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Mumsnet webchats

WEBCHAT GUIDELINES: 1. One question per member plus one follow-up. 2. Keep your question brief. 3. Don't moan if your question doesn't get answered. 4. Do be civil/polite. 5. If one topic or question threatens to overwhelm the webchat, MNHQ will usually ask for people to stop repeating the same question or point.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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MNHQ

Meet the MNHQ moderators - Live chat Friday 21st Nov 11.30 - 12.30

112 replies

RebeccaMumsnet · 19/11/2014 14:09

Hello all,

It's been a year since we last had a webchat about all things Mumsnet and moderation so we thought we'd do it again!

We'll be here between 11.30 and 12.30 on Friday - JustineMumsnet and as many members of the team as we can muster - so join us then or post up any advance Qs here.

Mind the guidelines at the top of the page now - only one question each and be nice

OP posts:

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 21/11/2014 10:33

I've thought of my question.

Does it hack you off when yet another "the site ain't what it used to be wah wah wah" thread hits the boards?

Do you take it very seriously, do you hide it or do you have a sweepstake for when the next one will appear?

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 21/11/2014 10:34

Chippingin, it's so blatantly spam that its not drawing people into the mire. I'd not seen it till you linked to it.

ginnycreeper5 · 21/11/2014 11:27

Where is this 'live chat'? How do you get to it? I can't see anything on the main page of MN that leads to this

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/11/2014 11:29

i presume it is here

ginnycreeper5 · 21/11/2014 11:31

Oh ok. Thanks. I was looking for something else. A little side panel or something? think I need to go back to bed and get up on the right side

MNHQ

RebeccaMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:31

Hello all,

We're here and ready to go, thanks for all of your questions!

OP posts:

ginnycreeper5 · 21/11/2014 11:34

Hi RebeccaMumsnet, How did you get to be a Moderator?

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:38

@LineRunner

I would like to ask about the Russell Brand web chat. You suspended new registrations about an hour before it started, because so many people were seemingly registering just to go on it and be strange frighteningly obsequious.

Will you do this again for other webchats, possibly at an even earlier juncture?

Many thanks.

We usually suspend regs before for big political webchats - a lesson learned after the Nigel Farage Ukip infiltrator-gate. But generally we have a more suck it and see approach. Obviously there is a downside to turning registrations off, most notably that it's frustrating for those who want to join to ask a question, so we'd rather use it sparingly but try to be as nimble as possible when it's needed. It's helpful, as always, when users give us a heads up if anything looks awry.

ChippingInAutumnLover · 21/11/2014 11:39

That's not the point Keema. We were told things reported at night would be sorted quickly. It's a two second Big Red Button job, it didn't require any lengthy investigation. I received a PM from the bloke. It shouldn't have still been there this morning, what if it had been vile and I had been a vulnerable poster?

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:41

@Solo

Hello!! Last year, I suggested a nn amnesty type thing to free up unused and unwanted nn's, or even a check box and delete button to get rid of the ones we don't want. You (Justine I think) said it was a good idea, but it hasn't happened yet.

I have loads I'd like to get rid of!!

We did ask Tech about this but he went all white and started shaking, so I thought best not to mention it again . Apparently it's a lot more complicated than you'd think. But I will raise it gently again - maybe there's a halfway house solution that is less likely to break everything...

MNHQ

RebeccaMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:41

@FanjoForTheMammaries

I had my first question deleted as I didn't formulate it properly but I really do want to ask something.

A couple of years ago there was a spate of threads which were very upsetting to parents of children with SN. .the dreaded "panto thread" being one. Many people were upset at MNHQs stance that it was all a good debate and that certain posters were helping to educate on the subject.

The "This is my child' campaign was born and MNHQ had a huge confab and said that they were sorry posters felt they had to educate others at their own expense and that this wasn't in fact right and they would take a firmer stance on disablism and be a stronger presence on such threads. I wish I still had the email and posts from then.

Fast forward to now and there is a rash of posts which are quite upsetting to those affected by disability, ranging from parking space abuse to wheelchair space abuse to lengthy arguments about disabled toilets.

MNHQ are notably absent from the threads and people are being left to educate..and actually not succeeding in educating because the threads run and run with people insisting on such lovely courses of action as carers removing people from wheelchairs and propping them up on bus seats so someone doesnt have to wake their baby and fold..and taking lots of abuse for trying.

When reported we are again being told that threads must stand so we can educate. Why has MNHQS stance reverted to this? It is making MN a hostile place for parents of children with SN and people with disabilities and allowing all sorts of horrible threads to spring up again.

Please please can you reconsider this? I am sure some of you must remember the time of the panto thread .

Hi Fanjo, Lefty and sam,

Thank you for raising this point. We do see your point and we do feel that we are tougher on disablist posts now on the whole. If someone is being deliberately inflammatory or posting on a wind-up, we will zap the thread/post and often post links to the This Is Our Child campaign.

