Why is it suddenly ok to make multiple threads on the same subject over and over again?

[DayBath]

I'm talking about the Feminism board. Please could MN explain why it's ok for the same poster to keep starting new threads on the same topic repeatedly without the previous ones filling up or reaching any limit?

Surely there's a point where this is considered "not in the spirit" as you love to say. By all means this person should be allowed to post but why are repeated threads within hours of each other being allowed to cause Groundhog Day over there?

So new inflammatory posters can say whatever they like to stir the pot/poke the nest and anyone who has been here for years gets chastised/deleted/banned for reacting to it?

I’m all for debate and I’m all for a broad church. But it doesn’t mean you should invite nippy foxes into the hen coop just for clicks and giggles.

Becky, are you going to address any of the specific points and concerns people have raised about what happened and how it was dealt with?

And its March 8th, International Women's Day . . . hard to tell, though sometimes. Last year. This year.

You're not allowing conversations. You're suffocating your members, inviting pile-ons from off the feckin board and you're enabling bad faith new posters to bully your regulars. It's mind blowing.

I am not “ uncomfortable” with recent interactions. I am furious . Women are being silenced.

Why was CaraDuneRedux banned? MN, I do my best to support you, I think Mumsnet is a wonderful resource and I value it highly.

I am truly gutted by this. I can't imagine Cara said anything that was beyond the pale. Another good woman kicked off here.

Things have been weird lately. The whole Twitter engagement thing was odd.

I'm delighted and happy to have a variety of views and posters, but to engage with PBPs on Twitter as happened last week felt like you were actively trying to find people who want to attack us and are going to post in bad faith. It feels like you're baiting them, and the women of MN are the bait.

Indeed thecatonthemat

you invited people over to FWR knowing full well what that would mean, and allowed posts to stand from people who admitted they had come only to harvest screenshots, whilst deleting posts from regulars asking why those posts were being allowed to stand.

I could understand MN being neutral and letting us 'fight it out' so to speak but it seemed that we were fighting not just hostile incomers but MN too

its a pretty shoddy way to treat people

We know women are being silenced, same as they are all over the place.

It's very confusing for MN to say that they are determined to allow discussion but then have hundreds of totally arbitrary rules that aren't actually ever spelled out (don't use the 'biscuit' emoticon on Feminist Chat?!) applied only to regulars is like trying to play pigeon chess while an invisible sparrowhawk picks us off one by one. To stretch an analogy.

Very disappointing that Becky hasn't answered a single one of the questions raised in this thread with that reply.

Definitely not getting premium now. I was considering it but this has firmly made my mind up. I won't give a penny to people who openly mock their user base like this.

@ArabellaScott

We know women are being silenced, same as they are all over the place.

It's very confusing for MN to say that they are determined to allow discussion but then have hundreds of totally arbitrary rules that aren't actually ever spelled out (don't use the 'biscuit' emoticon on Feminist Chat?!) applied only to regulars is like trying to play pigeon chess while an invisible sparrowhawk picks us off one by one. To stretch an analogy.

I was unaware of this rule...how about they just disable the option to use it then we wouldn't have to guess?

It's becoming clear that Mumsnet is taking the same approach as our rather unwelcome visitors have been. Namely, the tactic of ignoring all the tricky questions that would require specific answers and instead sticking to general sweeping statements. If you can't beat them, join them eh Mumsnet?

I didn’t know about the biscuit either.

However it looks surprising like an angry bum hole which I’m sure would upset anyone who ‘chose’ to take offence so maybe that is why....

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

I AM uncomfortable when posters who have no intention of posting in good faith, and who state it, then post lies about posters on this board, naming names and stating they are transphobic when they were in fact, telling lies about that poster. I did make the mods aware of this poster's intention, and then when they started posting the lies, let them know this as well. Yet, MN towers thanked the poster on twitter.

I do now worry that a precedence has been set that allows this type of misrepresentation to occur again with named users. Surely, if this is happening, the bad faith poster should actually be banned?

Or are we to expect that this is now standard procedure - lies about users can be told on other platforms, and no action taken after you have been made aware of it. This then invites the potential for doxing, for abuse and other actions based on false information.

Im not uncomfortable with debate and discussion

I do think that allowing newbies to get away with breaking the super secret rules and not so secret rules while the regulars have to abide by both sets of rules...even the super secret ones

Is incredibly unfair

I don’t like unfair...it doesn’t make me uncomfortable though

I didn't know Cara had been banned, what on earth for? I've only seen her post civil and thoughtful contributions.

Mole thanks for those though.

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer

Im not uncomfortable with debate and discussion

I do think that allowing newbies to get away with breaking the super secret rules and not so secret rules while the regulars have to abide by both sets of rules...even the super secret ones

Is incredibly unfair

I don’t like unfair...it doesn’t make me uncomfortable though

I agree. I'm usually reluctant to pile on MNHQ as I recognise they have a difficult job to do and want to be balanced. I'm definitely up for healthy debate, with people who are courteous and are here in good faith.

If people come on to goad I'll either ignore it or try and see if there's a nugget of good points to be discussed - sometimes initial posts can seem inexperienced or confrontational but that doesn't always mean the poster is being rude on purpose or doesn't have a point to make, and I think the board in general would benefit from assuming the worst out loud, as the loudest voices get heard way more than the more thoughtful ones.
However, in this case, this was really weird, with posts being deleted for 'new' reasons and rules being applied inconsistently, as I saw it?
Perhaps if MN has invited someone specifically to come and post and this is being watched elsewhere, this could be made clear and MN could guide that poster towards the 'spirit' of discussion that we all try and stick to?

when it starts looking like there's something going on behind the scenes, so to speak, people start feeling like they're being duped or mocked or something and it's not a nice feeling.

That should say, " I think the board in general would benefit from NOT assuming the worst out loud"!

There is also a huge difference between beingwelcoming to newbiesand MNHQ visiting a rival SM platform to invite hostile posters to join MN

It's like inviting the class bully on an unsupervised playdate then telling your own child off for complaining that the bully hurt them.

I agree. I'm usually reluctant to pile on MNHQ as I recognise they have a difficult job to do and want to be balanced. I'm definitely up for healthy debate, with people who are courteous and are here in good faith.

Totally agree. And always do my best to stick to the rules and the 'spirit'. That just seems like a moving target lately, though.

I know longer understand what in the spirit actually means. The last spats certainly weren’t in what I thought was the spirit...lots of us here licking wounds and retired hurt until we can’t contain ourselves no longer.

Yes I don’t understand how inviting people who are PBP over, allowing them to use words that regulars are not allowed too, being aware that screenshots with lies were then posted on twitter and then actually thanking those posters is ‘in the spirit’

Yes I don’t understand how inviting people who are PBP over

PBP are previously banned posters, they can't post if they've been banned so not sure who this is referring to?
People who are on Twitter are able to make an account just like anyone else can, PBP can't post as they're banned as far as I'm aware, unless it's changed MNHQ?

Mockolate you don't seem to have been around much if you don't realise PBPs come back. They do, using different details, but MN can often still identify them. We've even had PBPs declaring their return.

Can I just add my voice to the many eloquent posters above please and say this all feels unfair. I only joined as a Premium member because of how much I value FWR and all the regular posters on there. I haven't seen any of my friends for a year, or family for 1.5 years and this is such a valuable place for me. Please let Cara come back. Please.

Performative obtusity is definitely characteristic of some people's posting style when these topics are being discussed