Dealing with the trolls

[margiebargie]

Lots of people reported the most recent big troll thread, but it obviously trundled on for a while regardless - I presume while you were looking into it behind the scenes. How about a system whereby if you've received a certain amount of reports, the thread is automatically "paused"/locked/hidden while you investigate?

And if a thread is revealed to have been from a troll, delete it (with the message "Yawn" or similar), and keep it up for a day or two but hide it from everyone apart from those who were posting on it (op excluded, obviously), so that they can discuss it among themselves without their discussions being public. I'm sure the trolls get a kick out of being called a sick fucker as much as from the original deception; as it's an attention-seeking phenomenon, the less attention they get, the better, no?

Nice post, Sodding

I feel for everyone who invested their time, , expertise, worry and kindness in that OP, but also glad that there are those sort of people on MN. There's nothing wrong with being a good person. I hope that thread hasn't put you off supporting other posters who may need it.

I didn't post on the thread, but I didn't report because I think that I've become a cynical grinch, seeing trolls everywhere.

Has it always been so easy to keep changing your user name on here? I am amazed by the number of threads which start advising a 'name change' - makes me suspicious straight away!

I too have become cynical, which is really sad as I probably end up not believing genuine posters - the site makes it so easy to troll, but I don't understand why.

I don't want to come over all pious, goady and scaremongering, but what seriously concerns me is the sheer naivety of the people seriously considering sending gifts, or money through Just Giving pages to a person with a heart-wrending story on the Internet.

FFs these people are parents, how on earth do they protect their own children from online dangers when they are so gullible themselves?

Mind you I suspect that many of the posters who were talking about sending money, may well have been socks designed to encourage that sort of behaviour.

I've name changed a lot over the years, partly because my family situation makes me very recognisable in real life. I think MN allows name changes so that people can retain their anonymity.

At one time there were a lot of 'I'm down to my last £2 threads where it did begin to seem that people were asking for money. And there was at least one which was declared to have been a scam. Personally I would never send money to strangers on the Internet.

But yiou see I don't have an issue with giving time and compasion on a thread. If the person is genuine, then it will all the good. If the person isn't genuine, then still haven't lost anything. Actually I would hope that someone reading said thread (but not posting) will be able to learn from whatever I have posted and that it will beneficial for them.
Same with money. If I do give like this, then I'm just hoping that whoever is receiving it will make good use of it.

And that is because you just cannot be sure. Not on the internet but not in RL life either. Give money to a charity, are you sure what it is going to be used for and that you will approve? Give money to someone in the street, are you sure it will be use as you would it to be used? Of course not.

Besides, I always look at the threads on here knowing full well that you never have a full picture of what's going on. Because it's always one sided. Because people will change details (I do along side NC very regularly). They want to keep their privacy and that's good. There is no reason why anyone would be berated for that (You know the 'I can recognise that poster and last time she said she had 3 dcs not two and she had a girl. So she can't be trusted' brigade).

It's just not possible to post on a forum like MN and expect people to be all genuine and to give all a very clear picture etc... You can't take anything at face value. It doesn't mean you should give up posting. But in that context, it shouldn't be such a huge issue.

I agree Aristotle the advice and experience given from posters on a troll thread with an emotive issue can still benefit others reading it.

I'm always sceptical about posters announcing they are donating to the op or their cause. Why the need to be public about a donation? It's either attention seeking or a ruse to encourage others to follow suit.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy cynicism in my view

I would very much hope that people do change details of their personal lives on here. I suspect many of us would be all too recognisable to our inlaws and friends otherwise - especially if you have, say, a red-haired harp-playing child at a 10-pupil school in the Cotswolds or whatever.

I try to remember to name change before posting about anything too gynecological or marital for that reason.

Could someone explain to me what trolls get out of these threads? It amazes me that someone would lie about a sick or suicidal child and what gain would they get from it?

Attention and then some more attention. I think that's about it really.

I can imagine it's the attention people get from those threads about the poorly children. People do it in real life too, I worked with a lady who told us all her teenage son was dying of cancer. She had also told her hairdresser that she was dying of cancer. All of this was untrue.

Oh god all the Oliver's Army stuff was CRINGEY.

Thing is you get an almost competitive element to the replies. One will post directly to "Oliver", then another will suggest words for him to work into conversations, then another will offer to be his penpal etc.

I dare say if the thread had carried on someone would have ended up offering to take him to Disneyworld 🙄

I do wonder if the suicidal child thread and the OA threads were written by the same person - now thinking back to the syntax of the poster and the speed and drama of the threads, they're very similar in that respect.

Youreso, I actually thought the word game was a good suggestion for something to do in hospital. Other 'real' people might remember it and use it themselves.

I think how you feel after a troll is revealed is probably an indication of whether or not you were overinvested on a thread. I don't feel silly or embarrassed for giving her the benefit of the doubt. I've spotted other long-term trolls that people were really taken in by so I know not everyone is genuine but I don't give too much of myself away on threads anyway. Everyone is just a stranger on the internet after all. We tell our children not to trust and believe everything people write about themselves online so we should really bear that in mind ourselves!

I've seen it suggested that some of the trolls are 'creative writing' groups testing their ideas.

I wonder if others are like the poster a week or so ago who was talking to an acquaintance going through IVF, and blurted out that her own child was an IVF baby when she wasn't -- just sort of getting caught up in the drama of the moment.

At one time there were a lot of 'I'm down to my last £2 threads where it did begin to seem that people were asking for money.

That's a good point, there do seem to be less of those.🤔 I wonder is lot were the same person. The successful ones seemed to be the ones who were after cheap meal ideas type or money saving tips rather than those who were directly asking for as. A stoic hardworking but down on their luck type of person seems to do best.

Some poster get very over invested. I'd give advice but never cash. I think it's foolish.

Yes, the 'tell me how I can get through 3 weeks with £25' threads have really died off. Think people have got wise to money-related trolling in a way they haven't with the emotional leeching.

I'm not sure I get all the PM meeeee pleeeeease posts either. Say what you want to say or don't. It's not a secret society with a special inner circle.

That said, it's not necessary to announce on a thread that you have reported it. Just report your concerns and let HQ take a look.

But Buttered, you can't say on the thread "I think this one is a troll" so people do pm each other with their concerns

And then obviously you want to know if you were right, hence the posting in some way on a thread. We all know that troll hunting is wrong but that's why people do it.

Can anyone tell me if the baby diagnosed with meningitis was a troll?

The scrabbling down the sofa for tuppence for a tub of Stork have died off because it's not Christmas.

And I firmly believe because a lot of them (there is one very long term one of those threads around....;-) ) they get taken off board when people start to say "hold on a minute, we've been suggesting 4989 things to do with lentils for 18 mths now and you still haven't been and asked what benefits you're entitled to?"

^ hypothetical thread. Obviously. or maybe not

I think all the "injured children" threads were the same PBP. Who, in turn possibly ramped it up to become Oliver's Mum. Bruise because teacher shoved kid into door, swollen ankle at scout camp, suicide in playground. IMO all one cunt with too much time on their hands.

It's quite nice in a weird way that we are all discussing this here though? Shall we have a quiche? And Usual's pitchforked arse as our secret sign?