a poo troll myself if I posted half the hilarious stuff I've chosen not to post recently. Kind of gutting because I know it would make people laugh. Well, some people.

Poo troll? How have I never heard of this?? 😂🙈

I don't know why it's always twins! It is though. One does feel a bit sorry for all the people with actual real life twins.

I spose it's because it's like parenting, but ultra. Like the cancer is always leukemia. Or it's always a brain tumour, never a knee tumour. Trolls always go ultra!

Poppy had twins to start with, one was part of the popular crowd and the other was more studious but not appreciated. I do wonder if the original Poppy posts were based on their own teenage years

was the deaf thread a fake?

how ridiculous

can someone tell me about the 12 year old who hadnt done a poo for 3 weeks? i cant find that

It's called what makes you shot or smth like that.
Yes. Deaf one was disgustingly but it's actually good because there is no real child a troll

thanks

There are two types of reverse posts - the ones where the person is clearly being wronged in some way and wants validation, eg, 'AIBU to insist on wearing my own wedding dress to my sister's wedding and bringing my kids along in their bridesmaids' outfits?' It then turns out, after 100 'No, you cray-cray' responses, that the OP is in fact the pissed-off bride and has been getting earache from her sister.

And then there's the ones where the OP is being utterly outrageous and is surprised to find out that her made-up villain's point of view is actually upheld by popular opinion, eg, 'AIBU to tell my sister that she can't wear bring her kids to my wedding dressed in their bridesmaids outfits from her own wedding even though their dresses are from Baby Vera Wang, and they only got one wear out of them, and no one will really notice because they're the same colour as her, I mean, MY colour scheme? Oh, and would I be unreasonable to ask my sister not to wear her wedding dress too, even though she really wants to and has been dieting for two years to fit into it again?'

cue another 100 'no, you would be absolutely reasonable to tell her not to do that because she is MAD!' posts, followed by a sudden outburst of 'You're all a bunch of bitches and you don't understand' posts.

You can usually spot reverses - there'll be a very long and detailed first post, and then minimal, one-line responses, because the OP has to inhabit the brainspace of someone she clearly loathes or resents. Then, inevitably, reverse posters flip and flounce.

I actually really enjoy a good flouncy reverse

The 'good' old days of Mumsnet, when people would clamour to send gifts, online shopping orders and money to supposedly impoverished posters are over, I hope.
I don;t know. I miss the old days a bit. I remember once posting that my (entirely genuine) SEN twin son had set his heart on a hand knitted scarf of some online character which I could only find on Etsy for over £40 and I couldn;t afford to spend £40 on a scarf at the time. Some MN I didn't know knitted one for him and insisted on taking no money for it. He was over the moon and we still have it, tucked away in a memory box (he's now in his late teens.
In return, I got her DS a mascot from the London Olympic games and sent it as a surprise. I can't remember her MN name or the name of the character (iirc it looked like a cat's head attached to a poptart with a rainbow treamer flowing from it) But I love how kind MN was in those days.

@milliefiori that's really lovely.

The problem now is that Mumsnet is massive, with thousands of posters, and it's lost the community feel it used to have, where a lot of us actually felt that we knew each other. I've been here 10+ years under various usernames, and I've seen the site grow from a supportive network of (mostly) mothers to what it is today. Back in the day, if someone was struggling for money or trying to locate an unusual toy, people would offer to help without hesitation.

These days, when someone rocks up with zero posting history and a tale of woe, I am sadly, cynical, particularly when they bat away any constructive solutions to their problems.