To ask what happens when threads are taken down for a closer look behind the scenes?

[Cheeseandlobster]

I used to imagine these threads would be sent through to a bustling room containing detectives with spy glasses who would have urgent meetings in hurried but hushed tones. Ok, exaggeration but I imagined something exciting might happen

But in reality the threads just go poof never to be seen again ( well at least I havent seen one reinstated personally). Is it just mumsnet speak for " this thread is going. We dont like it but will pretend to give it consideration" I have contributed to a few of these threads recently and its frustrating when you have spent time posting on a slow phone just to see the thread vanish shortly after. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Anyone?

TSSDNCOP

No idea to be honest, I thought it was a euphemism for “we reckon this is dodgey so just going to bin it. Next” 😃

Yes, you can bet those threads where they're 'looking behind the scenes' will not return. It would be nice if they updated the notification on why it's not being reinstated.

think it's when they know/suspect it's a troll but don't have actual 100% proof, e.g the poster isn't identified as a previously banned poster (when they are, they say so in the deletion message).

Sometimes they'll post a comment on a thread that's getting a lot of reports saying that they've checked it out and it seems genuine, and that without taking the thread down first. They basically never come back up if they do get taken down.

*I think

@Sparklingbrook

TSSDNCOP

I dont get it Am probably being dim?

TSSDNCOP = the secret service does not comment on procedure.

So irritating. I've written a huge reply several times to threads and just had them refuse to post because while I've been typing away it's been taken down 'for consideration' never to be seen again. I've said before on here that most of the time it just seems like people don't like others disagreeing with them and just report any threads that aren't going their way.

It’s MN way of pretending they aren’t nannying us

Everyone assumes it was a troll thread, even if MNHQ don't confirm that, and spreads the word

A lot of the threads Ive seen on active this evening are completely batshit. Maybe there is a secret meeting of trolls where they discuss what time of day is best to sneak a post in. Sunday night is probably as good a time as any.

What I really loathe about the deletion messages is when they say “we are taking it down while we have a look behind the scenes”. No matter what time passes even if you remember 23 months later to check it suddenly - nobody has updated it. For a site that literally thrives on people’s curiosity about other people’s lives and problems - in this particular case their curiosity about what happened to a thread they spent time on - doesn’t matter suddenly. “Taking a look behind the scenes” is the message that literally means “thou shalst never find out”

I thought they would send OP a message and read through all their previous posts and check if it adds up (but I can’t remember any posts being resurrected).

Obviously having never worked for Mumsnet I can't tell you for sure, they could be all sat in a room throwing darts at the threads they want to take down, keep down or reinstate.

Having worked in both voluntary roles and paid roles for forum and social media group admin...

We would sometimes keep a close eye on a thread.
Sometimes 'vanish' it (its still there but now only mods/admins can see it) whilst we discuss it, do a bit of digging on previous posters etc.

On some forums ive run we can see all the users name changes from the past, any warnings they've been given about certain behaviour, see email addresses and IP addresses so we know when someones pretending to be a brand new user when really, they've been around for ages.

I have seen posts that reappear, rarely.

If you had to update the users on a forum of this size on EVERY post that is removed, moderated, reinstated.. you'd get nothing else done!

Feck all imo. It's just a handy phrase to use when they want to get rid of a thread.

I used to work on a dating/contacts site and people reporting forum threads/blog posts were the bane of my life.
There was a self appointed group of members who thought they knew better than me who was trolling, and they would then troll the suspect trolls who may or may not be genuine.
I looked at email address used, ip address and other site activity, if there was nothing dodgy then it was down to my instinct whether to pull it.
If you see a troll thread then please think of poor admins, just report it and ignore the thread then get on with your life.

It's the MN Bermuda Triangle.

The AFO one in AMA is the only one I've ever seen that returned from 'behind the scenes'. It was only back for a day, then it got taken down again!

@WiddlinDiddlin

Obviously having never worked for Mumsnet I can't tell you for sure, they could be all sat in a room throwing darts at the threads they want to take down, keep down or reinstate.

Having worked in both voluntary roles and paid roles for forum and social media group admin...

We would sometimes keep a close eye on a thread.
Sometimes 'vanish' it (its still there but now only mods/admins can see it) whilst we discuss it, do a bit of digging on previous posters etc.

On some forums ive run we can see all the users name changes from the past, any warnings they've been given about certain behaviour, see email addresses and IP addresses so we know when someones pretending to be a brand new user when really, they've been around for ages.

I have seen posts that reappear, rarely.

If you had to update the users on a forum of this size on EVERY post that is removed, moderated, reinstated.. you'd get nothing else done!

Thats a good point. I wondee how many are removed daily?

I have seen seemingly benign ones vanish with this 'behind the scenes' message too. One I posted on, the OP was sharing her story of having mental health issues and managing to get a job. All positive. Was taken down by MN and "investigated". Never appeared again.

If the spam control isn't brilliant, its probably loads each day. I suspect it is good..

But folk join forums to do some ODD stuff, I once found a user join a forum four times, four seperate accounts all on the same day, and then start discussions with themselves!

They were not a former user who was blocked, they hadn't got in a row and needed back up, they appeared to have joined purely to talk to themselves!

There are people who join forums for the attention and post dramatic threads carefully calculated to get the response they want, which seems like it would be support and 'ah yes you are right poor you' but frequently that ISN'T what they want, they want to be attacked left right and centre so they can feel justified in saying the world hates them (I assume!)...

Odd folk out there.

I remember a case where two people invented a third person on a facebook group they ran - five years down the line everyone, EVERYONE believed this third person existed until first one then the other person died and of course it finally came to light that person three had never existed!

Nothing malicious or nasty was ever done nor do I believe it was intended, in fact these two people were really really nice, generous, kind, funny, helpful, on social media AND in real life (I met them both!) yet.. for some unknown reason they created this third person and duped us all!

There's nowt so strange as folk.. and they're all on the interwebtubes!

@HumunaHey

Yes, you can bet those threads where they're 'looking behind the scenes' will not return. It would be nice if they updated the notification on why it's not being reinstated.

Some threads do get reinstalled, and I've seen comments on others as to why the thread was deleted.

Morning, everyone.

Yes, TSSDNCOP to a certain extent. We tend to take down threads in this way when we have concerns about them. That might be a general concern about whether the thread should be there at all, or it might be that we have suspicions that the OP isn't genuine. Obviously we don't really want to give away our tools for winkling trolls out from under their bridges, so we can't say too much about that.

But essentially, it's exactly what the message says. We need an opportunity and some time to have a look at things that aren't immediately obvious to those posting and we don't think just closing the thread to new posts is enough (perhaps if it's continuing to upset people or getting a lot of reports). Often we're also making a decision about whether or not the the thread will stay, and if we decide that it's best gone, then we won't reinstate it afterwards.

Not sure that really gives you much more information but hopefully it helps to have clarified!

@HebeMumsnet thank you

I had a thread reported and temporarily taken down. It was about hygiene and I was deemed to be a man having a wank over the thread. Mumsnet contacted me and said that the thread was different in nature to my usual posts - I’m a woman of contradiction which is why I name change frequently. Mumsnet reinstated the thread.