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Original poster

Banning/suspending trollhunters ?

177 replies

SerendipityJane · 29/08/2019 15:44

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 Grin)

OP posts:
Nextphonewontbesamsung · 03/09/2019 22:50

Trolling and troll hunting are inevitable. HQ don't handle it particularly well - if they did there wouldn't be countless threads like this and that offshoot on Reddit.

Hedgehogrescue · 03/09/2019 23:16

The trouble is with the Reddit offshoot is that some of them regularly troll here so it’s not really the brilliant service to mumsnet that it’s lauded to be.

CapedCrusaderOnAHighHorse · 03/09/2019 23:38

Oh Lordy what a liar! Shock

WoopWoopitsdasoundofdaminties · 04/09/2019 04:26

This reply has been deleted

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OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg · 04/09/2019 05:03

there is a happy medium between warning people before they share intimate details with a well known and persistent pervert like the Punishment Piss Troll who times his posts to try and evade moderation, and upsetting posters like SirChing

I agree with this, but I think it should be possible for such a warning to be along the lines of “be aware you may not get many responses OP, as unfortunately there has been a history on MN of trolling for weird kinky kicks on this subject so a lot of people will be rightly reluctant to share details” which serves both to warn genuine posters they may be inadvertently canvassing/sharing wank fodder and to make trolls aware they’re likely to be rumbled as such PDQ, and the faux-disingenuous “gosh OP, it’s almost unbelievable isn’t it? Hmm” type of comment which could make a genuine poster sharing something sensitive/stressful feel pretty shit.

ReasonedCamper · 04/09/2019 05:24

Amongst the common threads started by trolls, add those eliciting experiences of being smacked at home and in school.

SirChing · 04/09/2019 05:39

there is a happy medium between warning people before they share intimate details with a well known and persistent pervert like the Punishment Piss Troll who times his posts to try and evade moderation, and upsetting posters like SirChing

I agree with this too. And in hindsight, @WoopWoopitsdasoundofdaminties I shouldn't have posted. I can honestly say that the responses on here were as traumatic as the rape (of course when I said that on the thread, I was accused of being a troll even more as 'no rape victim would say or feel that). I was already dealing with a family member doubting me, posted here to get support as I felt I was going mad and questioned whether I HAD been raped, to be told I was a liar. It was awful and still upsets me now.

I don't want to make this thread "all about me" but I see very few people sticking their head above the parapet and saying how it feels to be accused of making up such personal things. It is like a punch to the guts.

Afterwards, I spoke to RapeCrisis who were brilliant, but I still didnt feel able to press charges through fear of not being believed. That's the real life impact of troll hunting. It isn't harmless and it isn't "better than trolling". It is equally as damaging.

We should be able to post for support without being scared of being called liars. I couldn't have cared less if the papers picked up what happened to me. I didnt do anything wrong, he did. I just dont think we should accuse people of being trolls unless we know for damn sure that they are. And we don't unless MNHQ verify it.

Hedgehogrescue · 04/09/2019 07:24

This reply has been deleted

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SirChing · 04/09/2019 07:36

I don't think posting that across from Reddit is helpful to be honest.

Now someone is saying they dont know which thread I am referring to about my rape. It was just over two years ago under a different user name. But I shouldn't have to jog memories like that in order to be believed. Now I am scared I will be called a liar all over again, especially if none of the Reddit sub remember!

Copying that across was a shit stirring thing to do.

SirChing · 04/09/2019 07:39

That post was to @Hedgehogrescue by the way.

MNHQ can do fuck all about what happens over there.

HybridHetty · 04/09/2019 07:40

I think it was more to highlight the name that was from the other site that you were interacting with on here. This site is getting trolled to high heaven and people think it’s funny.

HybridHetty · 04/09/2019 07:42

They can ban the posters that are obviously trolling. They did it when a male dominated site constantly trolled here a few years ago.

SirChing · 04/09/2019 08:36

@HybridHetty But people are free to post elsewhere. I may not like what was said about me, but they have every right to say it over there. They aren't breaking any talk guidelines.

Dragging stuff over from there to here just causes resentment. And is shit stirring.

Sure, trolls can be banned. But that isn't what this thread is about. This is about troll hunting.

The reddit people got it very wrong with me, but they aren't breaking MN guidelines by troll hunting there. This thread is about objecting to troll hunting HERE.

Anyway, this has brought up a very upsetting time where I was very very distressed and was treated like shit, and have no intention of reliving it, so I am out.

I just wish people could neither troll nor troll hunt. Its not hard to not act like a cunt.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/09/2019 09:25

I just wish people could neither troll nor troll hunt. Its not hard to not act like a cunt.

I suppose there's a sad minority for whom it's not an act.

Manontry · 04/09/2019 09:28

I think the constant popular, school toilet, school uniform etc trolls are worse than the troll hunters

So do I. I've actually no issue with people doubting the OP.

SconeofDestiny · 04/09/2019 10:11

I think troll hunting on threads is mostly attention seeking behaviour rather than a genuine desire to help others.
It's all very well saying that threads discussing certain topics are written by trolls and you need to warn others from posting on them so why not just hit Report?

  1. You do realise that a significant proportion of these threads are written by people new to Mumsnet who are genuinely in need of advice and support? For instance, there are women having babies all the time who stumble across Mumsnet whilst on maternity leave. I live abroad and after asking around 50 different women at various times, not one of them had heard of Mumsnet or had a clue what it was about. This includes a number of ex Brits.