However, we do feel that asking questions is a good thing and having open discussions on all manner of issues is what we are about. We don't like to shut down conversations that are civil and respectful in tone, no matter how tricky the subject matter unless they are started to goad.

Please do keep reporting and we will look at your reports.

OP posts:

ChippingInAutumnLover · 21/11/2014 11:41

It's quiet in here compared to last time.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/11/2014 11:41

if there is time i have one more question since there are not many here...

You asked a while ago for people to report posts on AIBU if posters tone was off in order to try to change the general fight club atmosphere. Have been doing this but the tone of AIBU is as horrible as ever and nothing seems to have changed. Is this something you would still encourage us to do, or was it an idea at the time that has been given up on?

ginnycreeper5 · 21/11/2014 11:43

I think there are lots of questions they have to get through.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:43

@Deedeecupcake

Not really a mod question and has probably been asked before so please do ignore if needs be, but is there any chance in the future for pictures on the app?

Yes! We are not far away now from testing a beta version (2/3 weeks hopefully). Let me know if you'd like to trial it as part of the early testing group.

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:44

@HerrenaHarridan

Hi hq

The old issue of horrible threads standing for far too long still haunts us and obviously you have been gradually working out solutions, night mods etc.
what I would really like to see trialled is a system whereby if x number if reports about a thread were received the thread would automatically lock down and disappear from active until reviewed by a human.

I appreciate your openness in discussing these things and would also put another aye behind fanjos comment in disabilist threads

Hi Herrena

Our concern about auto-locking or auto-deleting is that it could be gamed, which would lead to problems in itself.

We do now have alerts that come in to our inboxes when an individual post, thread or poster is reported a certain number of times in a time period. The alerts go to Night Watchers too. It's proving quite helpful so far - makes the trouble spots pop out a lot more.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/11/2014 11:44

thanks for your reply Rebecca. However the discussions have not been civil and respectful in tone IMO..just look at the disabled toilets thread.

And you didnt answer the main point of my question which was ..why were we told at that time, after a huge thread where the opinions of posters were canvassed, that it was not right for posters to have to educate others so MNHQ would step in more ..and now when reporting we are told how great it is that we are educating on the threads?

It is a step back IMO and just leads to grief and abuse for us, and eventual flouncing/leaving.

Sorry to be a PITA but I really feel this is an important point.

ChippingInAutumnLover · 21/11/2014 11:45

Justine & Solo

I thought one of the main issues tech had with 'releasing names' was that those names might have history, so all of that would need to be deleted and even then, posters have spreadsheets and copies of threads long memories so old posts might be brought into play, even though it was someone else using the name. Just Not Worth it.

MNHQ

RebeccaMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:45

@ginnycreeper5

Hi RebeccaMumsnet, How did you get to be a Moderator?

Hi Ginny,

I was a MNetter and mailed in to ask for some work experience in the final year of my degree as a mature student. That was almost five years ago now and the rest, as they say, is history.

OP posts:

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/11/2014 11:46

ginny..yes,,you asked two as well

ChippingInAutumnLover · 21/11/2014 11:48

Uh oh Rebecca. I think you may have just opened the floodgates [ grin]

ginnycreeper5 · 21/11/2014 11:49

I have a question that I wish I'd asked originally.
(If you don't have time to answer it I understand)

Would it be possible to have an edit post button, so that people can edit their original posts? I think a lot of unecessary arguments are started (especially in AIBU) because the Original Poster has submitted something without reading it properly first.

I know on other sites, I will submit something then think, the tone of that doesn't come across quite right on the page, I will then edit it to make it sound better (friendlier).
I wish there was that option on MN?

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:49

@FanjoForTheMammaries

if there is time i have one more question since there are not many here...

We did some analysis about six weeks ago (to match the analysis we did a few months ago) and the spread of threads we looked at seemed to show to us that there had been an improvement in the tone on AIBU. An imprecise science of course because we're looking at random samples of threads.

We're actively contacting users who are posting in an unpleasant way in AIBU so if you spot one please report 'em. Definitely not something we've given up on.

ChippingInAutumnLover · 21/11/2014 11:50

^^ Ginny, it's been debated a lot on MN, the vast majority of people still do not want it. Thankfully. It would be chaos.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 21/11/2014 11:53

@KeemaNaanAndCurryOn

I've thought of my question.

Does it hack you off when yet another "the site ain't what it used to be wah wah wah" thread hits the boards?

Do you take it very seriously, do you hide it or do you have a sweepstake for when the next one will appear?

Well I do think it is a bit demoralising for the community team - particularly the newer members - as it's hard not to feel personally responsible but to be honest twas ever thus! The green fields of yesteryear has been a regular trope over the last 15 or so years - I remember it when we introduced the Chat topic - and that was in 2005 (ish).

I do believe there is a bit of a lifecycle of MN usage for very engaged users which includes a bit of disillusioned stage somewhere around 3-4 years in, when you just fall out of love a bit. Some folk leave at that stage, some get quite cross and some become all zen-like. 15 years in you're just very confused like me .

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