Trolls

[Throwingshade]

I know there was a thread about this just a couple of weeks, but just want to remind us all to think before investing time and emotion - and most importantly personal information and experiences - on threads in Relationships. Especially if it's something triggering for you.

This board is being infiltrated by trolls at the moment.

If the OP is over egged, if the OP is too 'bad' to be true, if it reads like a soap opera with convenient updates every couple of hours to keep people entertained, then it's likely not true!

There is a regular well respected poster on the board. If she hasn't posted in the first few pages then I think she knows it's a troll. I don't invest in the thread until I see her comment

That's a bit daft. I'm sure tgey don't sit around on MN waiting for new threads to 'pounce' on.

Plus if it is who I think it is, they have posted on threads that have been deleted

You know 4 people who've been called trolls on here and banned?

Behave yourself, you do not.

yes I do, two actually live here in my block! or did, one has moved out now.

Oh, stop it, it's ridiculous.

At what point in conversations with 4 separate people did being banned from here come up?

You're very silly.

Going back to the question someone asked earlier in the thread - why would someone do this? Years ago I worked with a woman who seemed to be involved in some drama every week. She would come in and tell us a huge tale about something that had happened to her, it was always so dramatic and far fetched. You could see her making things up as she was going along!
Of course we were all too polite to call her on it and just sat and listened to it! I think she just wanted everyone to think that she led an exciting life (sometimes tragic actually). The people that do it on MN are the same I think, and as they are writing instead of talking face to face it's easier to think of things to say IYNWIM! If someone questions them they have time to come up with a plausible answer. Well done to the MNers who spot it, I read that particular thread for a while and just felt sorry for him!

Blue Did you know them before they posted, or are you in a Banned MN Poster club?

Ok even if you do know 4 people who've been banned in RL and SAY they were not trolling that doesn't account for the dozens and dozens of others deleted.

Are you a name changer who PMs posters your phone number?

While we are on the subject of trolls, can someone please explain to me about "reverse" threads?

I mean I understand what "reverse" means - but what is the point of them exactly?

It's a concept or a term I'd ever come across on any internet boards I've posted on before. Is it a peculiar mumsnet thing that people post "reverse" threads? It must happen often enough for that to be a known and used term here.

What's the point of them?

*it's NOT a concept or term

sansoora how can you possibly tell just by reading someoneś writing style if theyŕe a man or woman?

I tend to simply report it or just walk away.

Actually, I think I was on that thread initially and just let it slip. (can't find it on TIO)

I don't think it was really on to keep doubting the story or the details openly. Even if it was a woman posting and in relation to another woman or to a man, it could be possible that they wanted to change it not to be recognised. The advice in relation to the situation should be fairly similar, regardless.

At least they would be laughable if it wasn't for the number of people who are really upset by it all.

Maybe they are also trolls, making up that they are upset.

Oh, stop it, it's ridiculous.At what point in conversations with 4 separate people did being banned from here come up?You're very silly.

This is exactly what I mean, you see, this poster is now patting herself on the back feeling very clever for calling someone else a liar, and may wander off into the sunset congratulating herself, but she is completely and totally wrong. This won't impede her in the slightest, she will feel that she has hoed her trolling instincts to infallible, and will no doubt return at some point and call someone else a liar, without having any idea about that person either.

The controlling wife thread wasn't real? I didn't get a weird feeling about it (well, all the "like"s everywhere was weird, I thought maybe he's very young, but overusing that word would be more in verbal speech than written, no one would write "like" so many times, they'd see themselves what they were doing) until the OP asked me a question directly about if I thought his marriage had always been a sham, and it struck me as a bit strange, but I still can't figure out why it struck me as strange just based on the question itself, maybe it was his tone, it was off somehow.

I always assume people are telling the truth, it is hard for me to from the outset to think in my mind that they could be lying, even an evil inlaw we've had to deal with, has told all kinds of lies, so it's upsetting to know without a shadow of a doubt they have.

If the thread was a reverse I don't understand what the OP hoped to gain from it, how would that have helped him/her at all to do a reverse?

test

I'm sure there are many trolls but as a PP has said I have known people in RL who were banned as trolls when it was very, very wrong. One posted about something horrendous she was going through and was vindicated quite spectacularly. She won't come back though, it was never explained to her why she was banned but the mnhq message on the thread was clear. They do get it wrong and definitely err on the side of caution.

Why on earth are you talking about me as if I'm an exhibit, Blue?

You'll notice I'm not the only one to question your, frankly, daft story about how many banned posters you know.

Where did I say my instincts were infallible? You got that from me questioning you on a weird statement you made, while you continue to insist we're all wrong about persistent trolls.

Mmm'kay then.

Well, by SpangleCrab's logic, as AnyFucker hasn't posted then the OP of this thread must in fact be a troll?

Having said that, this subject matter would me almost genius were that to be the case. Hiding in plain sight and all that!

And I am not patting myself on the back before that one gets levelled at me too. My troll radar is well off.

I posted a reverse thread a few months ago regarding a situation that happenned to me long ago, posted from my exes perspective but I stated at the start of the thread that it was a reverse thread, so readers would know that was what it was - and pepple were still very happy to comment and advise me. So i would suggest anyone wanting to use a reverse threa just do what I did and be upfront! You get the good advice anyway! No need to pull the wool over people's eyes.

As for those who completely make up threads for sport...well you know...perhaps despite it not being real life they might well really need the advice or help. Try and hope for that, and remember any discussion you take part in has helped someone even if not the OP.

I posted on a thread (NC) a few days ago where several people within the thread were helping each other out by sharing experience.

No effort to help is ever completely wasted.

Why on earth are you talking about me as if I'm an exhibit, Blue?

because you are an exhibit of exactly the type of behaviour I was talking about