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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not understand MN's rules?

70 replies

Lotus90 · 10/11/2019 18:26

Does anyone else feel at a loss when it comes to MN's posting rules?

I commented this on a post about a woman wanting to give up work to seek benefits for an easier life

'Bloody pathetic. Where to even start?'

My comment was removed and I received a condescending email about 'breaking the rules'

Are mumsnet becoming more like a dictatorship by the day? Whatever happened to freedom of speech mumsnet?

OP posts:

LimeRedBanana · 10/11/2019 21:43

Oh flipping heck, I wondered how long it would take mumsnet hq to make an appearance.

Did you not want an explanation from them, then?

You seem like hard work. Let's see if that gets deleted, shall we?

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 10/11/2019 22:52

I had a thread deleted for being racist when I said I was ashamed to be British sometimes because a fellow guest in a hotel I'm staying at was being a twat to the waiting staff. I'm British, how can you be racist against your own people?

I don't get the rules either.

NotBatman · 10/11/2019 22:56

Have you tried being nice?

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 10/11/2019 23:18

I think they just delete whatever gets reported

Nope, from experience they don't delete everything that's reported
If they outright break the guidelines, they do, rightly.
Some's creeping insiduous though.
If it's a wishy washy post where the poster knows they're breaking the rules but trying to skirt around them even if they're blatantly personal attacks they get left to stand a lot in my experience.
So anyway!
Seeing as I don't know which thread or post you're referring to, I think context is needed for a proper judgement lol

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 10/11/2019 23:27

Oh flipping heck, I wondered how long it would take mumsnet hq to make an appearance

Well, presumably you were wanting an answer to your question? I'd have thought they were best to say what had happened lol. I mean, you took it public of course you'll get general opinions as well as MN seeing as it's them you're on about

Ponoka7 · 11/11/2019 00:02

" but their policies are muddled and admins are completely unaccountable."

I agree with that. They often take down threads about certain famous parents, because 'this is a parenting site and it isn't in the spirit of the forum'. Yet the Shamina Begum threads cut right to the bone, with posters saying that she deserved her babies dying.

Likewise, Ageism is allowed to stand and you can be as racist as much as you want, as long as it's about Travellers.

Oh, and all those lovely 'things you want to say in RL' threads were posters can get as nasty as they like towards disabled children.

MeTheCoolOne · 11/11/2019 01:51

OP,

The internet is a big place so it seems a bit daft of you to chose to post on a moderated forum when you don't want any moderation.

I like the fact that the site is moderated and I agree that personal attacks and unnecessarily nasty posts are deleted.

TBH I don't see why people ever need to resort to personal attacks and nastiness. I find it a bit pathetic really. I regularly disagree with OPs but still manage to be civil. It's not hard.

I have had a week ban twice for troll hunting. It's was a good few years ago and I just couldn't help myself 😂😂. In my defence they were trolls but I understand why troll hunting is not allowed.

Great response to your OP by MNHQ 😅

managedmis · 11/11/2019 01:57

It's a bit haphazard oftentimes, let's face it

MeTheCoolOne · 11/11/2019 02:02

It's a bit haphazard oftentimes, let's face it

I think so to but if a post is t reported MNHQ won't look at it so sometimes I think it's the reporting that's haphazard rather than the moderation iyswim

I think it's a mistake that at nighttime the moderation is provided by the Nightwarch volunteers - you would have thought that it would be moderated by MNHQ paid staff. Nighttime is troll time and when the worst of the nasty posts seems to happen ( not sure that's true but it seems like it)

onioncrumble · 11/11/2019 02:12

Oh yes. The old personal attack bollocks. Unless an OP has posted something where they are being ripped to shreds, mercilessly bullied and their post could be outing. Then suddenly they let things stand and refuse to pull the thread, because they are not your big sisters, they are a business and want the DM traffic. You are stitched up and still believe in your head girl big sister relationship

ThighThighOfthigh · 11/11/2019 02:14

The thread you're referring to was a very nasty thread, the woman had a small baby and would have had only £30 pw left of her wages after childcare.

To call her pathetic was a personal attack. Tbf you weren't alone, it was a pile on of benefits bashing.

I think MNHQ are pretty fair, I've been threatened with suspension before but their point was valid.

priceofprogress · 11/11/2019 04:09

Likewise, Ageism is allowed to stand and you can be as racist as much as you want, as long as it's about Travellers.

I’ve actually noticed it to be the opposite! Never seen a thread about travellers left standing even if there have been zero bigoted/racist posts, usually people discussing known issues within the traveller community or their own personal experiences and it’s still zapped very quickly.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 11/11/2019 05:10

I've questioned HQ as well regarding double standards when a post was removed - seems you can say what you like about men, treat them as second class standards nothing better than shit on your shoe and that's ok but if you dare to speak out you get castigated for it

nopenotplaying · 11/11/2019 07:49

I had one of my comments removed and I couldn't understand why despite being sent a list of bullet points. So I replied and another explanation given. It gave me food for thought as I hadn't looked upon it that way so I'll make sure I beat in mind in the future. I think they are trying to keep some level of decorum and 'freedom of speech' doesn't mean you can say anything you like!

Email them and ask if you are unclear. But be prepared to accept an answer that may differ from your own opinion. If you don't like it you are under no obligation to stay on Mumsnet!

DeathStare · 11/11/2019 07:57

Under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998, “everyone has the right to freedom of expression” in Britain!

Actually under British law article 10 is what is known as a qualified right - meaning that it can be interfered with/curtailed if doing so is in the interests of the wider community.

However it is only public authorities that are bound by the Human Rights Act, and Mumsnet is not a public authority.

bridgetreilly · 11/11/2019 08:59

You can say what you want. But Mumsnet do NOT have any obligation to let you say it on their website. Freedom of expression is absolutely irrelevant to this discussion.

bridgetreilly · 11/11/2019 09:00

I'm British, how can you be racist against your own people?

Oh, I don't know, the same way women are sexist all the time?

Autumntoowet · 11/11/2019 09:26

Forget about this freedom of speech OP for a minute please.
A common sense Rule on Internet forums is “would I say this to someone’s face?”
People think they can type anything they want

MeTheCoolOne · 11/11/2019 11:23

I see the same 'forthright' posters getting posts deleted time and time again. I wonder why they don't get permanently banned. I'd ban them.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 11/11/2019 20:30

Oh flipping heck, I wondered how long it would take mnhq to make an appearance

Don't you think mnhq should have freedom of speech then op?

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