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Original poster

Posters changing names just to be goady...

2 replies

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 21/06/2015 15:12

MNHQ, this site seems completely peppered with people who post threads on inflammatory subjects, couching their posts in such terms so as not to be immediately obvious, but the intent is there and it's obvious. It's really putting me off this site as a waste of time as the balance of people who are 'real' seems to be tipped in favour of trolls.

I understand why there is a need to be able to change a username BUT, if somebody does that just to be trollish and they're a regular, it might actually pull them up short if they realised that they ran the risk of their regular username being posted on the thread by MNHQ. Any chance?

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MNHQ

IonaMumsnet · 21/06/2015 17:12

Hi folks. This does come up a lot. We know that the facility to name-change at will has its pros and cons but by and large it isn't something that is often abused.

When we do see it, please don't think we just let it go. Yes, we tend to not just zap on sight if we can see the poster has been around a while - we do think there is a difference between a regular having a bad day, or maybe just an opinion they know won't be popular and someone joining up simply to wind everyone up. When we do spot regulars being deliberately inflammatory, repeatedly, under various name changes and using the facility to goad or inflame, we always make a note and if it seems to be a pattern rather than a one-off, we will have a word, and sometimes we go on to ban them.

We're sorry we can't always fill everyone in on exactly what goes on behind the scenes, but often when we say 'thanks we'll keep an eye or take a look' a lot more goes on in the hours and days afterwards that we obviously can't follow up with every reporter so please don't think your reports aren't having an effect - they are very much appreciated.

By publicly naming and shaming we run the risk that we'll get it wrong sometimes and upset someone who for whatever reason wanted a bit of anonymity. We don't, after all, know what goes on it any poster's real life from day to day, so it does seem a little like using a mallet to crack peanut when there is already the deterrent of being temporarily banned or (much worse) a terse email from the terrifying RebeccaMumsnet.

Please do continue to report any of these posts you have in mind. We might well just say 'thanks we'll have a gander' but that doesn't mean we won't appreciate another report ten seconds later saying 'look they're at it again!' It all helps us build up a clear picture and make better decisions.

MNHQ

TheOnlyOliviaMumsnet · 23/06/2015 23:46

Thanks for all the thoughts here.
Please be assured that no matter how long someone's posting history - we take action as needed if someone is being a goady fucker.

And it's very hard for MNHQ to be "entirely consistent" as we are not one person- but a collective of folk. Added to which the decisions to delete or ban someone are worked on a case by case basis, looking at the context of the thread and whether someone has genuinely name changed to crowd check an opinion or whether they've joined to stir.

We know we don't always get it right, but we do try bloody hard to do so and we're always ready to apologise and fix it when we don't.
Thanks again, please please please do keep the reports coming in - we can't ban the feckers if y'all don't let us know they're goading
MNHQ

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