How do you know if a POST is Genuine or NOT.

[Eaney]

What are the pointers you look for? Have you ever been wrong or think you were wrong in your initial thought?

You use your trip-trap radar.

use my troll nose and no

have you had a problem?

And mine's pretty accurate. It has a range comparable to that of the average baby-monitor.

There have only been a few occasions i have known. If i'm uncertain, i don't post.
Some threads just wreck of the big hairy things though

You don't know. You might suspect, but you can't know.

And sometimes it doesn't matter, because even if the poster isn't genuine, someone else might be lurking and gain some helpful information from the thread.

I would prefer to give the benefit of the doubt where possible, unless the thread is obviously something really dubious.

I was just reading the one about the Police and the baby monitor story. I thought it was possibly a tall tale but then again 'there's nowt queer as folk....'

#just wondering what to look for?

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that troll story sounds pretty unlikely

also if it did happen, surely you wouldnt want to advertise the fact that it had happened to you?

I'd keep quiet personally

thats why it gets a big Enid 'HMMMMMMMMMMMM'

I generally agree with WWB's view on this. But the particular thread today narked me as it was just too close to CD's thread, and I did feel that CD got a particularly hard time on that thread. It was almost as if the poster was raking it up again.

I'm obviously suffering from some form of Unreovled Thread Issue Syndrome.

I don't know how I would know but it seems that some people just assume it is not genuine any time someone comes along with a sensitive issue. I can't see why people don't just ignore it if they think it isn't genuine instead of risking upsetting someone who is genuine.

Ladymuck, I didn't see CD's thread the other day or I would probably have been suspicious of today's poster and would probably not have posted.

Has mumsnet always been like this with troll posters or is this just a phase because of AIM/kemmalsstiletto. I have heared of judgeflounce.

we can sniff em out though

I prefer to take posts at face value. If they are genuine then the poster has not been left feeling awful. If they are not, then, like wwb says, somebody else may have benefited from the things said. Also - I think that since people who use the internet to try to wind others up have serious 'issues' and need a life asap, the worst thing to do is to get into an argument with one anyway, the love it. They are more likely to get bored if everyone responds to them as though they were genuine, and certainly with courtesy. It's the fight and the exchange of insults they want, deny them that and they will go off looking elsewhere. Start coming back with the you are a troll, p*ss off type of thing, and they are in hogs heaven and you'll never get rid of them!! Also, it's really unwelcoming for a new person to read all of this you are a troll stuff on every other thread, makes the place look very unfriendly. Finally - good to remember that just because someone has a different/extreme or even incomprehensible point of view does not make them a troll. It may be their genuine opinion that they are expressing.

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We have regular posters who post like that all the time though, ks.

I preffer to give people the benefit of doubt, I think is much better not to post at all rather than take the risk of offending a genuine poster.

...and yes, I believe that each one's personal paranoias play an important role on deciding when one person is a troll

i think you are all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over the top

first and only rule is ignore not get all neurotic womanlike

OMG KS If you consider that problem in grammar, sintax and spelling are characteristics of a troll I would be the mother of all trolls!