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Original poster

Is it time to start paying for MN membership?

218 replies

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/10/2013 10:13

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?

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 26/10/2013 16:17

HellMouthCusty agreed. I am sick and tired of seeing 'Are you a man?' trotted out as soon as you dare to offer a different point of view/one the established posters find unacceptable.

MilllyMollyMully · 26/10/2013 16:20

Or "if he/she says that again, I'm going to really lose it"

DameDeepRedBetty · 26/10/2013 16:36

I absolutely would not use the site if I had to pay a subscription.

I like the Karma Points idea.

Hopasholic · 26/10/2013 16:48

I like Princess' idea of the 'Member Since next to your post. Even though I've been here less than a year so potentially people could ignore me over a poster who's been here from year dot. Maybe a 'new member' 'under one year' 1-5 years, 5years plus option.

Original poster
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/10/2013 16:53

Hellmouthcusty - I see goading as something very specific - IMO, it is saying something controversial just to cause offence or get a reaction, and is very different in motivation to trying to discuss alternate opinions, even vehemently.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 26/10/2013 16:57

SDT I would hope most people saw goading like that bit it appears that anyone trying to express a different point of view can have G F thrown at them now. I still feel that on Relationships there is a section setting out to stifle debate and it puts people off posting.

WorraLiberty · 26/10/2013 17:03

I don't think this problem will ever go away while members are allowed to name change willy nilly.

I get the reason why people NC and I agree they should be allowed to, but only if what they're saying is likely to cause them RL problems.

Name changing just because you're afraid people will disagree with you, or so you can 'safely' disagree with someone else, or so you can have a moan about MN, is pretty pathetic imo and happens far too often.

I'd rather MN set a limit on the number of NCs one person can make in a month...and if they feel something is important enough that they need to go over that limit, they should be able to contact MNHQ and ask for an extra NC.

WorraLiberty · 26/10/2013 17:06

And maybe that's another reason so many people NC

Perhaps they're afraid of getting shot to shit for not following the party line in some topics?

Theimpossiblegirl · 26/10/2013 17:12

I would pay, but for the numerous people on MN that have to choose between heating and eating, this is a lifeline they would not be able to afford.

There are some really good ideas though, I like the one about limited name changes. I sometimes name-change to protect my RL identity- for products tests or specific issues I fear would out me, but would happily have it limited.

ubik · 26/10/2013 17:20
  1. mumsnet is not a lifeline, it is a chat forum
  2. I would not pay any money to post on a chat forum
  3. I'll say what I damn well like on this forum within talk guidelines (i have never been deleted in the 10 years I have been here)
  4. I really think you lot hopping up and down are in danger of ruining the site
  5. I hope mumsnet are aware of a silent majority who post here and are not bothered that Anyfucker was suspended and who are unaware of this mighty battle with MRAs and GFs and trolls.
PrincessFlirtyPants · 26/10/2013 17:28

Hopasholic it wouldn't be for that it would be for example...

anyusername Ooh, I just love it when my husband fucks me really hard, tell me what you like your husband to do to you... member since: 26/10/2013

Ah, you've just joined up to get filthy stories.

Or trolls who join but say, I've been here for ages but wanted to name change for this... member since: 26/10/2013

Ah, I call bullshit on that as you've just joined today so this isn't a genuine name change.

WorraLiberty · 26/10/2013 17:31

I understand what you're saying PrincessFlirtyPants

But I'd worry that having a long membership might add some sort of misguided validity, to posts from long standing trouble makers/bullshitters...of which there are many on a site this big.

trish5000 · 26/10/2013 17:32

For a few people mumsnet is a lifeline. I am shocked sometimes when some posters say that they have no one or virtually no one to ring in a personal emergency at 3am. And the sheer amount of lonely people on here.

There are other reasons for nc such as giving out too much personal information or thinking you may have outed yourself. Probably other reasons too.

