Banning/suspending trollhunters ?

[SerendipityJane]

Not sure if it's getting worse, or me getting grumpier, but quite a few threads of late where - despite clear and unambiguous guidelines - some posters decide to clog it up with in-thread accusations, rather than quietly clicking "report" and going about their day.

Especially in more sensitive threads it can be quite distressing to the OP.

Since it's clearly against site rules, why doesn't MNHQ ban or suspend people who insist on trollhunting ? Especially after MNHQ comment on a thread (but people "miss" it) ?

Awaits a flaming (or being called a troll )

I’m missing something here. What’s the irony thing about?

An extensive posting history does not always mean the poster is above board.

'Maybe MNHQ should sort the troll problem out'

@hiddenrobins (nice name), how do they do that? Perhaps you have suggestions for fixing the internet as a whole?

I'm all for banning trolls. The point is, as has been said repeatedly on every other thread like this, anyone asking advice about incontinence or periods is not automatically a pervert.

So, troll hunters at least do an AS first. Don't jump in with 'don't overshare it's a pervert!' just because someone asked 'are tights or socks preferable for school uniform?'

Just report, not because it's the rules but because you make yourselves look stupid otherwise. Plus you possibly distress genuine posters seeking advice.

MNHQ are crystal clear. Don't troll hunt. It's the rules

More than zero posters here: Fuck da rulz

I guess it really is like there real world then.

My next thread will be about speeding, and posters will be invited to explain why the law doesn't apply to them either

I never troll hunt. But I have a lot of sympathy for them. It is horrible when you see an obvious pervert seeking stories about kids seeing themselves, or wearing nappies, and some mums happily oblige.

Weeing not seeing.
And reported threads can stay up a long time. Meanwhile clueless mums keep sharing stories

Yeah, but correct me if I'm wrong... if a user is banned they can just create another account using a different email address?
True. The kids weeing themselves troll has been banned so many times but it doesn't stop them in the slightest.

I have seen comments from pervertson threads like, I love a full nappy on a child. Disgusting perverted comments like that that stand for hours and hours. And yet those people who point out they are feeding perverts are the ones that get rounded on.
I agree that genuine posters probably get wrongly labelled as pervertsand trolls.but that is. Because there are so many on this site. It needs to be dealt with more seriously than it is. But it won't be.

MNHQ are crystal clear. Don't troll hunt. It's the rules

Not trolling is also against ‘da rulz’, FYI.

It is a mystery for the ages why ‘troll hunting’ is seen as a) so much worse than trolling and b) totally unconnected to the massive number of fecking trolls on here.

(and yes, I report quietly like a good little MNer)

Not trolling is also against ‘da rulz’, FYI.

I never once taught my kids that two wrongs made a right. Clearly I'm some sort of loon who naively thought it might just make the world a better place.

I'm starting to understand where I went wrong now. Well at least the grandkids will get the right message, and order will be restored.

It's definitely getting worse. If someone hasn't personally experienced a situation they start screaming 'troll'. Like their life is the only life to live. There was one the other week who didn't believe you could buy a house for £80k. face and everything.

I used to report. I don't any longer. It used to take hours and hours for a response to a report

As I did say, in ‘crystal clear’ fashion, I report suspected trolls to MN like we are instructed to.

And yet! I still think that the best way to reduce the amount of ‘troll hunting’ would be to reduce the amount of trolling.

I used to report. I don't any longer. It used to take hours and hours for a response to a report

Don't use MN then ? Their place, their rules. Or ask for a refund ?

Serendipity sure I don't have to use mn. But whether I use it or not does not stop perverts wanking over stories mums share about their kids in nappies, or weeing. Even if I never posted here ever again, I still don't want that to happen

And yet! I still think that the best way to reduce the amount of ‘troll hunting’ would be to reduce the amount of trolling.

Don't troll then

Or to put it less snarkily, the actions of trollhunters posting into threads, rather than following the rules is going have no effect on trolls, but every effect on all the normal posters who do post, only to see the thread go "poof" with tiresome (and since it's popped up in AIBU) and increasing regularity.

All the Big Brave let's-do-what-WE-want-and-damn-the-rules trollhunters achieve is to deter some posters from investing in a thread once it's clear it's going to go poof anyway.

To my (admittedly uneducated eye) there isn't much - if any - difference between someone starting a trolling thread, and someone trollhunting on a thread after MNHQ have stepped in and asked people not to. But it still happens.

Anyway, que sera, sera ... clearly this thread won't change a damn thing. In that, MN really is a microcosm of society.

'I used to report. I don't any longer. It used to take hours and hours for a response to a report'

I always find they respond fairly quickly. If it's a disturbing, obvious troll they can get zapped within minutes, if it's a 'my DC wets herself what can I do' it takes longer as it could obviously be genuine and I presume they then check posting history including name changes.

Ah yes, breaking the speed limit in a vehicle capable of causing death is the same as troll hunting. Mumsnet forum rules are as important as the actual law.

Ah yes, breaking the speed limit in a vehicle capable of causing death is the same as troll hunting. Mumsnet forum rules are as important as the actual law.

The underlying principle is the same. Engaging in a group of other human beings within defined parameters. "The law" is just a special set of rules that all society has to agree to. And people who don't respect the rules or the law are just saying "fuck you" to the other people who are stupid enough to follow them. And with all due respect there's already too much of that in the real world to start with.

“How can we reduce the number of troll-hunters?”
“Well, maybe try reducing the number of trolls?”
“Well just don’t troll then if you’ve got a problem with trolls ”

Right-o, then.

I find that reporting really varies. Sometimes zapped immediately, sometimes “we’ve had a look and we’re going to give this one the benefit of the doubt” again pretty fast. Sometimes nothing for ages as some thigh-rubbing pervert continues to hoover up stories of other people’s children’s bodily functions, especially if it’s outside 9-5. Sometimes nothing at all ever. Once it was “this person clearly needs support, perhaps you should HELP them, I’m sure you don’t want us to go around banning people who need support now DO you??”, for a thread that then got deleted to “take a look behind the scenes” some time later. I suspect it varies depending on who’s on duty.

I've often been quite confused about this. If you read a thread from an OP that is an obvious troll and you post something like 'I don't believe this thread is real', would that be troll hunting?

Yes. MN advice is always to report. Meanwhile the troll is merrily trolling the hapless mnetters who fall over themselves to share stories about children weeing themselves.

"I've often been quite confused about this. If you read a thread from an OP that is an obvious troll and you post something like 'I don't believe this thread is real', would that be troll hunting?"

It can be. I depends how you put it. That's why a warning not to overshare might be OK. Blantant Chinny Reckon won't be.

And if the poster is a troll, then the whole thread will be zapped.

I sometimes report troll-hunting with a comment along the lines of 'but of course, they're probably right because of XYZ being off, so would you look to see if the whole thread needs to go, before looking at any troll hunting posts'.

Lots and lots of threads are zapped. The problem is with the trolls, not anyone else.

Sometimes it's quite obvious when it is a troll. Sometimes you get whole repeated opening posts!

MN does try to keep trolls off but it's really difficult when they can jump around IP addresses.

I find the people who naively jump in and feed the trolls annoying. We need more education around trollings and deletions so that people know when they are being played.