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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Why has Mumsnet HQ retroactively edited four deleted messages?

201 replies

DaemonPantalaemon · 07/08/2017 18:11

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.

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouse · 07/08/2017 22:07

MNHQ I'm not commenting on the threads, I didn't post on them as I didn't believe it was true.

But for the love of god, Stratters. You can't ban her, that's bloody ridiculous.

GrouchyKiwi · 07/08/2017 22:08

@IonaMumsnet I thought OP was talking about the deletion messages on THOSE threads being changed, not the titles?

AppleBlossomTimeNow · 07/08/2017 22:09

LTBiscuit - you've handled yourself well. I think your reputation is intact, even if MN didn't help clear your name. Hope it's not taken too much of a toll on you x

GrouchyKiwi · 07/08/2017 22:09

Blush I swear I refreshed to check for other replies before I wrote that. Things have moved on a tad. Blush

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 07/08/2017 22:11

But why were posters giving a stranger on the internet, their phone numbers?

I agree.

Whilst I agree with people's frustrations with MNHQ over this and it is awful that people have been targeted, it us also a reminder that people need to also be careful and safeguard themselves.

This isn't some sort of safe space, it is an open, anonymois internet forum in which anyone can post. No matter how many times it's said some don't see it for what it really is.

SparklyMagpie · 07/08/2017 22:12

I just don't understand why he hasn't been suspended let alone banned,yet other posters have!?

Fair play to you ltb i hope you manage to get some answers from MNHQ but i can imagine you are just as doubtful as a lot of us

LTBiscuit · 07/08/2017 22:14

Thank you appleblossom (lovely name btw). I'm alright, now need to move on and trust nae fucker I guess. Raises a kopperberg to the cynical wise ones and slinks off to Reddit Wink

IonaMumsnet · 07/08/2017 22:23

Hi again OP. Sorry - we're with you now. So yes, no one thread has had the deletion message we posted edited retrospectively then, but yes there are different deletion messages in each thread and they address different issues. We're sorry if they have given mixed messages. There was no intention there to change the message we were giving out. They simply reflect the fact that the threads were all slightly different in content and tone and were deleted by different people.

What might help clear things up a bit is this post from KateMumsnet tonight on another thread:

"Hi all

We're going to post on this thread rather than the others to keep it all in one place, and also because it cuts to the heart of the issue, we think.

The answer is, of course, yes - if we had evidence that a fraud had taken place, we would certainly pass that on to the police. Unless and until we had that information we simply couldn't act; so we'd always ask people to get in touch if they had it.

It's worth bearing in mind that a JustGiving page which doesn't benefit a registered charity isn't fraudulent in itself. Also that people who've been bereaved do often behave in ways that can seem, for want of a better word, odd. We can't vouch 100%, but as we've said on the other thread, we don't have anything that leads us to conclude that the fundamental, desperately sad aspects of this case aren't as stated - a wife who is very recently dead after a tragic illness, leaving a bereaved father and son.

We understand that some of you don't agree - and if you do think you've got something which would change our view, or you personally have been approached in an upsetting way, please get in touch. What we can't let you do is to speculate on the thread without evidence - that's troll hunting and is against TGs, so we'll have to act on that.

We also feel we'd be remiss if we didn't remind everyone that fraud is a very serious thing (obviously, sorry) - and that, when you post on a public forum you are legally responsible for your own words, should the person in question wish to take it further.

Generally, we're honestly trying to do the right thing in often cloudy circumstances - to balance the need to remind people to protect themselves, with the need not to impugn, without solid justification, the integrity of a possibly very vulnerable individual, for whom the consequences could be devastating.

But we hope that most of you can understand that we're just not set up to do forensic detective work. Usually all we can say is 'we've had a dig, and all looks okay as far as we can see'. In this instance it looks like some posters weren't convinced, so we followed up with the equivalent of 'yes, we've had a real proper dig, and we honestly can't see anything wrong'.

With hindsight, we should probably have just left it at the first post - and as I said on the other thread, we're going to think further here about how we can give MNers the kind of steer that they often request without appearing either to endorse individuals unreservedly or damn them with faint praise.

