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

you talkin' to me ? < assumes Robert De Niro voice >

you are right, I don't like you

I am sure the feeling is mutual

get over it

you don't need to name-change, I for one did not suggest that

that post was to WWC, by the way

in case that wasn't obvious

shiney, shut up, you are getting in the way of my "Taxi Driver" re-enactment

< gets into role, starts method-acting >

i think she should name change, WWC- do you honestly think anyone is going to take you seriously..cause i dont.

I'm glad that there is a 'known' name saying these things curiosity. I'm fed up with some known names banging on about newbies not understanding about trolls and how they are better at spotting them

Troll hunting is boring and stifles debate. I have reported someone I thought to be a troll, as I thought they were about to get donations and financial help due to their story. I wasn't the only one in that case. I didn't bring it up on the boards though. I don't see a troll as being someone who is up for a debate or someone with a differing opinion to the main

It is a sad thing that a more well known person will get a different response on a difficult subject than a newbie/unknown person. Also, what is the difference between a known namechanger creating a silly/funny/controversial (in their opinion) thread and an unknown person doing the same?

If you suspect someone is going to get high emotional support or monetary donations on a trollish thread, report to HQ and hide the thread. Don't give what you can't afford whether money or time. All advice given can help someone else, even if OP is not being real

sorry I don't have time to read all of this thread, so if the question has already been answered, forgive me....but what is a TROLL exactly???

If someone is creating multiple posts which are clearly designed to ignite a little more than discussion (ie deliberately pressing buttons) how is it a bad thing to point this out?

Or if we're all just cyber constructs then bullying is irrelevant as no-one "real" would be hurt.

So, either way, I see no harm in pointing out when someone is inconsistent or toying with issues that other people take very seriously in order to feed some personal need.

As for name changing, there would be little point as the style of this particular OP is quite distinctive... Although, being such a "super high earner" (oh how that expression amuses me) perhaps he/she can afford a "ghost op".

I look forward to the Boden or single parent thread...

I'm all for people voicing their concerns about certain posters - some trolls are just so draining but I also find the constant need some have for calling 'troll' is, well, a bit cringey. As are their justifications for doing so. No all trolls are not equal, just because JF or CVQ caused problems doesn't mean we need to ahve every frigging contentious, questionable or bonkers post put under the microscope, its boring.

Stop saying you're doing it for the greater good, you do it cos you love it. Clearly.

I wonder why that could be, mgm ? < innocent >

AF you...innocent..now i've heard it all!

JeremyVile - loving the name

Nikita and BelleDame - How do you decide whether someone is a person with obnoxious opinions and an obnoxious manner or deliberately inflammatory? I reckon even 'normal', 'respected' or 'liked' MNs can sometimes venture into either or both of those mindsets at times. How do you decide whether someone is genuine, says some genuine things or makes things up? This is the internet so no-one will ever know the intricacies of people's realities unless they meet them in RL (and sometimes not even then). From what I have seen these things are mainly judged on 1. Longevity and 2. How well someone is liked/how socially aware they are.

Why can't obnoxious people with an obnoxious manner post here or people who don't know MN 'rules' or who are not socially aware? They are around in RL and if we're going to get rid of people who are deliberately inflammatory at any point in their MN 'career' lots of well-liked names would be long gone. MN is actually for everyone, I thought or are we going to start kicking out dads, the childless, grandparents, thick/intelligent people, rich/poor people.

Personally, I want everyone here...

If someone is doing something you feel is really bad just. report. them. as per policy...

I love that this thread is effectively hunting troll hunters... AIBU at it's best! Lol, all contradictory!

curiosity I can only take the very current case as I've not been regularly on here long enough to have experienced the better known trolls.

The three threads I saw posted by this particular OP were all topics pretty much guaranteed to get MNers passionately arguing with the OP and with each other. I don't think that's a good thing. I love a good debate and, actually, quite like it when things do "kick off" on here. I think I found this particular poster offensive because he/she seemed to be playing MNers and it felt spiteful and deliberate. The BF thread in particular was quite clearly really upsetting a lot of people and the OP still wouldn't leave it.

I'm not saying I'm right or that the OP shouldn't be on here but in the same way as the OP has the right to post what he/she likes, I have the right to say if I think the posts are phoney or lacking in integrity.

I meant, I don't think it's a bad thing to create debate and the more passionate the better!

So, I won't ever say "troll" on a thread again (and this was the first time I'd ever done it). I'll just say "OP, I think you lack integrity"!

Oh yes- I do love connecting the dots and working out which new incarnation some trolls are posting in now- especially the creepy wanking troll. When they know they've been rumbled they get really narky- it's very amusing. And MNHQ can't do anything about that one because he has a dynamic IP address, so reporting him is useless. Personally I do enjoy poking that troll with a stick- nobody is likely to send him money, but I don't like seeing them share stories of sexual abuse and the like, knowing the sick kicks he obviously gets from that. So yes, I quite like spotting that one and flagging him up. Trolls like WWC don't interest me and I just rarely post on their threads, as they are obvious and dull.

Troll is quite a wide definition, but if someone is likely to be a fantasist, I would like to know and am glad that people point it out.

I completely agree with you BelleDame.

Trolling, being deliberately provacative, call it what you will - washwithcare has very suspect motives.

I never call troll either. I just ignore. But really can't stand to see the fallout from some of the more extreme trolling.

At the same time, am aware that I take all this far too personally.

Somehow I can't compartmentalise people into real people and cyber people. Call me old fashioned .

Bibbity, I can't either really but I thought it enhanced my argument