Is it time to start paying for MN membership?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

In the wake of everything that happened last night, I have been trying to think of ways to keep the goady fuckers and MRAs from repeatedly rejoining MN after being banned, just so that they can cause trouble and upset, particularly on boards like Relationships and Feminism.

If we were paying even a fairly nominal amount - say a tenner - per year for our MN membership, I don't think that is an amount that would put off people who wanted to join the site for the right reasons, but it would mean that joining, being a goady fucker, getting banned and then rejoining to cause more trouble, multiple times would get very expensive very quickly - and this might put off the trolls and goady fuckers.

Or are there other ways that we can think of that MNHQ can keep the goady fuckers off the site? Could they change the rules to say that joining just to goad people on sensitive boards is a banning offence?

PinkBerryGuy - I like the Karma system - that sounds good to me.

PacificFucker is right - I am not suggesting this because AF got banned, but because her banning has highlighted the very negative effects that the MRAs/trolls/goady fuckers are having on the site, and the fact that people don't think MNHQ are doing enough/the right things about it right now - hence starting the debate to see whether a fee was an option, and if not, what other options there are.

I did suggest last night that MNHQ could post a weekly (maybe even daily, during high troll-traffic periods like half term) tally of MRAs/trolls/goady fuckers banned - because whilst it is very obvious when a prolific and much loved poster like AF is banned, the banning of the trolls is pretty much invisible to the majority of the site. At least, if there were a tally posted, people would be able to see all the hard work that MNHQ have to put in, to keep the site as we want it to be.

Maybe if the regular posters thought they might get banned they wouldn't hit back?

I wouldn't pay - and I can't imagine it would be financially viable for a site like this to charge 'members' anyway. It's all about advertising revenue from the sheer volume of site hits I would have thought.

Anyway, THB after reading all the drama on here last night I did think I would do a bit of a quiet flounce because it all seemed a bit ridiculous - but then I got to work this morning and felt bored . And it's either MN or spending money on crap I don't need on fleabay....

"I did suggest last night that MNHQ could post a weekly (maybe even daily, during high troll-traffic periods like half term) tally of MRAs/trolls/goady fuckers banned - because whilst it is very obvious when a prolific and much loved poster like AF is banned, the banning of the trolls is pretty much invisible to the majority of the site. At least, if there were a tally posted, people would be able to see all the hard work that MNHQ have to put in, to keep the site as we want it to be."

Not going to happen. TSSDNCOP and shouldn't.

And if you have to wait for HQ to respond, then you have to wait. A little patience would go a long way on this site. It is not run by robots, it's run by people with lives and other duties and so on. If it's really pissing you off? Log out for a bit.

the test of any furore like this ( whether at work or online) is to tell someone NOT INVOLVED about it. if you sound like an absolute moron then there is your answer - you need time out

If a poster has multiple deletions for PA's and is goady then HQ could ban them from name changing for a period of time. They would at least be forced to be 'out' and therefore immediately identifiable to all.

A nominal fee would be a good idea. Paying £2 to register would be affordable for pretty much everybody. HQ has the ability to waive the fee for those deemed truly too poor to pay it.

The site is free and re all the complaints about advertisers potentially exerting control over content, how do the complainers expect MN to fund their nice free at the point of use site? Naivety galore being displayed by some posters.

Oh yes Tee, that's a good idea, log off right in the middle of a relationships thread, when some poor woman is discussing serious issues, just because some goady fucker decides to spice things up a bit

It's fine as it is. As in real life there are people that are annoying, you can't keep them out you just need to deal with them properly!

I agree with NobleGiraffe. There are far more threads/boards that do not have these problems even when dealing with the more angsty stuff.

I did suggest last night that MNHQ could post a weekly (maybe even daily, during high troll-traffic periods like half term) tally of MRAs/trolls/goady fuckers banned - because whilst it is very obvious when a prolific and much loved poster like AF is banned, the banning of the trolls is pretty much invisible to the majority of the site. At least, if there were a tally posted, people would be able to see all the hard work that MNHQ have to put in, to keep the site as we want it to be

You mean like a target for trolls and goady fuckers to hit. See how many deletions they can rack up and beat the previous weeks scores. Seriously trolls are better just left and ignored. Ignore them and they get bored and fuck off, rise to them, delete them, ban them and you end up setting them something to aim for.

I don't think we should pay to use the site because many women only have a joint bank account with their DH/DP, who would therefore be alerted to the fact that they have joined MN. Even if someone is not posting about their relationship, they might not want their DH to know they are using MN about other issues eg, MIL, depression, money issues etc etc.

Threads from MN are being linked to on Twitter now, mostly just to laugh at or make fun of, which brings a whole new crowd to MN. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

Very bad idea.

There are people on MN who don't know how they will make a few quid stretch over several meals for the family.

And no, no, NO to everyone having to give out identity and bank details to MN.

Yes, make it a £12 annual fee. The same price as a left handed popcorn scoop pair of shoes. Because that's a tried and tested way of killing a site.

Paying is a terrible idea sorry. I am a reasonably new poster but long term lurker and have seen so many threads in Chat and Relationships where the poster is in dire need of help and support either financially or with an abusive partner or both even and have been given helpful, practical and insightful advice. Why should help advise and even just a bit of a laugh now and again when you are feeling low only be available to those who can afford to pay membership fees?

Several other membership boards I am on have restricted posting for new members but not sure just how this could be implemented on here to be honest.

"Oh yes Tee, that's a good idea, log off right in the middle of a relationships thread, when some poor woman is discussing serious issues, just because some goady fucker decides to spice things up a bit."

Then ignore the goady fucker. Don't respond to them and they'll go away.

That's what GFs and Trolls want. Reaction.

So take the high road and don't react!

You can't control them, so control yourself.

I think that out of all the many, many thousands of threads and posts, the goady fuckers and trolls are pretty insignificant. I don't come across many of either, when I do I report them. I wouldn't want to start paying a subscription.

I do quite like the idea of new poster, or posters with a dodgy track record (a high number of deletions or returning after a ban etc.), being given a P-plate - so that their posts must be moderated before being added to the boards. Then once they have proven themselves they would be given free access until such time as they misbehaved.

Absolutely not. I can't imagine it would be introduced anyway, it would kill the site traffic stone dead and harm the advertising revenue.

Follow the rules, all smiles

Don't follow the rules, Get banned. It really is that simple.

And report report report.

One question, how many reports equal deletion? How many deletions to a ban?

S

Argh! Sigh, two questions.

First full night sleep after 9mths of dd2. My brain is still in shock and barely functioning.

TEE, I dint get goaded, so I don't need to ignore these people.

Some regular posters are saying they are goaded and when it's done on a serious thread, it must be very hard to keep ignoring, day after day.

I don't support new posters being pre-modded. Sometimes people join MN and need advice ASAP. I do think if there a certain volume of reports relating to a person there should be a system which lets HQ then monitor then and possibly activate a pre-moderation policy, but there are tech implications to that.

Do you let a comment appear in the timeframe with a 'this is awaiting moderation'? Or do you post it once it's approved which messes with the flow of the thread?

We had karma on a board I moderate. It didn't work there and I would suggest that board is closer to MN than the one linked. There will be accusations of regulars vs non regulars, royalty, new posters being ignored, cliques and karma makes that really, really obvious unless there's some kind of percentage but then the GFs will just post inane rubbish to up their score.

MrsCakes and StarfishTrooper - I agree that the actual number of goady fuckers/trolls etc is pretty low - unfortunately I do think they can have a disproportionately damaging effect, due to where they choose to post.