Did something actually happen on Sunday night?

[woodenbatandball]

I was reading a post that said the site was infiltrated with child abuse images on Sunday under some kind of attack.
Lots of people hadn't been online to see this but some said they did. The thread was then deleted and there has been no explanation. And the media is silent about it. Can anyone confirm if this actually happened and if it did, why aren't Mumsnet commenting? All seems badly handled for Mumsnet not to comment either way.

@DiegoVanDamme seriously, get a grip. You didn't have to open the post... as you knew what it was about. You have zero knowledge of me as a person or my background or experience of why the idea of someone posting SA images on a public forum might be an issue for me and so I want to see a more obvious statement from Mumsnet. If anyone has main character syndrome, might I suggest it's you feeling the need to comment on threads you don't want to be on.

I think you should go and have a lie down somewhere quiet

I agree I think MNHQ are probably following Police advice and have advised the threads etc are deleted. I do not think they are covering their backs. If it got out to mainstream media it would probably attract other people/groups to attack the site.

Maybe they are actually protecting us.

@sparrowflewdown appreciate the measured response. Thank you. Maybe I'm making it out to be bigger than it is. Just seems a horrific thing to have happened for such minor chit chat about it. As I said I was following it on another thread and was surprised they deleted it (as it was just talking about the situation and people not paid enough or anything to monitor the site) so got suspicious if it had even happened when it was deleted.

@woodenbatandball
Have you read the links I provided for you?
They should tell you everything you need.

Agreed. I was on MN at the time (it was early hours Monday) and thank God didn't see any images but was aware from all the traffic and posts that people had seen some horrific stuff and were trying to get Nightwatch to deal with it. I then logged out of MN so that I wouldn't inadvertently click on the dodgy threads.

I hadn't realized until this happened that the Nightwatch team are volunteers. It must have been horrendous for them and for all the people who saw those images.

MNHQ really needs to take control of this and change their practices. But there are already threads about this and adding to them doesn't help.

It was a horrific thing, but unfortunately people are being retraumatised by references to it. There’s no easy way around that.
Don’t read on if you are feeling raw about this.
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When you remember that those children have been re-exposed in so public a way. That people who saw the images will struggle to forget them. That people are afraid of opening threads but also afraid of not opening threads… That people whose children have been the victim of this, or they themselves… it’s desperately sad and a lot of people are reeling and torn and trying to deal with that. So please cut them slack.

@woodenbatandball I feel the same. I actually deleted my MN account yesterday as I so narrowly missed the images. I opened one of the threads and no one had posted at that point. I went over to Gransnet as I couldn't settle with being on this site as at the time photos could still be posted and also the lack of response from MNHQ but they were obviously being led by the Police and maybe security forces etc.

I understand your disgust. I would lightly suggest you not open threads discussing it if you find it to be upsetting, rather than trying to cease conversation.

I think people are not happy with how long mumsnet allowed the images to stay up.

They don't pay proper moderators to work overnight because they're tight/can't be bothered. That's the main issue.

Plus they keep deleting threads on the issue, and Justine's response on the other thread was short, blunt and not good enough.

I think sometimes things are so major that they simply can’t have chitchat about them - saying too much would potentially cause damage to what should be a police investigation and therefore cannot happen.
then becuase it cant be talked about as it is a huge thing to have happen it looks like it has been minimised or just seen as something minor and these things cannot be discussed

OP, I agree with you: there needs to be a proper statement from MNHQ that is not buried in other threads.

It is understandable that they won’t be able to give certain details as there is now (presumably) a police investigation.

And also, the Comms issue is a delicate balance. Broadcasting this could incite copy cat attacks, here and elsewhere. And announcing details of security measures is the first step towards letting someone know what to hack.

But they should have the expertise and advice to address all this. The ‘oh no, it’s just us Mums round our kitchen table trying to deal with such complicated techy-wechy stuff’ won’t suffice.

@TENSsion I totally agree. We cannot be sensitive to everyone's triggers and if people know what this post is about. Then why are they open it.

@Tiswa thanks for this response

@DeepFatFried yes! My thoughts exactly, cynical me is feeling they are trying to hide talk about it as they're worried how this will impact their partnerships. As I said I was
On another thread about this that they deleted, or I wouldn't have even thought that. The fact they deleted the other thread suggests they're trying put this under the carpet, which is never the right way to act

Then they should say that

How can they be trying to hide talk about it when they have posted multiple times in precisely the forum where you would expect to see their comments?

I can’t imagine they are trying to hide this. They have informed the police, which is the right thing to do, and putting measures in place to stop it happening again. I’m curious as to why you aren’t asking MN these questions or complaining to them on the site thread as they are the ones who can address the issue. Many posters have linked you to the thread in question.

I don't think they're trying to hide anything. They have made a statement which can be seen by anyone, including the media and they're allowing one of the threads to stay up.

Do we really need multiple threads highlighting this issue and potentially re-traumatising those affected? Not to mention, advertising could attract copycats.

Hopefully, MNHQ and/or the police have reached out to those who were most affected.

@wythamwoods believe it or not I don't actually know how to do that (I will search now) I posted this as they deleted another thread I was following on. Forgot that mumsnetters get so angry about asking a legitimate question.

Thanks @Frequency helpful perspective xx

At least three times now, PP have posted links to the relevant thread @woodenbatandball. A long-running thread, on which MNHQ have commented. This is hardly sweeping stuff under the carpet!

Quite understandably they want to confine discussion to just one thread - the level of hysteria yesterday was becoming ridiculous. (Which is not to undermine the seriousness of the event, at all.)

But for people who didn't see the images/posts on Sunday to keep wanting to talk about it, who then seem to think some kind of conspiracy is unfolding, is just madness.

Click on the links and go and read for yourself about what happened, and what MNHQ have said about it so far.

To the OPs credit I had no idea this has happened until I clicked the OPs thread.

All I have seen previously is a thread titled “Mn should disable photos” but didn’t click it.

Most of the responses to you are not angry, including mine. It is, however, difficult to understand why you are banging on about the subject when multiple posters have directed you to the thread. As to you saying you ‘don’t know how to do that’ it beggars belief you are unable to click on one of the many links provided that will take you there, including one post that gives you the links to Justine’s responses.