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?

I'm glad you didn't mind being accused of being a troll, LastGirl, but your personal views are largely by the by, there are site rules and no troll hunting is one of those rules and as I said, with good reason - I've seen a board all but killed off because one poster (honestly) discovered someone sock puppeting once. She became obsessed that socks and trolls existed everywhere - if a newish poster happened to agree with another newish poster then they were a troll/sock, and this wasn't like MN where concerns would be passed on.

Naturally, new people stopped participating, as they were hounded off (the woman was well respected and when she shouted TROLL people agreed.) Of course, the only new posters she liked were those who cosied up to her! Result - it was a one woman show, the forum died and now, nearly a decade after all that, it still is like a ghost town.

I hate trolling and I think we can all agree that the troll thread you're referring to is possibly the 'worst' of its type, but nonetheless, one day there will be someone who genuinely posts because her child is seriously ill, so we do need to do as its said on the tin, pass concerns to MNHQ and let them sort it.

I posted on that thread. Only twice as I was creeped out by the sycophantic posts by people seemingly wanting to play favourites and win who is the most supportive game. I didn't know it was a troll until I just clicked on this thread, but I do remember Mrs Devere posting. I am not new here, been around since 2006 at the same time as posters such as morningpaper, little lapin duchess et al, but I am not a prolific poster and a several time name changer and still was unsure. I don't feel silly just saddened that people like that feed off genuine posters offering an experienced ear and some compassion. Ah well, on with my own life, but my point is to keep the essence of the good parts of mn, please don't be so cynical as to lump everyone ne together as troll feeders or too green to recognise one out and about. I have a child with pmld, and half the time my thoughts are on her and the other half I'm too knackered to work out who might be having me on...

I see what you're saying too call, sadly I think the general feeling on MN that you refer to has come about because of the number of trolls, the subjects they troll, the frequency of troll threads, their defenders and the perception that MNHQ is often too slow to respond and unwilling to make any changes which may alleviate the situation.

I completely understand your point Willow. I suppose I just see those posters who troll hunt as genuinely caring and concerned that vulnerable or kindhearted posters don't get sucked in.

I do agree though with MN rules about reporting rather than mentioning it.

There can undoubtedly be a element of not wanting to see people sucked in but I do think it's also a way of shutting down a discussion. I don't actually think that happened on the thread in question, but there have been threads in the past ruined by troll hunting and it can become very aggressive and unpleasant very quickly.

It's frustrating to report a thread to be told there have no reason to suspect the poster when it's clearly a pile of bollocks. More and more threads make me think 'oh f off' now.

I think in those instances you need to explain exactly why it's bollocks.

She listed all the classic symptoms of leukaemia in her op, but didn't seem to be taking her child back to the doctors despite further symptoms developing over the past couple of weeks. She then started a MN thread at 10pm ish, THEN discovered he had a fever and took him to hospital, where he was diagnosed. Very very quick progression.

And despite rushing her DS to A&E in the middle of the night and having to leave her daughter with her mum, her DH couldn't take time off work to come to the hospital that night. I mean, come on- your son is rushed into A&E with suspected leukaemia, so you stay at work until you shift finishes

It was nonsense from the beginning.

Well I didn't see myself as deeply involved, tbh. I wanted to be supportive because I know how difficult these situations are for families.

Quite honestly, as I've said before, people are odd. Really and truly. When I worked in the neonatal unit, the amount of parents that would tickle their premature baby's feet...we'd explain that it was a deeply uncomfortable stimulus for them and really not something to do to help them....then they'd say 'oh but it's so cute' You couldn't make it up.

People do take photos in odd situations and they do say odd things and do do odd things....stress does strange things in people. They even start fighting over who is the best visitor, etc.

And tbh, if you'd seen my SIL after my niece was diagnosed with her cancer, you'd wouldn't have had one clue of the turmoil she was in. Her game face was well and truly up for all but a very few to see. It was the only way to get through.

So no, it didn't seem that odd.

I was frustrated by my report because I was basically told I should be supporting "her".

I spent the week feeling guilty I was disbelieving someone in that situation.

I missed today's thread but would probably have suspected it was a troll...I wouldn't have reported or joined in. I just think to myself that she is probably a troll and move on. But I always kind of sneakily admired those posters who call it out.

I see what you're saying Willow and I do think it is best to report it rather than ever mention it. But if people do mention it, then at least they're giving a heads up.

That must have been frustrating, Burn. I've had that before with reported posts. I suppose it's easier to be on the outside without the consequences of getting it wrong, but when you turn out to be right it magnifies the frustration.

In response to Echo, how did I feel being called a troll when I was genuine? I half expected it, I wasn't outraged or shocked, to be called up, but could, at a push, provide date & time stamped mobile footage.

TBH, it was such a bizarre incident, trying to think of an analogy as I NC frequently "to protect the innocent" as in disclaimer on all police procedurals.

Here is a benevolent scenario, not the filth of human filthness it actually was.

Imagine, if you will, going to a petting farm and finding out actually the pigs can talk, but only the pigs, and only to each other. It was that level of, "No one, in sound mind and body, in actual real life, does that in public "

It wasn't nappy changing, or dogging, dressed in puppy suites, or on chains and all fours around Manhatten for random casual sex. What I saw was probably too niche. Don't even know what the name for it was but it is a thing, apparently.

No, I wont repeat it.

Goodness, people are weird.

I used to be a volunteer for the samaritans. People focussing on the very specific details of abuse used to get my troll radar flicking, In my experience as a Samaritan people want to communicate how they feel rather than relive events.

Not at all relevant to this thread but I have spotted a number of trolls here doing that. The problem is that unlike the samaritans with one listener who has been trained not to engage, this site has 100s of posters unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly) egging them on, giving them exactly what they need.

I'm absolutely stunned that this most recent one was a troll - I've been lurking for years and thought I'd developed a good eye for this sort of thing! Feel a bit foolish really :(

Twofalls, I really don't understand. Is it some sort of Munchausen by proxy emotional vampire shit? Who does that and why?

I really struggle to understand the motivation. I've known narcissists and drama lamas, but this horrible misery memoir/ emotional vampire, it's so dark.

Notmoreantihistamines

I know you've said you don't want to repeat it but I'd be so interested to know a bit more of what you said you saw...? Unless it really was two pigs talking to each other. In which case, where????

I also wonder about one element of these 'post mortem' threads about deleted troll posts. It's perfectly natural for us to want to discuss how/when/why we first suspected something (I could tell you exactly when & why my troll alert went off on this one) and it also shares with other decent users what to look for - but by doing that are we not also detailing for the troll where they went wrong and identifying what parts they need to work harder on for their next attempt? I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself properly, just feels like we are collectively giving them something they absolutely don't deserve.

I don't know Piff most trolls are tripped up by their own ego eventually.