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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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Original poster

Since when did it become policy to delete threads in ambiguous situations?

14 replies

PaulAnkaTheDog · 01/06/2016 22:58

Why are threads being deleted purely because the op says so? Particularly in situations when the op asks if their wrong/unreasonable, told they are and then proceed to declare they're having it deleted because it is outing? If it was outing they wouldn't have posted the information in the first place. Is it now policy to delete on the op's say so for no valid reason?

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 01/06/2016 23:32

People make mistakes in the heat of posting and staffers have to make a call on the particular circumstances. They might make a dubious one sometimes but they're often having to operate in a very grey area.

I doubt you'd be able to plead that twice though.

Chippednailvarnishing · 01/06/2016 23:36

It's very frustrating! Especially when an OP has been disingenuous with what they have posted and when pulled up on it they suddenly realise that they have inadvertently posted their home address and inside leg measurement.

All of a sudden there's a privacy issue

Mycraneisfixed · 01/06/2016 23:38

I'm glad Mumsnett does this.

DorynownotFloundering · 01/06/2016 23:44

I agree Mycrane there was one earlier that had a message from the OP on it thanking everyone for their support but the poster was scared she would out herself I guess ( not just among us but the hacks that lurk )

Why should it bother anyone anyway ? Apart from annoying us when we've been supporting someone.

Poor old MNHQ, damned if they do & damned if they don't!!

Northernlurker · 01/06/2016 23:49

I wish Mumsnet wouldn't do it. There was one earlier where a poster called murphyslife had evidently been disappointed in the response she got so she name changed to asimplelife and demanded the thread be removed as it was 'outing'. By which I guess she meant it outed her as a bit of a pillock.

TheUnsullied · 01/06/2016 23:56

It's similar to a Facebook dirty delete. And extremely annoying. I've read 300+ comments on a thread recently because people bloody lynch you if you don't only to try to post my opinion and find the thread was gone. If they were actually identifying then I'd understand but recently there have been more questionable instances of an OP claiming that than normal. Most of us change minor details in order to stop ourselves being outed.

That said, threads come under far closer scrutiny with a far wider audience once they hit the Daily Fail so I can understand why HQ are erring on the side of deletion more.

StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine · 01/06/2016 23:58

Sometimes posters in that thread have suggested it might need to be deleted.

Others, the OP has just plain gone off on one because everybody is sooooo meeeeean. I was in one of those, the other day. Haven't checked to se if it's still there, yet.

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 02/06/2016 00:04

Which thread op?

glassgarden · 02/06/2016 00:07

demanded the thread be removed as it was 'outing'. By which I guess she meant it outed her as a bit of a pillock
hehehe :o

LadyStarkOfWinterfell · 02/06/2016 05:53

'Confused - is my partner abusive?'
This one was deleted because the op didn't like the answers - but the deletion message says it was to protect their privacy. Clearly not.

VioletBam · 02/06/2016 05:59

It's the internet. Don't be overly invested...then you won't wonder what happened or feel robbed when a thread goes.

MNHQ

RebeccaMumsnet · 02/06/2016 08:43

Hi all,

We do look at each of these in turn and try and make an informed decision on whether or not it's the right thing to do. We push back, more often than not and ask them to hide the thread.

Occassionally, for numerous reasons, we do remove the thread. If we do then we mail and advise the poster that this is not the norm and they can't just mail and ask for a removal every time they don't like how a thread turns out and we make a note to make sure that they don't do it again.

It's not an exact science but we certainly don't delete every time we are asked.

Egosumquisum · 02/06/2016 13:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MNHQ

RebeccaMumsnet · 02/06/2016 15:53

Hi Ego,

If a poster asked for it to go in this circumstance, we'd remove it or at the very least offer a retrospective name change.

It would depend on the thread and the reason for the deletion. This is the internet and we do advise people to be careful about what they post.

The last thing we want is for someone to be horribly upset but every situation needs to be looked at individually. If it is a fabulous discussion about something topical that lots of posters have contributed thoughtful comments to, we are more likely to try and keep it going. If it's has personal info or is sensitive, we are much more likely to remove.

Flip