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Original poster

Trolls & Membership

93 replies

ChippingIn · 28/08/2011 16:44

I know it has been discussed before - but I don't know what the outcome was.

Would having a paid membership deter some of the trolls?

Who would be prepared to pay to be a member of Mumsnet?

MNHQ - would it have a detrimental affect on your advertising revenue (greater than you would receive in membership revenue)?

How else can we get MN back to how it used to be - it has been bloody horrible lately :(

OP posts:
RoundOrangeHead · 28/08/2011 16:47

I wouldn't pay

LeBOF · 28/08/2011 16:50

Interesting question. I know that DigitalSpy operates a system of charging a small fee (a fiver) for non-verified email addresses from hotmail-type accounts. That might help a bit.

I can't see that MNHQ will go down that route though- I think we just need to get better at ignoring the trolls and not over-investing ourselves. It is a shame though- you do end up steering clear of people you feel you don't already know quite well.

SinicalSal · 28/08/2011 16:51

No I wouldn't pay either.

I'd imagine a lot of people register to ask a specific question, and end up sticking around. There's loads of free sites to do that.

annathepenguin · 28/08/2011 16:52

We used to have to pay to Contact a Mumsnetter though, didn't we?

CamillaSalander · 28/08/2011 16:52

I would definitely pay.

Although as I've said on another thread, it's the troll hunting I hate. Trolls are just an inevitable irrelevance, easy to ignore.

Original poster
ChippingIn · 28/08/2011 16:59

SinicalSal- that's true.

Anna - that doesn't stop the trolls though. I'm glad we don't have to pay to send PM's :)

LeBof - the thing is though, that by steering clear of people we don't 'know' we are also staying clear on namechangers we do 'know' and we aren't offering 'newbies' the level of support they would have once got.

It's not that long ago that MN wasn't like this... surely there must be something we can do?

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 28/08/2011 17:12

You're wrong. MN is like this every summer and half term. As soon as schools go back, everything will calm down again.

The main issue is name changing I have been on many many boards over the past 10 years. MN is the only one I know that allows both open membership all the time and easy name changes. It's an open invitation to trolls. Period.

And I would not pay to use the site, especially if there were advertising as well. There are plenty of boards out there that are free.

LeBOF · 28/08/2011 17:15

I agree that it's a shame, but most newer members quite quickly become familiar names if they keep posting. The ones who miss out are the people who post for the first time with a big crisis. In other words, the typical troll's M.O.

The people who are responsible for that are the trolls, not the members. It's only natural to become cynical and suspicious after being bitten a few times.

GypsyMoth · 28/08/2011 17:19

How did it 'used to be'?

Why are you wanting it back to that, whatever it was?

GypsyMoth · 28/08/2011 17:19

And no, I wouldn't pay either.

usualsuspect · 28/08/2011 17:20

I wouldn't pay

BeerTricksPotter · 28/08/2011 17:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChristinedePizan · 28/08/2011 17:24

I agree with Tee. The ability to namechange willy nilly is a huge part of the problem

bananatrifle · 28/08/2011 17:26

Hello, ages ago I was looking for a bit of support on here, and as LeBOF has just said, I posted about a bit of a crisis. I was new and felt as though I'd stumbled into a party I wasn't welcome at, as a few members decided I was a troll. (I didn't even know what that meant). So, I left the site pretty quickly. The responses I received to my post were the last thing I needed at the time.

Recently I have started to come on here from time to time just to see if there are any answers to issues in my life that others might be experiencing but I don't post myself as I don't want to get the same response as I had before.

I do understand that there are times when there may be trolls on site, but for those of us who are new and genuinely looking for support, it can feel like a really unwelcome place if you're not an established member.

Cheria · 28/08/2011 17:27

I wouldn't pay.

bibbitybobbityhat · 28/08/2011 17:30

Yes, the easy namechanging is a problem.

Wormshuffler · 28/08/2011 17:38

I wouldnt pay............no way!

Original poster
ChippingIn · 28/08/2011 17:40

Tee - I don't think I am wrong. Yes, every set of holidays we get trolls, but not the quantity of 'real' threads we have had this summer. They used to be more obviously spotty kids on holiday - they are getting more and more 'real' and hurtful.

There may be plenty of boards out there - but I have never found one like MN used to be.

Bananatrifle sorry that you went through that. It's pretty shitty isn't it. But I'm glad you came back for another look!

Easy name changing is a problem, but at the same time it's a part of why MN works, because people can name change to post a problem that they don't want linked to their regular posting name. There are lots of good reasons for this.

OP posts:
TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 28/08/2011 17:48

I wouldn't pay.

Look what happened to bad mothers' club when they tried to charge members a measly £12 a year!

I do think that mnhq should not protect shitty namechangers. So if you namechange to be a total cow - a cowardly cow at that! then they should change your namechange back to your usual user name and let your post stand. If you're going to be a bitch - be a bitch with balls or don't bother! That would sort out a fair bit of nastyness! Grin

I wonder if people would register with a credit card, and mnhq reserve a token amount to prove that it is genuine, then at least they have actual, proven, real names and details, which may deter some of the crazier bastards. I would be happy to do that but I know some people have a problem with folks having their personal details Grin

Tee2072 · 28/08/2011 18:06

Chipping not only do we get the influx of trolls every summer, we get a thread like this one as well.

There is no way to 100% stop trolls. Disallowing namechanges would get MN at least heading in the right direction.

SybilBeddows · 28/08/2011 18:10

I think the really keen trolls, who are the problem ones, would consider it money well spent.
It wouldn't deter either the emotional bloodsuckers or the weirdy MN-obsessed antifeminists.
It would put off the teenagers and the organised board invasions but they're not the worst of the problem.

Original poster
ChippingIn · 28/08/2011 18:27

Tee - I never suggested that it would be a way to stop trolls 100%. I also said in my OP that I realise this has been discussed before. I also said I agree that stopping name changing would help this - however it causes other problems.

Sybil - that was my fear too. It would be bloody annoying to pay to reduce the trolls only to find they thought it money well spent!! The spotty teens and Hunz are easily spotted aren't they Grin

OP posts:
SuePurblybilt · 28/08/2011 18:34

If we had something next to our names, not an avatar or a ticker but perhaps a number of posts tally, couldn't that be made to stay visible, even with name changes? So if I nc'd to ask a TMI question, you'd see '8 squillion posts' next to my name and have a fair idea that I wasn't a troll.

Not much help to the newbies of course, but it could help reduce the troll hunting in some cases?

BeerTricksPotter · 28/08/2011 18:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bruffin · 28/08/2011 18:45

I definitely agree with disallowing namechanging. There are posters who namechange on the same thread to give themselves credibility ie others that agree with them. It should be banned but MN does not seem interested.

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