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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Hellbanning - brilliant way to deal with trolls & abusive posters?

29 replies

exexpat · 19/01/2013 17:03

I saw this article yesterday which gives some novel ways to deal with trolls .

I particularly like the idea of 'hellbanning' - trolls aren't blocked from the site, but their posts are made invisible to everyone but themselves. So there they are, starting threads, posting inflammatory replies etc and gradually starting to wonder why everyone is ignoring them. Eventually even the thickest, most persistent troll would give up. A very effective way of enforcing 'don't feed the troll'.

Worth a try, MNHQ?

OP posts:
tribpot · 19/01/2013 17:07

I love that. You could even pretend someone was hellbanned when they weren't, just to mess with them.

I think this might represent a level of evildoing that MNHQ were unhappy with, though.

beenalongtimecoming · 19/01/2013 17:09

That is absolute genius! I love the idea of hellbanning!

Pinot · 19/01/2013 17:09

But they'll just change their ip address, register again and start her process again.

It's no different to banning them and will more than likely rile them and give them something to get their teeth into.

Pinot · 19/01/2013 17:12

The not her

Foggles · 19/01/2013 17:12

I am worrying that I may have been slowbanned as it takes ages for MN pages to load.

exexpat · 19/01/2013 17:18

Pinot, the whole point is that they wouldn't know they'd been hellbanned as no one would tell them. Of course they could reregister etc if they realised, but they might just give up on MN as a boring place where no one rises to the bait. For all we know, MNHQ could be doing it already.

OP posts:
Pinot · 19/01/2013 17:18

But they'd only need about five minutes to realise it.

Screaminabdabs · 19/01/2013 17:23

Fantastic.

HelenMumsnet · 19/01/2013 17:27

@exexpat

Pinot, the whole point is that they wouldn't know they'd been hellbanned as no one would tell them. Of course they could reregister etc if they realised, but they might just give up on MN as a boring place where no one rises to the bait. For all we know, MNHQ could be doing it already.

Indeed. We could be. Or we could be about to be. Or we could have read this and thought what a good idea.

In every case, probably the least said on this subject the better, eh?

ivykaty44 · 19/01/2013 17:35

testing..?

LesBOFerables · 19/01/2013 17:37
BeerTricksPotter · 19/01/2013 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HecateWhoopass · 19/01/2013 17:42

But the trolls would know about this and so when they didnet get a reaction, would it not be the first thing that crossed their mind? Leading to them just reregistering with a different email address?

Screaminabdabs · 19/01/2013 17:48

Afaik it's not that easy to mess about with different ISPs, different laptops etc. Why would they bother if the website doesn't give them the reaction they want? They'd go elsewhere, wouldn't they? And that's what we want - isn't it???

HecateWhoopass · 19/01/2013 18:32

God knows. I thought it was fairly simple.

I don't know that a lot of them wouldn't view it as a challenge, tbh.

Pinot · 19/01/2013 18:34

If its so complicated, why do so many fucking irritating trolls and banned posts sleep coming back?

LesBOFerables · 19/01/2013 18:45

Is that the same as crystal meth, BeerTricks?

Screaminabdabs · 19/01/2013 18:47

Do they?

BeerTricksPotter · 19/01/2013 18:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pinot · 19/01/2013 19:00

Like a fart in a steamy bathroom, Screamin. They just won't go away.

amillionyears · 19/01/2013 19:11

Like the link.
exexpat, I have often wondered if you are expatinscotland?
I have thought yes, then no, then yes, then no.
Pleease tell me!

Pinot · 19/01/2013 19:13

Not expatinscotland afaik

amillionyears · 19/01/2013 19:18

I will try and remember! thanks.

BeerTricksPotter · 19/01/2013 19:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IamtheZombie · 19/01/2013 19:20

Zombie whispers: hide poster

Only joking!! Grin