to think that the rage bait posts on here have got a lot worse recently?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Just that really.

Is it just me who is noticing this?

I'm kinda oblivious to these things, so what exactly is rage bait?
Is it intentionally saying something not true to provoke an inflamed response, or,
Genuinely starting a debate, albeit a contraversial one?
Former being good, and latter being bad..
But how can you tell the difference??
No really, I'm not trying to be rage baity....! Intentionally or otherwise..

Yes, I think that quite a lot of threads are started to provoke other people, notably the ones where OP says something challenging or alarming to get everyone going, and then doesn't bother to comment again.

You are not wrong. I also check the name of the OP these days.

Indeed.

I’m getting cynical now and check threads to make sure there is more than one post from the OP before even reading it. Far too many posters starting arguments and buggering off never to be heard from again. Unfortunately Mumsnet isn’t interested in doing anything about it if you report them.

Generally you can tell if you search the username. If its the only post they have made and they havent replied once on the thread then its probably done to just cause a massive row.

If they post regularly on other threads and return to their own thread to engage in discussion then its more likely to be the latter of your examples.

Also I find a giveaway to be a one or two line inflammatory comment, backed up with a link to a spurious and often incorrect article about the subject (as in the benefits 18k one).

To put a different perspective; there have been so many threads recently saying how much worse Mumsnet is now compared to the good old days, or criticising it in some way, that I am beginning to wonder about the origins of these sorts of threads too!

Apologies op! You may be entirely genuine - my comments aren’t directed at you specifically - and I agree that there are lots of unnecessarily nasty comments and goady threads appearing on here nowadays. But, I believe Mumsnet is just a reflection of wider society as a whole, and it’s not Mumsnet itself that is at fault, but how certain posters use what, after all, despite the bad stuff, remains a free, accessible, informative and entertaining resource.

Of course it matters how a sm site is moderated but the challenge is getting increasingly difficult as the site grows and bots and disruptive outside elements become more prevalent. But everyone-line site is affected by this. Speaking just from a personal pov; 99.9% of the time when I have engaged with Mumsnet HQ over a moderation or technical issue, they have been even-handed , pleasant and helpful. And I have been posting on here, on and off since 2002.

Like the wider Internet, and other sm sites, it all depends how you use it and what areas of the site you choose to engage with or not. Posters are at liberty to swerve AIBU or the royal threads for example if they want to avoid arguments! And they are always free to take a break from the site frequently! There are loads of niche threads, which address specific stages of life or medical issues for example, where kindness and common sense still prevail.

Also, remember that Mumsnet is one of the few sites left where women can post freely and where women’s voices and issues ranging across politics, health, finances, rights, safety, the workplace, the law, are heard and debated. That is no small thing.

Also, with our media and news organisations being predominantly owned by the right, where misogyny is rife, Mumsnet is one remaining area where more feminist, centrist and liberal arguments can be aired.

Also, you can still get unbiased opinions on here about products and services if you ask.

Remember that there are many organisations, for their own commercial or political reasons, interested in closing down or disrupting the above!

Overall I think that despite its challenges, Mumsnet remains very much a force for good.

Edited to say that I am not connected to Mumsnet HQ in any shape or form! I just think it’s important how we criticise it, for fear of always highlighting the negative.

Everyone = every.

Posters are at liberty to swerve AIBU or the royal threads for example if they want to avoid arguments! And they are always free to take a break from the site frequently!

I hate this sort of patronising tripe.

Nice! 😆

Like it or not, it’s true though. Scrolling on Mumsnet is optional. Posting on particularly contentious threads is optional. When encountering rude posts like yours, you can always scroll on by.

Tonight I have noticed a couple of threads that people are questioning, and that I did search on because I was thinking "really?" and it turned out that both the posters are regular users but that their style has been so well emulated by AI that it came across as false.

That is really worrying. That AI is now sounding more genuine than genuine posters.

A lot of political shit stirring getting upset about boring budgets that are not going to make much difference to most people. Talking the country down, going on about leaving the country for no obvious reason. I think there are a lot of political elements trying to destabilise things. Brexit all over again - but I think people are getting a bit wiser to all that.

Some posters might be getting wiser but mn still leave them up. I don't know why they're so lame about not taking any action on those threads with an obviously false statement as the title. They know loads of people skim Active Conversations so just read the titles and move on.

What about that op that invited her ex over while drunk and cuddled him

Entitled rich people posts.
Entitled poor people posts.
Entitled Parents/Children/Pensioner posts.
Posts pitting women against other women.
Racist posts.
Antisemitic posts.
Islamophobic posts.
Misogynist posts.
Anti-UK posts.
Posts written by AI and put through translation Apps.

I'm tired of trolls, fuckwits and wankers, so I spend less time here. YANBU @PyongyangKipperbang.

Ooh missed that one! But to be honest, it sounds fairly plausible!

Yep. Mnhq do a good job, people might talk it all down but there’s other sites if so.

I think one problem for mnhq is that it is not really able to permanently ban posters. So the trolls come back again and again with new accounts each time.

Yes, I think people are getting wise, your right, there is a bit more push back on those threads now.

I’m not at all bothered by the rage bait posts. We choose whether to interact, and can skip what’s offensive to us.

I’m much more bothered by the bile some commenters come up with and the way they hammer relentlessly away at the OP. They seem to team up and relentlessly bang away, crowing out any nuance or alternative opinion. I’ve seen a few OPs driven away, and been disgusted at the behaviour.

I don’t know whether it’s part of the intolerance of dissent that we seem to be experiencing. No interest in the perspectives of other people, just in driving home the one ‘true opinion’.

Agree. It’s an open site it’ll reflect politics a bit probably not as much as elsewhere. People won’t like it but you’d need a closed site to get one view.

Ooh ok thanks i had no idea

Well said 👏 this would be my opinion. I notice the trend described by OP and other posters and wish it were not so, however I value the space for free and safe speech as a woman that beyond personal attacks I think it needs to be allowed for fear we curtail our own freedom we don’t have much access to elsewhere. Which again has me questioning if that’s the point really…

You would hope but how many
The fall for the divide and conquer tactics.
Disability/pip/ADP
Immigration
Reform(similar to BNP rhetoric 90s style)
Universal credit
The budget.

Some of the above does need looked at but not on the basis of look what they're getting that you're not myths peddled by the likes of the Daily mail,GBN,Tommy Robinson,Garage and co.

Farage not garage