Different steps at night to combat trolling?

[AlternativePerspective]

MN is a hive of trolling activity in the middle of the night. So much so that troll hunting is essentially permitted by users having the ability to publicly report threads and posters to the nightwatch. Surely there must be other ways to get round this? E.g.

Make it that no new poster can start a thread for a period of time or e.g. until after they’ve posted on a certain number of threads. E.g. you have to have posted on five threads before you can start posts in your own right. That would limit not only the trolling by night but during the day as well.

Make it so that posters cannot name change say, between the hours of 9 PM and 9 AM. That way existing posters couldn’t name change to troll by night, and new posters joining couldn’t name change constantly as their names were being recognised all over the boards.

Actually I would limit name changes altogether to one name change every 30 days. No other site has the ability to name change so freely, and no other site has the level of trolling that MN does.

Let’s be honest, it’s highly unlikely that MN is the only port of call for a first time poster in the middle of the night. And even if it is, if it’s a general question, then the answers can usually be found within search, and nothing is that urgent that it can’t wait until the next day. If it is then it’s likely it needs to be listened to by professionals e.g. Samaritans etc.

Just some thoughts...

But with posters all over the world how can users tell so quickly who is a troll and who is not? Some are obvious (well to me anyway) but I can't tell the difference so reply like its real.

Genuine question OP I am not having a go! I just get annoyed as I can't pick the troll ones myself

Well, I think it’s fair to say that something done under a completely different name (so e.g. could be a first time poster or a name changer, we have no idea of knowing which) which posts some kind of urgent and emotive topic is highly unlikely to be legit even during the day.

But recently there’s been one overnight posting that her adopted daughter has run away from home and she’s afraid that the birth family have got her, and she needs help and support from MN’ers. Never posted under that name before, so why would she come to MN? There’s no reason.

And the reality is that while posters do report these threads to MNHQ to deal with in the morning, posters are also able, in the night, to post to the nightwatch to flag up specifically named threads. During the day that’s not permitted, but at night it is.

As for different parts of the world, well MN is hosted in the UK. Therefore anyone posting here needs to realise that they’re posting on UK time. Plenty of other sites do it.

All of these ideas have been suggested over the years to HQ.
Long standing posters can troll. And do.
Trolls who want to start threads would just post innocent posts on existing threads and then go warp speed trollcity once they'd posted on your requisite number of threads
If I want to namechange to post about a sensitive matter I've got to follow your files about times? Give over.
If you think other sites aren't trolled as much as MN, then your internet use must be fairly elementary and restricted. You've obviously never heard of Reddit.

Your second post makes you sound even more bossy and judgemental than your first.

@TheSeedsOfADream

Your second post makes you sound even more bossy and judgemental than your first.

I don't agree.

Being concerned about trolling and taking the time and effort to make suggestions of how to control trolling isn't being bossy or judgmental.

Trolling is pernicious and can destroy trust, as stated on here many times "it's difficult to know which are the true threads and which ones a troll ones".

a = and

I love mumsnet, I've been here for over a decade under 100s of different usernames.

But I treat it as entertainment, a discussion forum and the quickest place to get an answers about mundane things. I take a lot of things with a pinch of salt and I don't get over involved in threads because at the end of the day it's all strangers on the internet.

I think if it gets to the point where threads or trolls are upsetting you or impacting on your life it's time to have a break from mumsnet and reset perspective again.

The trolls will always troll no matter what restrictions you put in place.

The best thing you can do to a troll is ignore them.

Or as mumsnet often put it much more succinctly ...

Never give away more than you can afford to give, emotionally or financially, to strangers on the internet

It wouldn't work to limit name change times. Some people change names for a specific sensitive or outing topic then revert to their normal name when they are bobbing around on S&B or Gardening pages. That's a freedom and safety net that shouldn't be lost by legitimate posters just because of trolls.

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions - we're always happy to hear them! We can't say too much because we don't want to give the trolls a heads up but as ever, if you have concerns about a poster, please report them to us so we can take a look.