Censoring the truth about Santa? MNHQ policy on this.

[TillHammerZeit]

Can MNHQ possibly clarify if threads referring to Santa not being real will be censored or not? I was told recently that they won't be,but now it seems that they will be. I'm confused.

Personally I object to adult conversations being censored like this on an adult site intended for adults. Racist and disablist comments are one thing,but are we really not allowed to mention that Santa doesn't exist in thread titles?

If someone's child is reading over their shoulder,then that's their problem to deal with IMHO,not mine,or any other posters' and surely children are just as likely to read it in a thread,as you spend more time in threads,than on the list of topics?

Are we not going to be allowed to swear in thread titles either,because children might be reading?

PS. I don't care if this makes me seem like The Grinch.

[WannaBe]

I haven't seen the one with the racist terms in it so cannot comment on that, but if the term jumps out from the screen in a thread title then yes I can see why that would need to be amended.

but you can hardly compare a racist term with a thread about santa ffs.

[TillHammerZeit]

I posted to try to have MNHQ clarify what the situation is,as I've been told two different things.
Yes I do have very real problems to worry about.
No I'm not particularly looking for attention,no more than any member of Mumsnet when they post to ask the opinion of others. MN would be non existent if we just sat at home,and mulled things over in our own minds.
Besides this is a MN issue so it makes sense to ask about it here,in Site Stuff.

[AMumInScotland]

Could we get MNHQ to list all the thread titles they have felt the need to edit? I did a quick advanced search and there appear to be 41 which say that, but since I can't see the original wording I can't see the pattern.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

I'm against censorship and if the government try to make it illegal to make negative statements about the existence of the symbol for the winter solstice celebration then I'll get my flaming torch and march on parliament with you, but objecting to an edited title is over the top.

[grocklebox]

It's their site. They can do what they like, and this is what they do, and I can't think of anything more petty to complain about. It really doesn't affect you. If you feel infantilised by it, thats your problem.

[TillHammerZeit]

I've already covered what I think of racist and disablist terms. I'm not a complete twunt,even if you may think so,so you will never find me defending words that are harmful,hurtful and which are used to try to dehumanise others.

This is a completely different situation.

[usualsuspect333]

They seem to edit titles a lot these days.

[TillHammerZeit]

I am aware that it's their site,but this whole section is dedicated to discussing issues with MN. Is no one allowed to question anything MNHQ do because it's 'their site'? If so,then there's a long list of Mumsnetters who are seemingly unaware of that fact.

[LeopardInABobbleHat]

Oh for goodness sake, OP has posted in Site Stuff, about something to do with the Site. Doesn't mean she lies awake worrying about it.

It is a bit double standards. You can call anyone or anything a cunt on here but say Santa isn't real and MNHQ act like you've shat on their Granny.

[usualsuspect333]

Someone must have reported the title.

Must have been Mrs Claus.

[LeopardInABobbleHat]

Perhaps they should adopt a standard one.

Santa..............[Triggering]

[usualsuspect333]

Haha at triggering

[AMumInScotland]

What I'm saying is - we all have certain preferences for what we see in thread titles. The thread with racist terms in the title was a serious discussion about the changing ideas of what is acceptable over time, and the words used were in keeping with the content. They were not used to be insulting, but to draw attention to the issue.

I don't condone the use of the terms against people, but as an adult I do not see a need to censor the title of a thread for containing them.

Opinion varies on what is ok for a thread title, and MNHQ use their judgement on the basis of what people tend to express unhappiness about.

Telling/not telling children the truth about Santa is a big topic for some parents on here, so thread titles that 'give it away' bother them. I think they're daft, personally, and I avoid going on the threads as my blood pressure goes up almost at once. But I can sympathise that it matters to them, and if MNHQ want to edit the title just a little, in a way that does nothing to censor the actual content of the debate, then I don't think it's that big a deal.

If they started doing it for lots of things, I'd be bothered. For that one issue, nope, can't get in a tizz about it being infantilising.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Ageist posts are apparently allowed to stand.

[AmyMumsnet]

Hi everyone,

We were editing thread titles so as not to spoil the magic for any nosy littl'uns, but we're happy to have a consultation with the big man in red if lots of people think we're making the wrong call.

[BlackeyedSusan]

I missed out on my morning mn fix as far too beady eyes are apt to wander up and read. so thanks mnhq. for both the santa thread change and the 70's words thread changes.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

I love that we can merrily post CUNT in ginormous caps in threads but not infer that FC is fictional.

Marvellous.