"Armchair Ivestigators"

[justcba]

Long time reader but not poster.

I am of the opinion that if you see something online you don't like, don't read it or click on it, scroll on. Personal attacks on those with differing views are not necessary and only portray the poster in a bad light.

This article today makes the point that online "armchair investigators" may actually be able to help.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nicola-bulley-conspiracy-theories-aliens-dog-b2279642.html.

It's perfectly possible to want to discuss a very high profile missing person case that is being covered on every news channel without wanting to participate in salacious gossip and unnecessary speculation about someone's personal life.

For someone who thinks they are morally superior you sure like to use mental health as
insult.

I haven't mentioned mental health

So what do you mean by 'crazies'

I think that "armchair investigators" is a very kind name for a group of people who basically know nothing but are getting off on speculating, recycling scraps of gossip heard on Twitter and making shit up.

I agree with you OP, it's not like there's a trial that is going to be jeopardised somehow. Just post, or don't post, but the supercilious mentality I'v seen here lecturing people for wondering about something while also posting on the same thread themselves, but to reprimand eeeeeesk

I think this case might impact some careers at lancs police.... and not without reason.

The police appear to have a dislike for 'armchair investigators'.

I can see their point when it comes to thousands of speculative online comments, some of which are incredibly hurtful to the individuals and their families concerned, and some of which may hamper an investigation.

But then on the other hand, the police frequently ask the public to come forward and help them with any information that might prove useful, however small.

It seems to me that they can't really have one without the other.

@larchforest really? I can't see why asking those with information to come forward in any way justifies random speculation and accusations online. Why are they connected?

They’re clearly two different things. Asking for witnesses to come forward is not asking for amateur detectives to solve the mystery

You can't have it both ways.You can hold press conferences and show documentaries to ' raise awareness' and the not expect folk to talk about it!

I think some posters claiming to have posted facts, have either forgotten what they have written or forgotten that we can still read their posts on those threads.

I’ve seen at least 5 very active posters on those threads claim that they have posted facts, not speculation, yet their posts, clearly speculating about Nicolas life and that particular morning are there for all to read.

You’re missing something. The point of the press conferences is to call for people who may have info, but not for people in all four corners of the country to speculate and spread uninformed theories

@JustAGirlInACountrySong

It isn't the same, but you can't have one without the other, can you? How can you make a high-profile appeal for information because you need the public to come forward, and then not expect it to be discussed at lenth online, on forums such as this one?

Maybe I didin't explain properly. Unhelpful online speculation and accusations are of course totally inappropriate and really shouldn't happen. But the thing is, that if they want the public to come forward, they have to publicise what has happened in order for people to know that they are seeking information. And if they do that, then it is inevitable that it will be talked about online.

Sadly, maybe in this age of social media and true crime podcasts, you’re right

Well she has potentially been found now and potentially the police were right all along so the speculation on these threads didn't help as some assumed it would.

I was astounded at some that was written and the sense that they actually thought they were helping but free speech to speculative on a real family crisis meant numerous threads.

People are indeed odd

Yep. . Some of the worse speculative posts from people that said they didn't speculate.

Maybe they should stick to Midsummer murders or Vera

Careful you will be called a squeaky toy if you feel its distasteful.

It really brought out the worst in people who love a gossip with faux concern 😟

Some people are living in la la land thinking people aren’t going to discuss something that’s been in the news everyday for the past how many weeks now. If this isn’t your cup of tea, block and move on. That’s why there’s a NEWS board for discussions such as this and MN are doing their best to delete offensive comments.

The police said they believed she was in the river. (Meanly they did not inform the armchair detectives immediately of all their reasons why.) The poor woman's body has been found in the river. All those thousands of posts here changed nothing, solved nothing, just provided goulish entertainment and opportunities to cast aspersions on the missing woman's husband, and criticise the police.

We are all armchair investigators aren't we of a sort ? We hear something and debate it with friends family and then decide for ourselves particularly when the police have fudged an investigation up.
Everyone I have spoken to has a different theory about what happened to Nicola and this is because the police were unclear from the start, did not give correct information, did not search areas until after the public did, did not stop vigilantes and nip this in the bud.
They did a disservice to Nicola's family and to all of us who genuinely cared and hoped for a good end to all of this;
I do believe everyone who posted in here on the threads regarding Nicola posted in good faith because
we all wanted a better outcome than this.
Lessons will have been learned.
I hope they stick and God forbid - next time something like this happens the police will have smartened up their act. They even implied they found the body when it was clearly two people walking their dog. Come on.

The police were not unclear. They said right at the beginning that they believed she had fallen in the river and they did not suspect foul play. They had private information about her which, quite correctly, they chose not to share. Not everyone was speculating on what might have happened because many people realised it was a family tragedy and that the police were trying to find her.

Precisely this.

There have always been nutters in society, but until the internet arrived they had spouted their drivel to the few who tolerated them. Now though they have a bigger platform to chat shite and cause damage. Being subjected to nutters is one of the biggest drawbacks of the internet. What Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul and their friends have had to endure in terms of creeps coming up with speculation around them has been shameful. Hopefully they can now grieve in peace. The family speech was fantastic.

The vast majority on Mumsnet who discussed the case were fine in my view (for example, looking at images of the river and wondering if it was fast flowing enough, or asking where cameras were situated..that kind of normal stuff), it was the tiny minority who started pointing the finger at people who were out of line. This has actually been one of the more respectful sites as others have been much much worse; one particular knuckledragger stated a YouTube channel on it with most of the videos casting aspersions on innocent people (hopefully it’s down now, but this kind of crap has appeared in many places).