Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that trolling is taken too seriously on MN?

47 replies

SerendipitousHarlot · 15/06/2009 18:52

OK - I do realise that I'm taking my life in my hands a bit here....

But over the last few days, I've seen that there's been a bit of a troll invasion. Not that I would know, mind, I've posted on half of the threads being none the wiser

But - I have also noticed that people here are seriously overreacting! IMHO of course. I'm not going down the 'just a forum' route, because I understand that this place and others like it are a lifeline to people. However, why take these people so seriously? Some people get really upset

Don't feed them, and they'll soon go away, surely?

Am I? Am I?

OP posts:
FenellaFudge · 15/06/2009 19:22

Wrt the seemingly pontless ones, I can kind of see why that would be irritating too.

If oyu have a conversation with someone and you then discover they totally made up their part of it then you'd likely feel a bit put out, no?

Did they do it to trick you? Or to take the piss? Or as part of a dare. Were they in the slightest bit interested in what you had to say?

Agree that it's not on a par with the long term/ emotionally draining trolls, but it's a definite lack of decency and respect, imo.

Morloth · 15/06/2009 19:22

There is just no way of knowing who is on the other end of the posts.

So I keep it at arm's length and always advise others to do so.

BitOfFun · 15/06/2009 19:23

I understood all of that I think...are you indeed the real scottishmummy? < narrows eyes >

NormaSknockers · 15/06/2009 19:23

Morloth I have to disagree, I post on the locals board on MN & meet regulary with a group of local mums who are all really lovely as are their DC. Through this I have made one of my very dearest friends, we see each other weekly, chat most days, our DCs have made wonderful playmates & she is without a doubt my closet friend, I'd be lost without her so I certainly don't think meeting people from forums such as MN is a bad idea!

Fairynufff · 15/06/2009 19:23

I've never been accused of being a troll but I did once post a genuine heartfelt query on the mental health forum. I was basically given a kicking - people deconstructed my OP and made all sorts of judgements about me. They didn't actually address my issue at all. That taught me a lot about the way mumsnet works...

Lulumama · 15/06/2009 19:24

BoF.. i replied to your CAT,so, erm, email me back !!

NormaSknockers · 15/06/2009 19:24

Altough I do realise that's not always the case for everyone & some do have sadder experiences.

RealityIsMyOnlyDelusion · 15/06/2009 19:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Mercy · 15/06/2009 19:27

I agree there are a few posters who shout troll and f* off at the drop of a hat (which I think says more about them than anything else)

But as others have said, there have been some real con artists on MN over the years. They tend to be the less obvious ones as they start off slowly and draw people in. But there is often a pattern to their posts/behaviour too

MachuPicchu · 15/06/2009 19:27

I'm lucky enough never to have been in a position where I've posted something personal on a thread that's turned out to be a troll, but for those who have I can imagine that it feels almost violating, like having your safe home burgled, something like that. Of course it is wise to be internet savvy, but sadly for many people I think it is a case of once bitten twice shy.

KingRolo · 15/06/2009 19:31

Anyone can do a search on Google and come up with every single thread (ex. ones in chat) ever posted on here. That's how I first found MN (a search about pregnancy constipation ) but I think lots of people forget that when posting intimate stories and details. It's not a close little circle of friends - it is accessible to the whole world.

The trolls will always be here so the best thing, imo, is to be vigilant and keep the whole MN thing in perspective - it's an internet forum where people chat, not your real life or your real friends.

catinthehat2 · 15/06/2009 19:32

Its the sockpuppets I object to as well. Where there's a blatantly obvious troll, there's usually another name in the wings to self support when the troll gets itself found out.

Said it before - I despise trolls. My gut feel is that there aren't that many on this site, its just that they're prolific, obvious and born losers. So there seem like lots.

Morloth · 15/06/2009 19:34

For instance, I "know/knew" this woman:

Someone not to meet up with

She seemed lovely, if a little overprotective of her children and had met up with other people from the forum in her area.

Troll's suck, but people need to understand that Mumsnet is no safer than any other message board out there.

HecatesTwopenceworth · 15/06/2009 19:36

I don't care about the daft ones. I think they are quite amusing. I don't care about the randomly abusive ones, they're good to take the piss out of.

I care about the ones who try to get money from mners with their tales of woe and how they don't have any food in the house and the bailiffs are at the door, when it turns out to be false. I care about the ones who post terrible stories that have mners who have gone through similar sharing their painful stories in an attempt to help, only to discover they have been used for entertainment or some sort of a thrill. I also care that the result of all this is that people who come needing help with a genuine problem, often get attacked and called troll, when they possibly have nowhere else to turn.

I certainly don't 'love' it, for the reasons above, and I don't think many do, and tbh I wish people would stop coming out with that "oh you love it" shite.

It does matter. It matters that people want to reach out to a human being who appears to be suffering, only to be used. It matters that people give generously of their time and money, only to discover that they have been taken for a ride.

Of course, one solution is to stop giving a crap about anyone we encounter on here, offer no help or advice and stick to threads about shoes and bumsex! but can you imagine what a soulless place it would be?

scottishmummy · 15/06/2009 19:38

but of course face to face allows one to use judgement,visible checks etc

where is murkier is assumed trust between anonymous strangers.sharing too much assuming you are with likeminded people is a danger

i actually think the people who are tenacious enough to peice together the troll detritus are damn good.

i dont acutally know how to do all the searches etc anyhoo,but fact is they have stopped people in their tracks and have had them banned

like any interaction between people MN is
wonderfful and annoying,intriguing and compelling.cant stand it,cant stay away

Original poster
SerendipitousHarlot · 15/06/2009 19:48

Morloth, the same could be said of meeting someone at a party, or a course though, no? Life is full of risks. You have to take risks sometimes, or nobody would ever go anywhere or do anything.

Hecates, I concur. I have also seen that happen, but the day you mistrust everyone you meet/chat to, it's over. For me, anyway.

OP posts:
saggyjuju · 15/06/2009 20:17

i dont think it matters,i mean who knows who we are in real life,i mean that hedgehog cam from coppernails was so funny,all my husband kept doing was repeating as he was on his way"sandpaper,are you sure?",it was a good laugh,and not up on it 100% but i thought just chatting was a way of working stuff out for yourselves sort of counselling yourself rebardless of the replies you get.

scottishmummy · 15/06/2009 20:24

yes sharing can be cathartic if one is supported just sometimes that's not going to happen

but het that is chance you take aslkin strangers what they think of bumptious as a name
but as i see it dont take too seriously
no grudges or gripes it isnt real life
switch off and switch Off

Morloth · 15/06/2009 20:49

Serendipitous Would you share the sort of things that some people here on Mumsnet do with someone you just met at a party?

valleysprincess · 15/06/2009 21:07

A good troll is a good troll. People who don't like them are unintelligent IMHO

TripleTroubleMuffin · 15/06/2009 21:34

Even the vile ones about abuse and child related??

wannaBe · 15/06/2009 22:08

I actually think that there are a lot more non genuine people on here than we would like to believe.

That's not to say that there are a lot of trolls wanting to take advantage, but it is actually so easy to make up a persona online, and I genuinely believe that a lot of people do just that, be that because they want to be something they're not in rl, or because being a certain person online earns you acceptance on here that you're not getting elsewhere.

I also think that to an extent those who are taken in by trolls do need to take some personal responsibility.

I can see how people would post their own individual stories in order to offer help, and I can also see that if the poster then turns out to be a troll that that would hurt. However the one thing i have never been able to understand is people who give money. I personally think that is total and utter madness.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread