that all mumsnet is about is hunting "trolls"

[justsue]

I have read so many posts tonight that are not short of bullying to be honest. So someone has questions and ideas that do not sound particulary sane, so what! This is exactly why some people "including me" are a little worried about posting thier ideas, fears, little problems that to the individual are huge but to some of you lot are funny or total lies that you can belittle and make fun off.

If that is what mumsnet is all about then you carry on

What is a TROLL?!!

long - someone whos talking rubbish /making it up/lying

Waves at longforasnooze!!

What i want to know is why they are called trolls? Its webwide isnt it?

Longforasnooze: mumsnet troll policy

I think I know why they're called trolls...

It's from fishing: to troll is to drag a line through the water behind your boat in the hope that they'll catch something.

So, to troll is to spin a line, drag it on for a bit until someone bites/gets taken in.

isn't that trawl?

Trawl uses a net.

How are you doing Ron? I've posted on your other thread.

thanks for asking

housebound by the panic attacks and hoping the anxiety meds stop me feeling like this soon, I've felt much worse since starting

not such a cheery answer, bet you're sorry you asked!

good skills on the fishing knowledge!

Here's the entirety of my thoughts on the subject:

There's no such thing as a 'troll', unless we are all trolls none of our internet personas correlate exactly with our RL personalities - tis the nature of the internet.

Trollery is in the eye of the beholder and existist entirely within that medium.

It is not possible to "humiliate" someone on an internet forum, only their internet persona. It is possible to bully someone on the internet - sometimes the bullies are those accused of trolling but much more often they are the pathetic angry mob making idiotic assumptions and crying 'troll' or 'trip trap' as if they are 5 years old.

There is a depressing angry mob mentality often on AIBU. I reckon a certain amount of it is understandable due to the nature of AIBU but sometimes it spills over and the accused is hounded in various other places too.

If someone upsets you through being unreasonably mean, report them as per the 'troll' policy.

I think it is pathetic that some 'adults' can't understand how 'troll hunting' is tantamount to bullying and often negates their original argument. I also despair of people being intimidated by cliques a la secondary school playgrounds and only being 'allowed' to express popular views.

I reckon I'm with you OP. I do think if it all irritates you too much stick with some of the nicer places and avoid some of the parenting or AIBU type places. I occasionally have to beat a retreat for a while when I really angry.

*exists

Disagree that all our internet personas are different to our rl personalities, actually, curiosity. I don't lie on Mumsnet any more than I do in rl.

Nor me neither. I am entirely myself (but taller and more gorgeous and fabulously rich)

oh cant we talk winter make up

bibbity - neither do I but you express yourself using the written word on the internet and the spoken word in RL which causes you to communicate differently.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/892660-TOP-TEN-TIPS-FOR-LOOKING-PERKY-THIS-JANUARY

I can join in! I've got pink toenails courtesy of my dd. They're a bit chipped and ratty now. Does it matter?

Don't drink
Sleep a lot
Grin like a maniac
Wear a white scarf
Wear carmex lip balm
Heavy duty handcream
Wear long hair up

JustSue

YABU

No one minds a debate. I have read countless debates on MN where people have had all different kinds of views and yet no one has been offensive.

Trolls are gratuitously offensive and insulting and get kicks from upsetting people on here.

I find it quite strange that you would view attempts to prevent this hurt, upset and offence as being bullying.

If you can't be humiliated on a forum by a troll (and tell that to the MNers who sent money to the one with a pretend teddy bear baby, for eaxample), because it is just your persona, then surely it follows that only your persona can be bullied, not you?

The whole argument reminds me of the Daily Mail readers who tut about anti-facsists "causing trouble" at BNP rallies.

Curiosity - you might find this book interesting:
Stone, Allucquére Rosanne. The War of Desire and Technology at the Close of the Mechanical Age. MIT Press. October 1995, 212 pages, Hardcover, ISBN: 0262193620
It's an interesting read, and explores the issue of identity in the cyberspace age - who we really are, if we become different people on line.... Stone is btw a female Professor of Media studies at MIT who started life as a boy.

What I've found most interesting about all the debate is that someone suggested - can't remember who) that it's gone too far, and I should now change my name and come in as someone else... and the other interesting moment was when fucked-up suddenly declared she didn't like me.

I think this is just fascinating - the arrogance of both instances.. First, that having failed to be accepted by teh Board as the person I am, I should abandon myself and immediately try to re-invent myself as someone who fits in here better... yeah - like, why?

And for the second incident - just the immense arrogance that fucked-up woudl imagine I was interested in whether she liked me or not. After all, it's a bulletin board to exchange opinions, not a popularity contest - why would I care if she like me or not.

Anyway, all interesting stuff....

I am not sure what threads anyone is talking about but am curious. Is there a poster called "fucked-up"?
I thought we only had an anyfucker

weren't exactly a fat lot of people online in 1995 tho - hardly the peak of cyberspace age

WWC - I'm rather glad to have you even if I completely disagree with some of your opinions and the way you say things! I'm sick of stuff like this without the stuff you bring to balance it.

I just think a lot of people on here should take some responsibility for themselves. Other people in all walks of life are going to have opinions and views that you will disagree with and get upset about, why can't we have a bit of that on MN too?

I also think it is spectacularly stupid to send someone you have met on the internet anything and then be upset because you subsequently discover/come to believe things that make you feel they are undeserving and you now want your stuff back. Or to be upset because someone says something you don't like in a way you don't like on AIBU - 'please bear in mind this topic encourages posters to give opinions...'

Yes, maybe there is an argument for there being some interference from MNHQ when someone is asking for people to send them things, yes some vulnerable people will get conned... It happens... There really isn't much you can do to stop it. If you contact MNHQ they are fantastic about responding to and dealing with genuine concerns IME there is no need to go stirring up an angry mob complete with misinterpretations, assumptions and flaming torches... Tis pathetic and bullying behaviour.

Expressing a vile opinion is not a personal attack, crying 'troll' and whipping people up to exclude someone however could be seen in this way.

herjazz - Apparently I am only capable of reading your post as follows - 'weren't exactly a lot of fat people online in 1995 tho'

ha ha ha!

Oh FGS Curiosity, if someone is being quite obviously obnoxious for the sake of it, (which is NOT the same as frankly expressing an opinion) then people have every right to point out to the general MN community that that person is quite probably a Troll. Get over it. We are all adults (I hope) and if you offend people for your own personal entertainment then you shouldnt get all huffy and claim to be bullied when people call you for the unpleasant person that you portray yourself to be.