Troll threads should stay up

[jobwantednotneeded]

Not a TAAT.

I genuinely think they should stay up. Other posters are having fun replying and are generally far more interesting than most of the boring threads on mumsnet.

Aibu?

Most troll threads are boring though.

Nah. Zap them. I don't want to talk on a site where no distinction is made between genuine OPs and people taking the piss. That would be even lonelier than online chat is in any case.

No, they’re shite.

No, they always just turn nasty and boring and pages and pages of the same stuff being said. Most people who come on internet forums want engaging discussion.

Most aren't worth reading.

The only one I found amusing is the one about water ages ago which always turned into some weird stuff. That was quite funny that one

I agree unless they're suicide or paedo trolls.

Poo and piss are fine.

I disagree. MN is a forum that people (mostly women) use for advice and support. Some posters engage with troll posts in good faith, which is unfair on those people, who are trying to help. This isn't primarily a site for making fun of people and posting rubbish, and it shouldn't become one. I think it's right to stamp on nonsense posted as if it's real, otherwise nobody will believe the people who really are reaching out for help.

No, they’re all awful.

Why no poll?

Probably because the OP didn’t want to be told she’s unreasonable by the majority.

I’m not sure why people think troll threads are so entertaining. The ones I’ve seen are posted by perverts looking for stories from thickos, incels trying to whip up misogyny, stories about shitting, pissing and period blood (again posted by perverts), mentally ill people trying to create a saga for attention and morons posting nonsense.

I am fed up with the ones about poo and stinky arses etc.

I mean, MN leaves up nearly all of the poo troll threads regardless of how obvious they are.

I like the water one's, they are funny.

The other poo and piss ones are annoying.

Depends on the troll thread. The made-up scenarios to stir racist shit aren't funny.

I think if they are funny and not offensive* they should stay, but be closed for further comment.

And even if a scenario isn't true, it might be close to something another MNer is going through, so there could be helpful advice on it.

Edited: sometimes they are really really silly. I know there was one I reported myself which was ludicrous and it did get zapped. It was obvious it was a troll within about 4 comments, but it was so unmemorable I can't remember what it was about now. Something about moving to the Middle East?

*poo trolls are idiots

I don't really get all the fuss about troll threads tbh. In most cases, the OP whether true or not is just a conversation starter. The interest for me lies in the responses and discussion they inspire. A thread either grabs my interest or it doesn't. I don't need to know the person starting it is 'genuine' to engage. I don't even think offering advice on troll thread is that much of an issue. It might help someone else who genuinely has that problem. And if the post is ridiculously far fetched or offensive to me I'd just skip it.

I quite liked the one earlier about the woman shagging her boss for the last 18 months and being pregnant by him yet not one person at the workplace had noticed (as if). Particularly liked the arguing about brackets and grammar etc-it was like a proper MN bunfight.

I think it's disappointing when a thread that appeared genuine and seemed to be a real issue (as in one that could also quite easily be something others are going through) is pulled. Often a lot of people have posted really helpful advice that could be useful to someone else.

Maybe a 'useful troll board' could be used to move those to, while also just deleting the obviously batshit ones ...

I would like to keep them.
Maybe ask MNHQ to change the colour or font when they are reported - so that we are all aware.

You want to keep threads asking, for example, if a teenage girl can wear stockings to school and asking to know what your teenage daughters wear?

Or a thread from someone pretending to be suffering from a life limiting illness?

Or threads written by MRAs where they pretend to be a concerned mother of a son complaining that his ex wife is taking his money?

Takes all sorts, I suppose.

I really like the idea of a troll board that threads could be moved to once identified as trolling. But they’d also have to be closed to new responses. I suppose the problem is that it would be a way of feeding the trolls.

I have terrible trolldar. I almost never spot them - not even the ones that other people think are obvious. And sometimes other posters give really good advice. So I’m usually a bit sad when a thread is deleted for trolling. But I think it’s probably the best policy.

MN has a huge problem with trolling, which makes their response to troll hunting counter-productive. To delete and ban troll hunters but leave the troll threads up just rewards the trolls. I have personally reported numerous threads over the years which are blatant trolls only to get the response that they are looking into it or have decided to give the troll the benefit of the doubt.

Trolling is an inherent part of managing any online chat space and the best way to deal with it is to a) not feed them and b) delete the threads and ban the troll accounts. If you ignore your users reporting trolls to you then you only have yourself to blame for your troll problem.

No

Sorry I mean no they shouldn't stay up.

Why waste peoples time? Anyone remember Oliver's army? It's toxic to let people waste their time giving advice about a fictional story.

Only the really funny ones.

Brian from Hull & Mrs Brian from Hull’s threads & the Balonz thread were worth keeping, but stuff like the poster who comes back again & again with stories of her DD2 bullying DD1 is just annoying. I agree it’s not on when posters get really engaged & then find out it’s a troll.