but why has there been a spate of disappearing education threads?

[tattifer]

Everytime a supportive thread starts about the negative experiences of alternative education it gets wiped/disappeared and done away with - why?

Were my limericks that bad?

Justine, to be honest i hadn't realised the "threat" was that real - some of what has been said sounds a bit like one big conspiracy theory. I know people have posted links to things, I rarely read them as I'm really rather lazy.

I know some of us are worrying away on some points like a dog with a bone, it's because we do find it beneficial to discuss when things have gone wrong. As parents we make choices concerning our DCs and hope we've made the right choices. When it appears we haven't I'm sure you can understand to turn it over and over to try and see whether we really were to blame for making the wrong choices or was it someone else. We believed, perhaps a little naively, that MN's stance on free speech would at least enable to discuss real life events freely (separate from any theorising about underlying doctrines etc)
Hence this particular thread.

If you say the site is endangered by this thread then it's in your hands to close it. The tone of your post suggests an element of panic behind the exasperation with the topic. No one would wish to contribute to a situation that might harm MN in any way so all would accept MN's decision without question. Perhaps some advice about more acceptable topics would be useful in order to avoid similar situations?

sorry should read "...you can understand our need to..."

It is fair enough that MN does not have the legal/technical resources to cope with threats, and really sad that they are in a position to feel they need to have that.
It is disappointing to hear that legal threats have been made against Mumsnet, (I am relatively new here so although I had heard roumours previously I did not know the power that it still exerts!) not to mention strange hackers. (I am not aware what that is about though).

It is such a shame that this would shut off something that clearly many parents need to talk about.

I certainly don't want to threaten the existence of MN, and sincerely do not believe I am. From my 'experience' I am also aware of the resources the 'others' (don't really) have, and their aversion to negative press.

I can understand the panic response, if there are issues with threats and hackers, but IMO this thread is a discussion of problems that can arise due to the way independant schools are regulated. Although this has been said with a particular system in mind for some, it is very open for discussion in general terms of whether independent schools are regulated well enough.

It's a shame this has happened.
Obviously mumsnet are in a predicament, and it's appreciated that they have tried to make a stand for free speech up until now, it really is.
Thanks.

What happens next time someone asks for experiences?

It would be interesting to know what the libel actually is, because relating experiences which are true isn't libel is it?

These "threats" seem to just be about anything negative.

It's unfair that those who are parents seeking support and information are seemingly being blamed.

Manatee said
"It is such a shame that this would shut off something that clearly many parents need to talk about."
and that us the crucial point.

How do the hackers and trolls relate to this anyway?
Do you know they are related to it for sure? because that, to me, sounds so sinister....very creepy.

I agree that it is quite an assumption that if someone hacks into the site it is connected, unless there is evidence to suggest it is?

Hmm, read above post as if I DID put in commas please!

Its an odd situation, and a difficult one.

Many different independent schools have attracted criticism over the years. And by that I mean well into the last century. Dartington for one - the press got hold of and ran with stories about drugs. Gordonstoun's own wannabe fire service got the hackles up of some of the locals. Charterhouse had what some would call the misfortune of educating most of Genesis - I don't, but why did they have to go and do Duke after And The There Were Three...

It would be a strange world indeed if we really believed that no one ever had anything bad to tell of their journey through education. A major issue for parents when things go wrong is the right to seek redress. Ofsted do not monitor independent schools so support from parent to parent takes on a new importance when independent schools are the focus of our concerns.

"Now it seems we may be under attack from a strange group of internet hackers too because of being perceived to be pro-"alternative education"

Apparently not.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/758971-Mumsnet-offline?pg=4

Or even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/758971-Mumsnet-offline?pg=4