We're also going to change the rules so that only registered charities can be promoted on the charities' noticeboard - it's a shame because the board was in part set up for MNers to give a push to unofficial stuff along the lines of 'My child's doing a half marathon to raise money for his school' - but it's probably better this way. Clearly, our moving one of the original threads to that board appeared to many to be an endorsement - it wasn't intended to be anything other than neutral, but we can see that it was confusing and we're really sorry about that.

Once again, if you've got any evidence that you think would make us change our view, or you've been personally involved, please do get in touch via [email protected], but please don't speculate on this thread otherwise.

Thanks all

MNHQ"

Hopefully that answers a few other posters' questions, too. If you have any further queries, that's the thread to head to. We just think it might be easier to keep it all in one place for the sake of clarity.

raspberrycordial · 07/08/2017 22:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 07/08/2017 22:25

I'd kind of stepped away after realising I was duped, but, as I mentioned previously, he sent me a pm after I had posted some words of comfort (as I thought) on one of the threads.
The original pm from him was just 'hello xxx' to which I replied along the lines of 'I hope what I said made sense' - his response was 'It did make perfect sense xx you are also v special xxx'. I guess I found it a bit odd so didn't reply. What a mess 😞

LTBiscuit · 07/08/2017 22:25

I'm sorry for not believing raspberry

Str4ngedaysindeed · 07/08/2017 22:25

Massive X post with IonaMN!

raspberrycordial · 07/08/2017 22:27

Thank you biscuit, it's nice that you are a nice person and accept people at face value offering support but it was the attacking of those that didn't believe that was wrong.

LaChatte · 07/08/2017 22:27

1984...

LTBiscuit · 07/08/2017 22:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

traw · 07/08/2017 22:40

I have only just now realised from the post above how many threads were actually posted. I honestly got sick of hiding them and remember thinking it was a fault on the app that they kept popping up!

raspberrycordial · 07/08/2017 22:44

Sorry biscuit I wasn't clear, I didn't mean you attacked anyone but we were attacked. Be happy you are a kind person and not a cynic Wink

NotAClooo · 07/08/2017 23:38

Would someone mind explaining why everyone thinks that there definitely was a genuine tragic story behind all of this despite the potential fraud / inappropriate approaches to users.

Not a goady question - I think I've probably missed a step somewhere along the line.

SerfTerf · 07/08/2017 23:42

Because she's real and he linked to a site that's linked to his name and business going back years. (Potted version).

NotAClooo · 07/08/2017 23:44

Thanks Serf - it's all so complicated :-(

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 07/08/2017 23:58

But why were posters giving a stranger on the internet, their phone numbers?

Not sensible but HQ had gone 'above and beyond' verifying who he was so I can see how they less cynical among us fell for it.

NoCureForLove · 08/08/2017 01:17

.

AuntieStella · 08/08/2017 06:54

It's the 'above and beyond' comment that was problematic, but I think we can whistle for MNHQ to admit there was anything wrong with it.

Also moving the donations page to the 'charities' topic. Not warning in their usual terms about 'not giving more that you can afford to lose' (emotionally/financially).

I wasn't on the threads. I did look at one (Anahata's?) where those who had questioned anything about the thread were absolutely rounded on. And I decided something was very amiss and kept away.

There have been other issues (site failing for Apple users, problems with ads making the site unusable) where posters had to complain for days in Site Issues before someone from MNHQ actually engaged with the issue.

And there have been numerous gripes about the lack of speed of MNHQ responses on a number of issues, and (though perhaps not relevant here) the infrequency of updates (despite posters adding links explaining what is good policy and why). I often feel that MNHQ have lost the competency they once had in dealing with their users.

And I am beginning to think that it's reflected in Talk boards. I've been lurking on the various Reddit, and have been struck by the difference.

Mychildcouldnotbreaatfeed · 08/08/2017 07:11

I think the above and beyond comment was made by an inrxeoeie fed moderator in an attempt to cslm the thing down.

I think she thought if she said that people would calm down.

It didn't work quite as she intended. And did lend legitmacy - along with other actions from hq that are well discussed here.

Mychildcouldnotbreaatfeed · 08/08/2017 07:12

Inexperienced

Typing with no reading glasses isn't good.

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