mn hq, can we have an explanation - jess - and maybe re other trolls in future?

[wannaBe]

I am aware that you can't divulge the means by which you determine whether or not a poster is genuine, predominantly because if you make that common knowledge then posters will know how to avoid being detected in the future.

but jess (long ongoing eleven weeks abortion threads) threads have now been deleted for being a troll, and I was wondering if, given it's the site users who usually report these things, we could perhaps have a bit more by way of explanation?

e.g. when sassysusan was banned, mn hq confirmed that she had previously posted as washwithcare, and users were able to identify.

There has been some speculation that jess was dizzymare, and I wondered whether this was the case?

Also, these threads have been ongoing for over a month now. How is it that it takes quite this long to determine that someone isn't actually all they seem?

But what if your life really IS an ongoing drama?

My trolldar is not too bad but the ones I miss are the ones that are "old" trolls IYSWIM whereas some poster sre able to recognise posting styles, maybe mine is more of a bullshit detector who knows . But those that troll the vulnerable deliberately bastards the lot of them

I don't kinks the answer starlight. I'm guessing that's part of the problem - the trolls make it harder for people with real problems to get help. And of ciurse the things they're trolling about do really happen to some people, sadly. I don't know your back story, sorry, but never seen a "that starlight, she's a troll, right?" Thread :o
Seems that trolls .never have anything mundane go wrong, like a broken dishwasher :)

So when is this thread going to go poof?

I read the Op of the first one of these threads and thought that either it was or wasn't a troll, and either way I didn't want to post.

I know where you're coming from, starlight - my life a few years ago could have screamed troll... i lost my DH 12 weeks after dd1 was born, then my mother 12 weeks after that, then had to move into a house that was unfit for habitation, then got together with manshape and was pregnant by him very quickly despite being on the pill and using condoms - it really was one drama after t'other.

FWIW, i've never seen a 'that starlight, she's a troll, right?' post either

Stealth you beat me to it. Trolls never have any normal kind of shit to deal with - even if the rest of my life was high drama, I'd still post about DD leaving her crap on the floor, or the muddy dog or the ironing or whatever

And a troll would never have a strike out pointy bracket fail either

I remember Hills, that was just sick

starlight, I have never thought you were a troll. in fact, 98% of posters, I believe wholeheartedly. however, there is just something that gets me ing. a gut feeling that wont go away no matter how much I quash it. and whenever I see a thread by them I get a knot in my stomach. I make deals with myself "if this happens, I might mention to another poster with a better trolldar that I am having doubts" "if this happens I will email HQ" "If this happens I will comment on their thread"

and (with the exception of Hilllls (thanks for the cwtches dee)) I have only been wrong once.

I think everyone has bad stuff happen, and for some they even feel the need to share/talk about it online. Nothing wrong with that.

But there's a difference between "I've lost my job/my dh is a bastard/my child has a serious illness, can I talk about it here," (even going into some detail) and "My dh has beaten me up and I'm cowering in the bathroom typing this, I had the foresight to namechange first though, and here is my paypal address in case anyone would like to get in touch with me."

Lissie, v sorry for what you went through with hills

Starlight - Also, trolls very rarely post 'generously'. They don't tend to help others, or mention their situation in passing when making a larger point. Every thread they are on tends to be 'about them'. I have seen enough of you on some of these boards that you don't set my trolldar going.

Thank. I suppose this just shows the damage trolls can cause then. That people who have 'dramas' then doubt they'll be believed.

Everlong - really agree with your thoughts about someone elses Mum having to hear the words you heard. xx

Merry, there are some bloody funny trolls. I hope they keep posting.

Everlong. I agree. Sometimes I get just as frustrated with the troll defenders/feeders as I do with the troll. And a very rare few posters that seem to feed of the drama in an almost troll-like way of their own.

Sure they will, Starlight. But I think the drama queens may start getting better at it now they know some of the 'giveaways'.

I don't know. Won't that just be too much effort?

There must be easier boards.

as a raw MN newbie (under another alias) I made the mistake of agreeing with an OP who held an unpopular opinion - and wasn't expressing her (?) view very well. i thought i 'got' what she was trying to say - and said so, trying to explain what she meant . Cue people on the thread accusing me of being a sockpuppet in quite a snide (and of course clever, being MN) way.

Now I'm tough as old boots online and chalked it up to experience, namechanging a bit later and diving in again - but had I been a real forum newbie I think the experience would have sent me packing.

Which is why I think the no troll hunting rule a good one. OTOH I think there are strategic phrases which might be used to indicate a certain wariness about a thread - e.g. if people were to post something like "I don't think I have anything helpful that I contribute to this thread, but wishing you all the best OP" then it would alert people "in the know" but would not upset genuine new posters who were looking for support