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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Rules around banning?

338 replies

TheUnworthy · 13/11/2016 21:54

Feeling a little nervous after the recent thread that went 'poof' and reports of people being banned and not knowing why/not having any deleted posts beforehand.

Is there a three strike rule? No strikes?

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 14/11/2016 08:56

I had to do the same thing WellErr

For a site who claim their staff are approachable, they sure make you sweat sometimes.

And it isn't fair to those who genuinely don't know what they've done wrong

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 14/11/2016 09:00

Me to WellErr

SarcasmMode · 14/11/2016 09:08

I don't get the issue with Wanna either. She can be blunt but not nasty or spiteful.

Plus she has a guide dog like DH so we are practically related. Smile

It's confusing times on MN.

I've never been banned. But then again I tend to avoid GOADY threads so I don't lose my cool.

Hope it's only a temporary ban.

QueenMortificado · 14/11/2016 09:20

This is what i find sickening, absolutely sickening. MNHQ happily cut of support of someone who has posted everyday for years without and kind of communication with them.
There are so many people who use this site because they are lonely, or are unable to meet people / get out for various reason.
I worry so much that cutting that off will lead to people in need doing very dangerous things to themselves. It's so risky.

Oh come on now. I agree MNHQ haven't handled whatever has gone on here particularly well but anyone who is entirely reliant on a chat forum really needs outside support and help. What if the site just went down for a few days? People need to have support outside of MN

BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 14/11/2016 09:31

See Grin

QueenMortificado · 14/11/2016 09:33

Not really fair Beyond, my comment isn't the same as "if you don't like it, off you fuck". Just a reminder that no-one should have such strong reliance on a chat forum.

Also "sickening". Really??

LittleStripyBee · 14/11/2016 09:43

But queen some people really do, I appreciate it's hard to comprehend when you are not in that situation but strangers (who may become friends) on a forum are all some people do have, and to whip that away without even telling someone why seems a cruel thing to do. It's like someone deciding they're no longer your friend and not telling you what you've done wrong (how many of those threads do we see?), it can be hurtful.

BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 14/11/2016 09:44

No I don't mean the off you fuck comment, I meant my post at 7:46am.

Re sickening, if it makes someone feel sick, then it's sickening, surely? You can disagree that you feel that way, but can't argue with how they feel.
People who have been suspended describe it similarly too.

I know I would be very upset to lose the support I have here. Should I have it from elsewhere - probably. But mh support in the uk is far from perfect.

SarcasmMode · 14/11/2016 09:48

My capitalised goady was in fact an accident, not meant to be goady (the irony) as realised it looked a little goady.

MsGameandWatch · 14/11/2016 10:04

People meet partners and husbands on line. In fact isn't it the most common way to meet someone now? Is it so hard to imagine that people also meet their friends and make a community/friendship group on line too? Especially if they're pretty isolated in RL as so many of us are.

JustAnotherSadOldNumber · 14/11/2016 13:07

but anyone who is entirely reliant on a chat forum really needs outside support and help.

imagine for a moment that you are one of the many people who have something like anxiety which means even going to the local shop is a battle.
What do you do when you can function at home, so you can't access a support worker, but you are not able enough to tackle the outside world?

People live in this limbo everyday, for many reasons. There is nothing for us.

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:00

Hi all,

We wanted to pop back on and let you know that we have been in touch with wannabe and explained why we have suspended her account and that it is a temporary thing.

We do have to enforce the Talk guidelines from time-to-time otherwise it would be pointless to have them.

As Iona said up-thread, we don't discuss specific cases as it would be unfair but hypothetically speaking to try and explain further:
A MNetter joins in 2014 and posts for a year, never being reported. In 2015, we get 3 reports throughout the year about their posts. All of these posts are deleted for breaking talk guidelines, so either Personally attacking, spamming, troll hunting, being goady/racist/sexist etc
Following the third reported post, we send a warning mail saying why we have mailed and asking nicely for them to stop it.
6mths later, they troll hunt, it's not really bannable but we make a note as it's an indication that we may need to follow-up, or at least mail again. A week later, another few reports for similar stuff, we ban and wait for them to mail in and then we explain. If they agree to stop it, we will allow them back after a week.

At every point in this, there are judgement calls to make.
How bad was the post? Has the poster been around a while? Does the poster normally 'behave'? Who was the attack against and why? Did the poster report the 'troll' before shouting it on the thread?

It's a fairly huge process, that does change because we are all human beings. We don't pretend to be perfect and we will explain things wherever possible. We do not ban just for the lolz, or even to make our lives easier - all decisions are carefully considered and we do try to politely ask folks to behave too.

