The AMA topic (Sorry)

[duckfuckduck]

It needs a warning on threads that says similar to that in legal - that people shouldn’t take the advice as truth and MN can’t vouch for anyone etc.

(Unless there is a fact checking process to go through before you’re allowed to post there? Is there?)

Sittingonaspindryer - this thread itself might serve as a useful warning to some of our more trusting users....

I think I have been misunderstood. I don't think there should be a blanket warning on the topic (see my comment re doctors above).

But I also don't think vulnerable people should be referred to as gullible fools. These are people who turn to the internet when they are at their most desperate and more likely to be convinced. My issue is actually with anyone claiming to be psychic. And whether it leads to individuals contacting them direct and being suckered.

I hope this thread does help. For the most part AMA is a fun topic. And I hope it stays that way.

But unless the psychic is actively touting for business in which case mn will remove the thread anyone who is going to turn to one of these charlatans out of desperation isn’t usually in the place to want to be told that they’re about to get taken in.

In the same way we have people posting about their relatives being taken in by some soldier online who is fleecing them for all their money. They believe it’s love/real and a warning on a thread isn’t going to convince them otherwise.

On MN every year we had the Christmas appeal and people gave to and were matched to a person to send a secret santa gift to. People presumably made their case as to why they were deserving but there was very much a feeling that many people had exploited this, and there were people who willingly gave. No warnings that anyone could be anyone online and there is no way to verify their financial or need status....

Ultimately if you go online for support/help/advice you need to do so in the knowledge that a large proportion of people won’t be who they say they are. And a psychic doesn’t need to be on the internet to draw people in. Most of them run shows and stalls and stands and have offices and the like, people can easily be taken in in rl as well...

But people need to take more responsibility for themselves. Yes being vulnerable may make someone more susceptible to being drawn in, but ultimately they are still adults responsible for the decisions they make as to whether to part with their cash or to believe what they’re being told.

The AMA topic is quite worrying altogether. Many of the threads are written by those who look after the vulnerable (and therefore should not post about them) or by vulnerable people themselves. Some are those who serve (prey on?) the gullible.

Agree pax.

Argh wrote a big long POST and it disappeared. Basically, fliss, look at the topics on AMA. they aren’t tongue in cheek. There’s gynae, stillbirth, am intersex one that is definitely not for the lols, alcoholic ... I could go on but my point is that no, it’s not lighthearted.

But some Mumsnet users are going to be a bit thick (to use your word), trusting, gullible, vulnerable, unstable, inexperienced in the ways of the internet or whatever.

You haven't bought into the nonsense that we're all degree educated middle class women have you Phosphorus?

And then I snapped and farted was seen as the height of comedy very recently. They need warnings. There's a few posters who regularly rinsed MN for money and gifts. Many people are too nice to be let loose on the Internet but they're still here.

And there’s now child of a paedophile.

Hardly light hearted.

I have major concerns about them.

There are no checks performed so we have people stating they work in a certain area when it could be complete bollocks. An entire thread inviting questions to a person claiming to be a professional is very different to someone popping on a thread for a post or two and claiming to be x or y profession.

Even if the person is from a particular profession, they might be a shit Dr or SW or they might be a good one but they can only speak from their experience. LAs and CCGs vary.

Very personal and confidential information about patients/families are being disclosed without the knowledge or consent of that person.

It attracts trolls. Both those starting threads and those responding. There are sexual deviants already on MN without attracting more who want to ask questions about child sexual abuse or sex working.

Some of the people starting threads are clearly emotionally vulnerable.

The questions are often salacious and inappropriate. People being asked about worst experiences, highly contentious questions or just perverted ones.

I don't think a parenting site primarily used by women should host threads by e.g claimed sex workers talking about how they've wanted to be a sex worker since childhood because they love the sex so much and lolling about being paid to be publically humiliated by walking up and down streets with semen filled shoes on while other posters ask them about how sore their vagina gets..

I agree - either validate the posters in that section or don't have a section branded "AMA".

AMA originated on reddit and is validated. Don't take my word for that, there are detailed rules for this on the sub as well as guidelines on how to conduct an AMA. www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/wiki/index

Its known to be validated so people trust it. As a consequence AMA has acquired a "trusted brand" type status and creating a separate AMA section carries suggestion of validation. I've had this exact same problem in a different site. Either validate or make it "DIY AMA" or similar so that its clear MNHQ do not verify the claims of any posters.

AMA urgently needs to be looked at as a topic. Either binned or verified. If the idea was to have a light-hearted topic (I am a gold smith/ cake maker's wife), it needs to be stated.

The most disturbing one to date has just been zapped, how long before the weirdos discover you can post an AMA at night or the weekend and it will stay for 12 hours?

What was that pax (am studiously avoiding AMA in the interests of my BP)?

Someone claiming they watch child porn for legal reasons.

The most disturbing one to date has just been zapped, how long before the weirdos discover you can post an AMA at night or the weekend and it will stay for 12 hours?

Is there sufficient awareness of The Night Watch and how to alert them to seriously bad threads/posters?

oh fuck pax.

It is still sitting in web cache.

We have had just about every other sex related "subject" in there, it was only a matter of time.

night watch are volunteers afaik not paid and might not be "on duty" as it were.

I'd be interested in how much income the AMA forum has generated so far.

It’s okay because somebody else will sort it/ no-one can be that thick .... wasn’t that Trump’s election motto ...

It needs to go ...

Is there sufficient awareness of The Night Watch and how to alert them to seriously bad threads/posters?

I'm not sure there is, but people do tend to point posters towards it. Nightwatch are of course slower to react than HQ, see the trollogeddon that can be Friday night sometimes. AMA just really invites it, the gawpers and ghouls will jump at these controversial and frankly disgusting threads.

I agree with Pax. 100%. It shouldn't be for unpaid volunteers to be responsible for moderating at night anyway - not in my opinion. And if an AMA were to be posted late friday or late saturday it could sit for hours and hours.

There is a topic on there which I know quite a lot about and while the information being given is not going to physically harm anyone it is coming from someone with very limited experience with a narrow view of a huge and varied subject. The nature of the format means that a single person self selects as an expert, if they don’t know what they don’t know then their advice is of limited value. The format doesn’t encourage other people with expert knowledge to share and debate, that’s the problem, I think.

I like the topic, there are lots of self appointed experts that dominate threads on MN and you can’t verify any of them. I am a bit perturbed at Reddit being used as gold standard given the topics and fantasists on there. If people need a disclaimer then they shouldn’t be allowed access to the internet unsupervised.
I haven’t seen anyone giving advice, touting for business or dragging posters in to some unseen coven. It’s just gossip.

And now there’s I wasin an abusivr bdsm relationship.