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Original poster

Warning about posting in the Relationships Topic on Mumsnet

2 replies

bibbitybobbityyhat · 04/01/2017 16:33

Don't do it if you don't want your personal stories lifted and splashed all over the Mail Online.

The DM used to restrict themselves to copying and pasting mainly made up (Penis Beaker), lighthearted or neutral threads.

But now they are quite happy to publish deeply personal and very identifying threads too from people posting at crisis point.

I do actually foresee Mumsnet's inability to prevent this being the end of the website tbh. Or MN as we know and love it, anyway.

I know we've had a zillion threads about this already, but I just want to remind people again:

Don't post on Mumsnet if you don't want your thread to be reproduced in the Mail Online.

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MNHQ

KateMumsnet · 05/01/2017 10:38

Hi all

Thanks for drawing our attention to this. None of it's ideal, of course - but it does seem particularly grim to lift a thread in which someone has posted for support at a dreadful time.

We've said this before, but just to be absolutely clear: we categorically do not have any kind of arrangement with the DM. Nor are we turning a blind eye in pursuit of traffic - we don't, in fact, see much of a lift in our stats when the DM runs one of these pieces, and interestingly they use what's called a 'no follow' link when they link to us, so there's no search benefit either.

As many posters have pointed out previously, however, this is a tricky area legally, and it's quite likely that the DM would claim Fair Use. We are currently investigating our legal position, though, and we hope to have a clearer picture soon.

But the truth is that, whether or not the Mail pick it up, Mumsnet is an open site. On the upside, this openness means volume of users, which in turn means Mumsnet is available for free to anyone who needs advice, 24-7. It also means a variety of points of view, and the wisdom that comes from a considerable crowd.

But it's always worth remembering that this is a public forum, searchable by Google, legally linkable to - and quotable by - all and sundry. It's worth making use of the name-change facility if you're posting personal stuff (perhaps with only a small tweak, if you don't want to start afresh); another option is OTBT, which isn't crawlable by Google, and 30 Days Only (posts disappear after 30 days).

Thanks all,

MNHQ

MNHQ

KateMumsnet · 05/01/2017 11:17

@Chris1234567890

" theres a higher probability that the DM lifted threads are HQ generated in the first place, thus avoiding any possible litigation from any individual impacted. The only posters pissed off are those who take the time to reply and provide the saleable fodder, not the originating author. So for me, if its in DM, its been a fake all along and MN know that.

This is absolutely not the case.

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