Racist post

[CrazyDuchess]

I have reported this thread a number of times and it has been up for hours - please can you delete it now! This is ridiculous

Well done duchess for staying on the ball. I've only just read this thread and tried to search etc, but good on you for keeping with it. In the past I've become so exhausted with staying on track with reported racist posts, that I've moved on but kept the anger in memory. MN is known as a racist website for "middle" class ladies of anglo heritage, and I agree that unfortunately many daily fake smiling closet racists rear their horns and spread their shite. And as much as I am all "up" for education, education, education, there is only so much that can be learnt from the blind leading the blind; at some point they need to realise that if they continue with their course of action, they will walk into the sea.

It feels a little bittersweet - I just really hope this doesn't kick off again because my head nearly exploded yesterday.... not sure I can cope with another drama!

Too little to late dawn, sadly
And proof positive that mnhq needs some serious diversity training!
May I also draw your attention to some of shit flung at the sn community on mn?

I would also like assurances that this goady fucker will be banned?.....

Hi Badders,

Completely understand, this was too little and far too late.

In answer to your question, yes, I did suspend Dothedance's ability to post last night, and have mailed to explain exactly why I considered her opening post to be racist.

However, the fact that she didn't intend to cause offence, and didn't think she was being racist, and has apologised, is almost irrelevant here. It's us that were most at fault, for not immediately taking the thread down. 'Letting the conversation flow' is pretty farcical when the 'conversation' consists of scores of people saying 'please take this racist bollocks down'.

On a huge site like this, people are inevitably going to make inappropriate or ill-thought-out comments from time to time, whether that be on the topic of race, or special needs, or age, whatever. There are also going to be the goady fuckers who come on to be deliberately inflammatory. The onus is on us at MNHQ to deal with such posts, and such posters, and to respond quickly and sensitively to reports about them.

We utterly failed on this occasion, and I'm truly sorry.

the fact that she didn't intend to cause offence, and didn't think she was being racist, and has apologised, is almost irrelevant here

It is also almost certainly untrue. The opening post on the deleted thread was plainly disingenuous and things deteriorated from there. And not thinking oneself to be racist is no kind of test.

I think that, in 2016, there is a limit to how much educating or hearts and minds winning that us BAME posters should ever be expected to do. I agree that when posts make plainly controversial and unpleasant allegations about a race or ethnic group, it is a 'teaching moment', to use annoying current parlance. You teach the transgressing poster not to be such a twat by deleting the thread.

Anyone who can post on MN can use a search engine to investigate basic questions about race if they want to.

Thank you for your message dawn
But...the poster was not remotely interested in debate - I wonder if they even bothered reading some of the info some rather more patient posters linked to? I think not.
I'm all for reasoned, healthy debate.
Even heated debate.
I've been on mn under various guises for years as have many others who complained about this.
Give us the credit to know the difference between debate and blatantly discriminatory threads.

Hi again Badders,

Sorry if that didn't come across right - I absolutely do credit you guys with knowing that difference, that was never in question here. It's our response that was the problem.

What I was trying to say was simply that the thread should have been taken down immediately, regardless of the OP's intentions. It was all kinds of wrong. You were all telling us that it was all kinds of wrong. It should have been deleted as soon as it was reported.

'Posting history' is all that was needed here.

I reported and posted the other night and I really appreciate MNHQ now putting their hands up that they made the wrong call and being clear the opening post was racist: Much better than the original deletion message.

Can you say a bit more about improving process e.g. responding to reports? Also can you say more about how you train staff on diversity and racism? I don't want to single out the original moderator (there's no point and it's not very fair) however she really didn't "get" the problem with the OP which obviously skewed her judgement.

MesM I am sorry but I disagree - Katherine has to be called out as you can see by this post alone this is the second time in 2 months that her judgement has been skewed!

But I agree there needs to be a better process because I cannot understand how when lots of people are calling a post racist one moderator can disagree?

Mistakes were made. There is no doubt about it, however, Dawn has made several apologies and admitted that MN got it very wrong. She has said that the thread should have been removed and admitted MN fucked up. What more is there to say? We need to move on.

I agree Wombattoo but surely something needs to change and are we not entitled to know what they are going to do to prevent this happening ..... post like these are not a one off.

I appreciated Dawns apology, it was the first time I felt that our concerns were truly acknowledged.

You're right Duchess, but it is not only racist threads where things go wrong. I know many posters feel that disablist posts are allowed to stand, and don't even get me started about the 'trans' threads. The site is massive and I suppose mistakes will be made. I don't know what the answer is.

I know right - the trans abuse here is just beyond disgusting! And I agree with the disablist posts too hidden in faux ignorance!

I don't know what the answer here is either...

I do agree about the trans threads. It appears that as soon as one peters out, someone finds an excuse to find a new one and it goes round and round again with all the same comments and the same abuse.

To Duchess

You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lines. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise

By one of our 'greats'- Maya Angelou.

And may I add by saying: Thank you x

awwww that brought a tear to my eye!

It wasnt just me, lol without you hugs backing me up I felt like I was losing the plot at times.

And a lot of you were able to express what I was feeling much more eloquently and not as angry

So really thank you all xxx