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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Spoofs, Jokes and Trolls

999 replies

Hullygully · 27/03/2013 16:47

Right.

I want a serious debate about this.

I started a joke thread, in my own name as usual, about a neighbour stealing a spoon.

It was questioned as "trolling" and I got told off by Rebecca at MNHQ.

Are spoofs and/or jokes no longer allowed?

Since when?

And why?

What do people think about spoofs, jokes and trolls and the difference theereof?

OP posts:
MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/03/2013 18:12

@Hullygully

No, three is not a lot in one day. IMVHO

And this is bigger than the telling off email of today (I appreciate you have apologised etc), the reason I am harping on is because I think there is a real danger of the whole tone of the site changing and us all being driven off.

OK, well that may be true. Although I'm not sure it is, entirely.

We do have a lot of new people - always do at the turn of the year. (We always notice because we have to spend weeks explaining that we allow swearing, and that swearing isn't always a personal attack.)

And we have lost some of the older regulars - that does tend to happen, sadly.

But we hope the tone will stay largely the same. That's down in part to us at MNHQ trying to stay as reasonable as possible and not lose our SOH too often but it's also down to newbies being willing to get a feel for MN as it is now and learn to love all its wonderful idiosyncracies. It's also down to regulars being willing to welcome, be patient with and tolerate newbies who might not get our ways straightaway.

Maryz · 27/03/2013 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:13

Yeah but we don't like them.

Can't we ban them?

Except those that get it immediately (like magi), the rest are just frankly annoying.

OP posts:
LadyBeaEGGleEyes · 27/03/2013 18:13

I actually remember that Helen, it was the cake one with Greensleeves and her cake thread, wasn't it?
I totally agree how hard it must be to get the balance right, you kind of joined in and were lambasted by quite a few humourless people on that one.
So if you join in you're wrong and if you tell people off you're wrong.
I've no answer really.

FancyPuffin · 27/03/2013 18:14

I miss the larking Sad

The mix between serious with a stick up ass and larky fun seems to have tipped into the dark side.

It's not about newbies it's about people being so fucking offended about everything.

Maryz · 27/03/2013 18:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/03/2013 18:15

@Hullygully

Yeah but we don't like them.

Can't we ban them?

Except those that get it immediately (like magi), the rest are just frankly annoying.

No. Fraid not.

But perhaps we can slowly show them the wisdom of our ways, eh?

Pagwatch · 27/03/2013 18:15

Hahahahaha

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:15

see magi?

You're in, gel.

OP posts:
SecretLindtBunny · 27/03/2013 18:16

Helen, when you say we have lost some of the older posters that's the understatement of the century.

There are an awful lot of people who now don't bother posting because they have had enough of Po-faced whiny gits reporting.

Maryz · 27/03/2013 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:16

I admire your (obligatory) optimism, but sadly don't share it.

They don't WANT to see and share the wisdom, they are humourless and po and dull and want to make us the same. And I am not joking.

OP posts:
Pagwatch · 27/03/2013 18:17

Is it at all possible that the people endlessly reporting the joking and the people lambasting mnhq for joining in with the joke are in fact cut from the same cloth?

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:17

Yep, Secret, I stayed off for a while because it was all so dull, and now I am fightint back, but I may soon lose the will to live and fight...

OP posts:
MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/03/2013 18:18

@SecretLindtBunny

Helen, when you say we have lost some of the older posters that's the understatement of the century.

There are an awful lot of people who now don't bother posting because they have had enough of Po-faced whiny gits reporting.

They may report. It doesn't mean we do what they're demanding we do.

GetOeuf · 27/03/2013 18:20

REALLY LAUGHS at people being confused/bewildered/upset/confused about spoons Grin

I agree with beouf - can imagine it's a tough gig sometimes making a judgement call on something which could be rather nuanced, but agree there is a tone to this site and that is somethign which I think is worth conserving.

Nowt like moldies - they just wanted it to be people who were there from the beginning. Loads of newbies on here get it right away and become well liked mners really quickly.

Mnhq is great - most of the time make the best judgement they can but pandering to the stupid is a bit of a sorry path to go down imo.

CandyCrushed · 27/03/2013 18:20

I knew the spoons one was a spoof and I said I thought the dog in a pram on a bus was a spoof and I didn't post on the threads.

(but, wow, rustybear great advice not to post on threads if I don't know if they are spam or not. I wouldn't have worked that out for myself Confused )

HelenMumsnet Nice move calling posters who report personal attacks ' Nosey Twats '. Absolutely charming Confused

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/03/2013 18:20

@Hullygully

I admire your (obligatory) optimism, but sadly don't share it.

They don't WANT to see and share the wisdom, they are humourless and po and dull and want to make us the same. And I am not joking.

Maybe. But if folks just attack them, then they genuinely do have something to complain about.

We think there's room for everybody. And the MN thang gets you in the end.

(Think I was probably quite dull when I first joined. My first post was about sippy cups, fgs)

Maryz · 27/03/2013 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/03/2013 18:22

@CandyCrushed

HelenMumsnet Nice move calling posters who report personal attacks ' Nosey Twats '. Absolutely charming Confused

Oh dear. I was repeating someone else's words in an attempt at humour. MNHQ Fail.

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:23

The rest of us got it, Helen.

QED

OP posts:
SecretLindtBunny · 27/03/2013 18:23

Unfortunately Helen, I have to disagree.

It seems that they report for apparently minor things which we used to be able handle like the grown women and men we are, and these get interpreted as Personal Attacks/ breaking talk guidelines and get deleted.

Can you honestly say that some of the Classics threads would not have been deleted had they been posted now?

LadyBeaEGGleEyes · 27/03/2013 18:23

It was a JOKE Candy.
FFS you can't win Helen.

habbibu · 27/03/2013 18:23

Yeah, yeah, but can we now get back to Pagwatch having Only Just discovered martinis? I'm having to rethink my entire perception of her. Next thing there'll be a revelation that she doesn't live in silk housecoats.

Original poster
Hullygully · 27/03/2013 18:24

My very first post was a spoof one. It was marvellous. Happy days.

OP posts: