PBP gets thread shut down

[GCAcademic]

Message from MNHQ: Thanks for the many reports about this thread. We've no concerns with the OP, but we can see that a previously banned poster is causing trouble and sock puppeting on the thread. We're taking the whole thing down now.

So the antics of a PBP can get a thread shut down now? Which no doubt will have pleased them mightily. Surely the answer to this problem is to have better moderation, not to shut down a thread started for support? You’ve basically just told the trolls and MRAs that all they need to do is derail a thread in FWR and it will get deleted.

Agree

I agree that doesn't seem reasonable. Why not just ban the PBP and delete their posts rather than cutting off the OP's support?

Hi @GCAcademic,

Thanks for raising this - we do understand your concerns here.

Unfortunately this wasn't a simple case of a troll trying to derail a thread - which ordinarily we'd deal with by deleting any inflammatory posts and suspending the troublemaker.

In this instance, the poster in question was also sock puppeting, and had chosen a username that was almost indistinguishable from that of a long-term member of the site, in order to post offensive messages.

We took the decision to remove the whole thread in order to protect the poster whose name had been appropriated, and to prevent any of these inflammatory posts from being shared on other social media sites as evidence of alleged hate speech.

We contacted the OP late last night to explain why we'd had to take her thread down, and encouraged her to start a new thread.

We're really not trying to cut off anyone's means of support - this was a late-night decision which we felt was necessary in these fairly exceptional circumstances in order to protect the genuine members of our site.

Choosing a font which didn't make some letters almost indistinguishable might help! Presumably you've contacted the person who was spoofed too?

a username that was almost indistinguishable from that of a long-term member of the site

Ahhhhh, what a sneaky bugger. Thanks for the explanation. How infuriating to have to deal with all these idiots intent on disrupting discussion.

Thanks for the explanation Dawn. That's a good point, Errol - this sort of thing should be possible to clamp down on. I'm still concerned that the message has been given out that sock puppeting can be a way of ensuring that threads get shut down.

I always miss the excitement ☹️

What's sock puppeting?

@Tinkerbellone

What's sock puppeting?

It's where a user posts on the same thread under two (or more) different NNs. It's ok if you announce a name change eg on an Xmas names thread. But it's obviously not ok, and explicitly against the talk guidelines in order to set up a fake 'debate' or give the impression someone else supports your viewpoint. And in this case grossly exacerbated by the 'sock' being a spoof of a real NN.

@Tinkerbellone

What's sock puppeting?

Posting in the same thread under different names. A rather crude way to make it seem like "everybody" agrees with you. Best attempted by people who can spell and use grammar properly, otherwise certain tells can make it obvious. Although their are probably other ways

Incidentally, for all it's retro feel, the one feature of MN that makes it unique is the ability to namechange. Which is invaluable for some posters who need to evade danger. So it's not a bad thing at all, in practice.

Name changing serves a valuable role on MN. And sometimes it's pure fun (anyone remember Mortificado, for instance?). Misusing it maliciously is despicable.

The MN font seems to have a bit of a tail on the 't', surely there's one which has one on an l too?

I like this font.

@morninglive

I always miss the excitement ☹️

It was about as exciting as an argument with a 9 year old. The 'you smell, no you do' type of level.

@ErrolTheDragon

Choosing a font which didn't make some letters almost indistinguishable might help! Presumably you've contacted the person who was spoofed too?

Point take re. the font. Will definitely pass your concerns on up.

'Presumably you've contacted the person who was spoofed too?'
Yes. We mailed last night to explain exactly what had gone on.

It was about as exciting as an argument with a 9 year old. The 'you smell, no you do' type of level.

@GCAcademic

Thanks for the explanation Dawn. That's a good point, Errol - this sort of thing should be possible to clamp down on. I'm still concerned that the message has been given out that sock puppeting can be a way of ensuring that threads get shut down.

We do understand these concerns, but this really was a fairly exceptional set of circumstances so hopefully not something that will occur terribly often.

The poster we banned was responsible for about a third of the posts on the thread (under different usernames) and many of the subsequent posts were a reaction to the inflammatory posts themselves, so we just didn't feel we could salvage the thread. Plus, we really wanted to protect the poster whose 'name' had been used maliciously.

It's a bit of a tough line we're treading here and we know we don't always get it right, but it's honestly not for lack of trying!

It's a bit of a tough line we're treading here and we know we don't always get it right, but it's honestly not for lack of trying!

Fair enough, I do understand. There is only so much that can be done when there are people that determined to cause trouble.

@GCAcademic

It's a bit of a tough line we're treading here and we know we don't always get it right, but it's honestly not for lack of trying!

Fair enough, I do understand. There is only so much that can be done when there are people that determined to cause trouble.

I agree