LEMisafucker · 26/10/2013 17:32
  • ubik Sat 26-Oct-13 17:20:39
  1. mumsnet is not a lifeline, it is a chat forum*

You are so wrong - so so wrong! When I had PND i didn't know i was ill - it was the advice that i got on here that made me see my doctor and then helped me come to terms witih taking ADs and helped me through the initial stages before i could access counselling. If i had to pay to come on this site now, i would, if however as a newbie, there was a cost involved I probably wouldnt have bothered and i actually dread to think what would have happened. Yeah, i might have found my way to the doctors anyway but maybe it might have got a lot more serious than it did do before the lovely mums on here made me realise i was in trouble.

I continue to get support here, along wth the laughs, entertainment and the occasional bit of cooking advice and pointers on what to read on my kindle.

I actually don't mind the advertising, which is what pays for the site, i had a banner come up on my page all the time that i didnt think was appropriate to the site, flagged this up to MNHQ and by the end of that day i didn't see tht particular advertiser again.

MNHQ - you're not perfect (we don't want you to be!) but please don't change! I love that i cant say cunt and not be deleted but i also love that there is enough background moderation to prevent the hairy of hand ruining the site - i do think you played a wrongun with AF and relationships, i still think there is need for change on that part of the board as i would not dream of posting trivial things between me and dp now for fear of the LTB brigade, however, i have been thinking about this alot - when DP and I were having problems a good many years ago, before AF was AF, she was bloody good to me, told me like it was - and it was NOT to leave DP! Yes she is vociferous when women really need to leave but i notice if its not that sort of situation she is alot more measureed or doesn't get involved.

HellMouthCusty · 26/10/2013 17:38

ah but the word motivation is the key here

for instance - at this moment in time - you do not know my motivation am i debating the fact that goading is subjective
or tdoi have nothing else to do, am i sat here naked and waiting for things to kick off becuase i am bored of licking chocolate of the pet hamsters balls?

Hopasholic · 26/10/2013 17:39

That's what I meant, worraliberty has just put it more succinctly. The flip side of having the date you joined is that longer standing members opinions may be given more credence than say me who's not a troll but only joined in feb.

An alternative could be to make it mandatory to have some basic info made public on your profile.

MilllyMollyMully · 26/10/2013 17:48

Surely all it needs to say on your profile is:

Not a Troll and Not a Goady Fucker either

Then if you are abusive towards other posters, MNHQ could delete it.

MilllyMollyMully · 26/10/2013 17:50

Or everyone could start their MN life with a number of eggs shown by their username - denoting Good Egg - and every time they were abusive towards other posters, they could lose eggs.

sussexmum38 · 26/10/2013 17:59

I couldn't imagine paying for MN, it is used by many who don't have spare money. I spend lots of time reading all points of view and rarely contribute. As soon as it becomes limiting who might leave comments it loses its value. I am a bit gullible and not very good at spotting trolls. It is something I live with.

PrincessFlirtyPants · 26/10/2013 18:50

Oh, apologies Hopasholic

The old 'MN royalty' argument may be wheeled out even more!!

difficultpickle · 26/10/2013 23:42

I wouldn't like a 'member since' indicator as I think it will mean that the posts of those who have been here a long time are given more 'weight' than they may merit. I'd hate for it to become a time served approach. Imho it is pretty easy to spot all but the most determined trolls and these days even those get deleted pretty quickly.

valiumredhead · 26/10/2013 23:52

Actually that's a very good point,I hadn't thought of that.

PrincessFlirtyPants · 27/10/2013 09:54

bisjo yes, that's a good point. I don't think that would be good either.

trish5000 · 27/10/2013 12:49

Agree with HellMouth.
Sometimes it only becomes apparent over time.

But when it is used indescriminately, especailly when a thread has gone on a long time and gone one way instead of another, there then seems to be a cry sometimes of "the op has started this thread only to goad", which often seems a bit of an odd thing to say.

I think I was on, or at least saw, the thread that Sparling mentioned, and I was a bit Hmm

higgle · 27/10/2013 19:20

I wouldn't mind paying, it would also end the situation where when anyone posts anything vaguely away from the MN orthodoxy they get called a troll or this new GF thing. I well remember a couple of years ago posting about some very traumatic personal circumstances and being acused of being a troll, despite having been on here for about 3 years at that time and posting nearly everyday, it is not nice! ( and by two of "MN Royalty") Everyone pays for their phone and TV etc and some other forums so it would be cheap at £10 a year for the mine of help and information there is on here.