Why has Mumsnet HQ retroactively edited four deleted messages?

[DaemonPantalaemon]

I do not want to start a thread about a thread. But I am in a Catch-22 logical bind here in that I cannot ask my question on the thread itself because the thread has been deleted.

So I am asking it here.

Why has Mumsnet edited its deletion messages on at least 4 threads? When the threads were initially deleted, they had deletion messages that said, among other things, our heart goes out to Poster X at this difficult time, and he assures us the support from Mumsunet has been helpful to him.

Another thread said it was important to give Poster X the benefit of the doubt.

Those deletion messages have now been edited with a generic "its time to stop talking about this".

So my question is, why is MNHQ so keen to gaslight the members of his forum by retroactively editing deletion messages?

Thank you.

@Snap8thecat they are showing on my TIO.

Hmm. Mine too now...

The deletion messages originally were fawning and weird as.

Iona, thanks for responding! IU am very surprised.

I have linked one such thread. The original deletion message was full of sympathy for Poster X in his difficult time and said he told MNHQ how much he appreciated support from Mumsnet posters.

This was then edited to the current message below, which was copied own all subsequent threads about this issue.

But when this thread was originally deleted, it did not have this message.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/life_limiting_illness/2997073-David-and-Caroline?pg=5

This is also true of the three previous threads by the same poster. The deletion message originally posted is very different from what is there now. Hope that's clear.

I hope this works

This by the way is why posters are so outraged, because even when MNHQ deleted the messages, it was with messages that said that they believed Poster X to be who he was. Thread 3 with CAPS was deleted with a message that MNHQ could be certain about Poster X, and he was to be given the benefit of the doubt. This was very different from the usual not everyone is who they say they are message.

This is why posters are so outraged, and feel conned by MNHQ, and not just one poster. Someone at MNHQ also removed a thread from Life-Limiting Illness and put it in Charities, further cementing the idea that Poster X had been checked out as legit by MNHQ.

By the time that was posted mnetters had uncovered a whole mess and had been telling you for months.

2 and 2 do not and never will make 5.

Thank you so much MyChild That is one of the deletion messages that has now been replaced with a terse generic one.

Hi Daemon. OK. So, sorry to be slow here but just want to make sure we're absolutely clear at this end on the weirdness going on here... so you saw another deletion message on this exact thread (definitely thread five not one of the other many threads called 'David and Caroline') that was more 'fawning' than this one, and at some point today the deletion message on this thread changed?

If that's the case we will ask Tech to have a look as they'll have a record in some magic place of exactly what happened. But to answer your question, no, as far as we are aware we haven't edited any thread deletion messages in that way today. It isn't something we would generally do for any reason. There'd be no point really.

As mentioned, there were many threads with similar names, and they were all deleted with different deletion messages (there's no 'policy' as such here, you understand, they would just have been deleted by different MNHQ staff who tried to summarise the reason for deletion at the time). So it couldn't be that could it? That you were looking at David and Caroline thread one and then David and Caroline thread four, which had different deletion messages?

Sorry if this sounds patronising - we just want to be absolutely clear as this is all very strange. If you have any of the threads you mentioned you copied and can screenshot them for us that would be really helpful.

Obviously we are quite snowed under currently with all this but we will try to get to the bottom of it.

That is not the same.

Two and two do not make 5

I don't think it was today.

I saw the current messages before today (and was confused when other people referenced the more effusive deletion messages).

Can you honestly not see what is off with that first deletion message?

By the time that had been posted there were massive doubts.
(Understatement)

We were told he had been checked out. Above and beyond.
I was ON that thread. I remember.

How many threads were actually called 'David and Caroline'?

So... if this is true... someone who is not MNHQ is changing the deletion messages???

Something not quite right here...

Above and beyond makes 5 apparently.

Rewrite history make it like it never happened.

We were told hq had gone above and beyond and were satisfied he was legit.

You backed him.

Fawned all over him.

Deletion message above is on the MY GORGEOUS WIFE AND MUMMY thread still:

Okay:

Poster X posted three threads that I saw, all with the same title. MY WIFE HAS TERMINAL A ILLNESS
Then was thread 4 MY LoVELY WIFE AND MOTHER HAS PASSED etc etc
Then there was a thread called ForCaroline
Then there was a thread posted by Poster Anahata called David and Caroline

After many reports, these threads were deleted.

It is THESE threads that had deletion messages from Mumsnet that said Mumsnet had checked out Poster X etc etc. MyChild has posted a screen grab of one of the threads. One of these threads had also been moved to the Charities page, before it got deleted, again with a sympathetic message.

Then there were subsequent threads, all deleted as TAATs. These were deleted with the message that has now been put on the threads above. So what MNHQ originally said when they deleted the threads has been edited.

Hope that's clear.

I've only got that one

And this one. Which is lies. Because that is NOT what you said on the thread.

That deletion message screenshot seems to be from the deleted thread on the charities board rather than the David and Caroline thread.

It's still there

I'm still not convinced about this all but it's better to get the facts straight.

Well, aren't I a slow poke?

Even if that is still there.

You had put a thread from a crowd funding page on a charities board.

You had given - and continue to give in that message - a poster who was not quite all he seemed in a number of ways - legitimacy. And fawning. That thread told you what you needed to know.

Hq posted and said he checked out. Above and beyond.

Hq said he was legit.

Hq posted that ^^ piece of fawning sycophancy.

You don't believe us.

Weebo, thank you, yes, that was one of the original deletion messages. There was also another saying Posters should give the OP the benefit of the doubt etc etc.

In one of the threads they said went above and beyond to check him out.

What exactly does that mean?

Phoned a mobile number he gave? And spoke to whispering jack smith?

Clear as mud.
I remember those screenshots.
Poster X is grateful for the support.
Poster X is as genuine as we can be sure of.
It did make me think he had been verified/called up.
I did ask how you did that (Oi! what's your number Gaz? We want a word in your shell like!)
As it is, I cannot tell whether X is who they said either so you have my sympathy but if you do know he has PMd others inappropriately then why is he still on here/why have others still been able to PM him? Also was LTBiscuit temporarily suspended and why? Thanks in advance.