Why do you report a poster?

[Cantthinkofanoriginalname1]

I've just read a post and something didn't feel right, couldn't tell you what it was about their post but it just didn't seem believable. I did an advanced search on the poster and found a massive discrepency in their posts. I know some of us slightly change details so as not to be "outing" but this was much more. I think I'm probably a bit over - invested as what she is posting about is a sensitive subject , close to my heart and it feels like she's chosen a painful,emotive subject to get attention when in fact it's a situation no-one would wish on anyone let alone pretend to experience.
Would you report them or just think they're a pathetic individual who doesn't deserve the headspace?

If they smell wrong - one thread wonders, aggressive attacks on other posters, vampires, wind up merchants...

Just report it. If MNHQ don’t think it’s anything, they’ll just ignore it.

I tend to report people for making disablist comments or occasionally if I think they’re trolling.

Sometimes I report and just say "I'm not really sure if this breaks your rules but...."

They never tell me off 🤔

If a thread seems ‘off’ and doesn’t sit right, as well as the individual posts then just hit report. The bosses won’t know to take a look unless they’re told about it. Just try not to say too much on the thread... which is hard sometimes I know.

Erm I tend not to report posts- I just ignore if I don't think they're worth my time. Ages ago I posted (on another account) about sex after a c section. I was new so couldn't use the 'sex' section so used relationships. I asked for people's experiences and I got reported 20 odd times. MN suspended my account and I had to email MNHQ back and fourth to convince them I'm real.

I felt like a right tool and just wanted some advice. It was also when I felt really lonely and isolated during the first few weeks of motherhood and that made me feel even more lonely. So now I never report in case the poster is genuine

I report if I think they're a troll. It takes approx 5 seconds, and the more people report, the sooner it gets taken down. Or if they're particularly horrible.

I'm not sure what the definition of a troll is? The posts aren't nasty or deliberately inflammatory , it just feels like she's made up an experience to get sympathy. She's either started posts or commented on posts prolifically regarding this subject in the last month , at times nearly 30 posts a day. This isn't the subject but I'm using it to paint a picture ( although the real subject is just as painful ) - for the last month she's being starting various posts about infertility , one post about feeling guilty about being infertile, the next day about feeling depressed about it, two days later the medical interventions needed when infertile etc etc , she's also commenting on other people's posts who are looking for support but hijacking it by going on and on about her experience but it's all very generic like how someone thinks infertility would feel rather than actually going through it. Then the advanced search has shown that less than six months ago she was posting about being pregnant and nervous about the imminent birth. As I said before these are not the subjects she has posted about but very similiar in emotion. I feel angry that she's deliberately searching for sympathy but that could be because of my own experiences and I should just ignore it? Does Mumsnet care if someone is lying as long as they aren't hurting other people?

I report perv trolls like the masturbating toddler-, poo- and school punishment trolls, scammers and beggars. Others it depends, if the baying mob want to see the imagined perpetrators of some clearly made up tale hung drawn and quartered, sometimes.

I'm in two minds about the racist, classist, sexist, disablist and ageist threads, it is really ugly, but good to know the posters who are one of the above. Sometimes the debate works well. But they do get so ugly and depressing.

Yes MN care about people lying, especially about emotive subjects. Just report the thread, give as much information as you can and MN will take a look. They will let you know what they decide.

Hi OP,

We'd definitely advise hitting that report button - we're always happy to look behind the scenes and if nothing else, it may help set your own mind at ease.