There are always exceptions but please do trust as, we don't just ban, we do take the time to think and read around.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/11/2016 14:05

Rebecca, thanks for coming back. Please could you consider my suggestions from yesterday at 8:51am.

MsGameandWatch · 14/11/2016 14:05

A week later, another few reports for similar stuff, we ban and wait for them to mail in and then we explain. If they agree to stop it, we will allow them back after a week.

That has not happened to numerous posters I know. They've been told immediately that MN is not the site for them and they're banned and that's it, no discussion. And the copied email earlier certainly supports that.

AVirginLitTheCandle · 14/11/2016 14:08

That has not happened to numerous posters I know. They've been told immediately that MN is not the site for them and they're banned and that's it, no discussion. And the copied email earlier certainly supports that.

Somehow I doubt MNHQ will address that.

Ghostofasmile · 14/11/2016 14:16

wait for them to mail in and then we explain

You do block / ignore emails from banned members though, so some of them don't get an explanation. So many people have stated this that it's clearly something you do.

NavyandWhite · 14/11/2016 14:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:21

@AVirginLitTheCandle

That has not happened to numerous posters I know. They've been told immediately that MN is not the site for them and they're banned and that's it, no discussion. And the copied email earlier certainly supports that.

Somehow I doubt MNHQ will address that.

This is tricky to discuss publicly as we don't know who you are talking about and it wouldn't be fair to discuss it publicly.

However, what could have happened is that we have sent a few mails, temporarily banned them and they still do it and we have drawn a line or They may have posted a few minor things and then one really vile thing and we decided that they were not playing by the rules, which really aren't overly hard to post within or they have been name changing, posting lots of blatant misinformation under various names or sock-puppeting or they have recently joined and posted something really awful.

It could be any number of those thing but it certainly isn't our default position to ban. We cannot always explain the full picture to everyone but please do trust that we would rather give a warning or temp ban than ban for good and we don't do it without good reason.

The person who posted earlier clearly has an axe to grind, we'd welcome an email from them so we can explain their specific case.

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:22

@OhYouBadBadKitten

Rebecca, thanks for coming back. Please could you consider my suggestions from yesterday at 8:51am.

I'll have a look OYBBK...

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:24

@Ghostofasmile

wait for them to mail in and then we explain

You do block / ignore emails from banned members though, so some of them don't get an explanation. So many people have stated this that it's clearly something you do.

Yes, we have done this in the past and still do. Generally, this is when we feel that we have nothing more to say or that we are not going to change our mind on that particular poster. We would much rather engage than not but very occasionally, we will make the choice to end the conversation when there is nothing more to be said.

Soubriquet · 14/11/2016 14:26

What about the member I've emailed about Rebbeca

You emailed back saying you don't discuss other members. Fair enough I wasn't asking you to discuss it with me. I was asking you to at least reply to them. You still haven't done this

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:26

@NavyandWhite

In my own experience I had my account suspended last year ( or was it this year? ) for troll hunting. If I'm honest i thought it was fairly thinly disguised but still wrong. I was warned too tbf. I don't think HQ were wrong to suspend me either and it has made me think twice now because that troll maybe in fact genuine. So now I mither HQ very often by reporting everything I'm wary of.

As for Wannabe! I don't know what's gone on. But but but she is one of my all time favourite posters here. I don't think I've ever disagreed with her viewpoint and look to her posts as a benchmark frequently.
Hope she's ok and that she will be back soon. MN would be a much worse place without her. 😘

Agreed and we will allow her back if she'd like to come back but we do have to follow through on our own guidelines.

GloopyGhoul · 14/11/2016 14:26

I don't know the back story re:wannabe, and I'm too sporadic a poster to get banned (I've only been deleted once, and that was on a trolly cannibalism thread) but I don't think consistency is too much to ask for, HQ.

MsGameandWatch · 14/11/2016 14:30

I have no axe to grind at all. I am just saying what I know to have happened to a number of long term posters. Just to be clear.

RebeccaMumsnet · 14/11/2016 14:30

@Soubriquet

What about the member I've emailed about Rebbeca

You emailed back saying you don't discuss other members. Fair enough I wasn't asking you to discuss it with me. I was asking you to at least reply to them. You still haven't done this

Hi Soubriquet,

We're sorry but we really can't discuss this as it's unfair to do so publicly.
If there is anything to be said, we will speak to that poster directly.

As I have previously posted, we do not choose to disengage lightly.