Maybe you have a group of friends who you meet up with regularly to discuss all sorts of personal stuff but many women live quite isolated lives these days and don't have a pal to confide in. Just because their life experiences don't match yours or anyone you know, doesn't make it untrue.
It simply demonstrates that despite living in towns and cities a lot of posters are culturally naive.

  1. So what if someone reads these threads in order to have a wank?
It's anonymous so you won't know who they are and they won't know you either.

I think you need to ask yourself why you are so desperate to be the one to expose a Troll on the thread?
It certainly isn't because you're concerned to help someone potentially in distress, is it?
No, it's all about stroking your own ego and I find it very sad that that's a higher priority for you than actually wanting to reach out and help someone. Sad

GetOffYourHighHorse · 04/09/2019 15:13

'I think troll hunting on threads is mostly attention seeking behaviour rather than a genuine desire to help others.'

I think you're right. In the same way trolls want attention, troll hunters do too. They seem to need validation and others telling them 'well spotted!'

It's like you say when new posters come across the site and want advice re common problems like toilet training or period issues (not many know there's other boards as chat and Aibu are the ones commonly used) to have others jeer and call them a pervert on thread is awful.

Anyway as mnhq are toughening up we can all only report the hunters and hopefully they'll all get the boot.

53rdWay · 04/09/2019 17:17

Do you not think that maybe if there weren’t so many trolls, there wouldn’t be so many troll hunters? That maybe the things are linked? I’m sure it’s not nice to be accused of being a pervert if you post about school uniforms, but I’m guessing the reason people are on high alert for school uniform perverts is maybe because of the school uniform perverts who post on here all the bloody time?

It baffles me that so many posters on here think ‘troll hunting’ is something totally unconnected with all the sodding trolling.

(And before someone else jumps in to say “just report then!!!” - I DO.)

ExpletiveDelighted · 04/09/2019 17:37

I think you need to ask yourself why you are so desperate to be the one to expose a Troll on the thread?
It certainly isn't because you're concerned to help someone potentially in distress, is it?
No, it's all about stroking your own ego and I find it very sad that that's a higher priority for you than actually wanting to reach out and help someone. sad

I totally disagree with this, I never read attention-seeking into trollhunting posts. I always take them as a genuine warning not to waste your time or give of your emotions and while I wouldn't condone it in all circumstances (very serious threads such as rape as discussed above). I certainly appreciate the heads-up a lot of the time.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/09/2019 18:03

It baffles me that so many posters on here think ‘troll hunting’ is something totally unconnected with all the sodding trolling.

I seriously doubt anyone on this thread thinks that.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 04/09/2019 18:40

'Do you not think that maybe if there weren’t so many trolls, there wouldn’t be so many troll hunter'

It's the internet! Weird trolls exist we know that, just don't be a weird troll hunter, it is as bad.

What is wrong with just reporting? I always get replies fairly quickly. If there's a delay so what.

NoSauce · 04/09/2019 19:21

I think troll hunting on threads is mostly attention seeking behaviour rather than a genuine desire to help others

Don’t be ridiculous. Posters who have been here years have seen the damage that trolls can do, especially to new members that haven’t got a clue that there are nutcases making up stories. Nobody wants them to be sucked in.

53rdWay · 04/09/2019 19:36

What is wrong with just reporting?

I. Do. Just. Report.

I'm saying that if MNHQ reduced the amount of trolling, that would reduce the amount of troll hunting. By quite a lot.

Maybe that's an approach worth trying? Rather than demanding more and more severe punishments for the people posting "aye right" on yet another bollocks thread?

ErrolTheDragon · 04/09/2019 19:49

I'm saying that if MNHQ reduced the amount of trolling, that would reduce the amount of troll hunting. By quite a lot.

Any suggestions- other than 24/7 mods, which I advocated upthread for how they can do this?

53rdWay · 04/09/2019 20:08

24/7 mods, more boards that require a login to view (wouldn't stop trolls but does reduce the visibility and effort threshold, seems to help elsewhere), 'no name changes' boards as suggested many many times on here in the past, reviving that "not everyone on the internet is who they say they are, don't give more of yourself than you can afford" message they used to post all the time, having specific words/phrases/IP addresses flag up a post to mods immediately rather than waiting on a report from another user, more consistency when dealing with reports, making it clear that various trolls do exist and can be harmful and do get banned, rather than current don't-mention-the-T-word approach ("we're just taking this down for now to have a look behind the scenes" - thread vanishes), being a bit less willing to give the benefit of the doubt when they've got 500 "this person is clearly lying and here's why" reports, being aware that there are a lot of posters who have a very, very dim awareness that trolling is even a thing and that this creates fertile ground for grief vampires, perverts and scammers, so it's worth a bit of remedial education even if it's just a "not everyone on the internet..." etc message, and not talking about the rise in 'troll hunting' as if it's entirely independent of the rise in trolling. Perhaps sit down and have a conversation about why people are saying "bollocks" on the thread rather than reporting, rather than just telling them off for doing it.

That's a few thoughts for starters anyway. Most places on the internet deal with the issue of trolls, yes, but few of them are as routinely and continually trolled as here.