To think that MNHQ should start warning people that the gutter media trawl these forums?

[ArgumentativeAardvaark]

Example today where a clearly vulnerable woman posted on the Relationships board in enough detail that her abusive partner would know it was her. Thread picked up by Daily Mail, who have quoted the OP in full. Thread now deleted but unfortunately it’s out there in the DM for eternity.

All seasoned users of MN Talk know that this is a risk and that scumbag lazy journalists are legally entitled to publish anything that is posted in a public forum. But a worried person coming here for the first time might not be so savvy.

It might be time for MNHQ to think about having a standard warning along the lines of “The wider media are known to look for stories in this forum. You should be aware that anything you post here may be reproduced elsewhere. Please bear this in mind when posting and consider changing any details which may be identifying”.

It’s hard as people do need to give detail in order to get the right advice, but warning them that what they write could end up in the Mail might help strike a better balance.

MN must love it when a story is picked up; it gives them publicity. I think the best thing posters can do is to realise that this place is a money making business and really doesn’t care about ‘you’ as a person.

@DameXanaduBramble I agree that MN must indeed be quite happy with the boost to their advertising revenue when stories get picked up. Having a warning wouldn’t stop posts being picked up though, it would just make it less likely for the picking up to distress the OP. So it’s a win-win- MN can enjoy the benefits of lazy DM journalism but worry less about it causing harm to individuals. And probably mean that they end up deleting fewer threads.

I used to be part of a forum that had a private part and where you could post if you had more than 50 posts and an even more private part where you could post if you had over a 100 posts.

Perhaps this is something for MN as well.

But I agree with the warning. I had been posting on MN for a week or two before I discovered the copy-pasting of the DM.

Forums make money by selling threads/stories to the press. It’s not journalist trawling them. I worked in the industry.

@Connie222 I appreciate that you say you worked in the industry and I am not saying this never happens, but I would be very surprised if MN were doing that with the type of thread that got deleted today. It was in trending topics and had a clickbaity title- I don’t think that the “journalist” would have had to dig very deep to find it.

Perhaps @MNHQ would care to comment on the accusation that they actively sell stories?

I wouldn’t be surprised in MNHQ tipped off journalists about lighthearted threads like Penis beaker or something else mildly embarrassing but funny.

It would be the absolute lowest of the low to actively give up threads by potentially abused women and put them at risk of further abuse; and I very much doubt MN would be so shit.

I agree @Dyrne.

Oh there isn't any particular downside for me. I don't much care whether they post a warning or not. I don't think it will make any difference. It just rather saddens me that so many people are apparently in need of such intervention to use the internet with any degree of basic safety or awareness of safeguarding themselves and others.

The internet is public. Everything you post, even on so called private accounts is in the public domain. The fact that it can be reproduced anywhere is common bloody sense. It's like having a a warning saying that fire is hot. People who don't realise this have no business being online in the first place. You can't have warnings on everything, people just need to use their brains and think before they post.

Its not MN issue if posters are to dull to realise how the internet works.

Also. I don't believe some of the posts that immediately end up in the press. Like the one this morning. Don't believe it at all.

I don't think it's very fair on Justine to blame Mumsnet. People need to take responsibility

Forums make money by selling threads/stories to the press. It’s not journalist trawling them. I worked in the industry.

Source?

I can't see any harm in adding a warning like that, OP. Yes most people realose it's a public forum but I think many (myself included) aren't initially aware of the frequency with which the press pick up stories from here. Learned that from posting a really non-newsworthy thread asking for opinions on a dress that popped up on my Google news app the next day...

@Handiies

I don't think it's very fair on Justine to blame Mumsnet. People need to take responsibility

You’re misunderstanding me. I am not blaming Mumsnet. I’m not saying that it is MN fault that people have their threads picked up, or that it is MN fault that people don’t realise that their posts could end up in the media.

What I am saying is that, faced with clear evidence of people being distressed by this happening, it would be a nice thing for MN to do to remind people of this risk.

Yes most people realose it's a public forum but I think many (myself included) aren't initially aware of the frequency with which the press pick up stories from here.

Exactly, @victorioussponges.

Forums make money by selling threads/stories to the press. It’s not journalist trawling them. I worked in the industry

I find that a little hard to believe, why would the press pay for stories they can get for free?

The “journalists” on my local paper are little more than stringers who hang out on Facebook. Don't national newspapers do the same?

I didn’t say Mumsnet in particular, I said forums. I have no idea what Mumsnet do, but it doesn’t do them any harm to have the publicity.

I’ve written for a few sites with forums in my time and yes, they sold the threads in the early days mainly to get traffic to their sites.

Just giving my experience of what I saw go on in the past.