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Announcement re deletion of Wig and Robe/Judge Flounce threads

871 replies

carrie (mumsnet) · 13/01/2005 13:15

Dear mumsnetters,

We are now able to shed a bit more light as to what actually occurred re the Wig and Robe/Judge Flounce episode. We are pretty sure (having received a confession of as much) that, as some of you suspected, W&R/JF was a non-lawyer masquerading as a QC. Given this knowledge we have deleted the relevant postings and banned the user from the site.

If nothing else the whole business is a salutary reminder that you can never be completely sure that folks are who they say they are and neither should you necessarily completely trust the advice, especially "professional" advice, posted on mumsnet.

As a result of some concerns raised by you we are looking into making parts of the site, the swaps and weight loss clubs for example, something that operates via mumsnet HQ so that people's addresses are not being circulated. If anyone has any other suggestions then please [email protected] or post them here and we promise to consider them.

We?d also remind folks that when organising meet ups you should take the same precautions you would when meeting anyone from the net - make sure you meet in a public place and that others know where you are going.

Having said all that, it would be a shame if this relatively rare occurrence of someone pretending to be someone they are not changed the warm, supportive, welcoming and caring atmosphere on mumsnet - and we're confident that you won't let it!

Thanks for all the supportive and helpful emails we've received from so many of you.

Carrie, Rachel and Justine

OP posts:
lowcalCOD · 13/01/2005 13:32

grrr
am walking away

Demented · 13/01/2005 13:32

Nowt as queer as folk!

Why bother? Weird???

munnzieb · 13/01/2005 13:32

but could she not come back here under a diff name/email? do we still have to stay alert on this front or just take all advise with a pinch of salt?

NameChangingMancMidlander · 13/01/2005 13:33

I agree, coppertop.

lowcalCOD · 13/01/2005 13:33

think she has probably burned her bridges there
she was very aggressive!

SoupDragon · 13/01/2005 13:33

NCMM, how should they have handled it? Anyone who dared to doubt her or contradict her was shouted down by W&Rs supporters.

Poshpaws · 13/01/2005 13:34

Agreed, NCMM.

elliott · 13/01/2005 13:34

SW my guess is yes. I think its also odds on that it was a he and that the mn sleuths uncovered his identity. Bet the CBT is also a scam.

nailpolish · 13/01/2005 13:34

anyone can get a new e mail and new name and come back

lowcalCOD · 13/01/2005 13:34

look face it you were all taken in
dont somehow take the moral high ground!

ThomCat · 13/01/2005 13:35

How sad more than anything though. to put that much effort into pretending to be someone you're not. i feel pity more than anything else.

munnzieb · 13/01/2005 13:35

I did support her, but I didn't know any better and missed the 2 week xmas period when everyhting seems to have kicked off.

SoupDragon · 13/01/2005 13:35

I think the banning is nore thorough than simply an email address.

NameChangingMancMidlander · 13/01/2005 13:36

Possibly with a little more tact and a few less insults ? I know that W&R was very rude, offensive & aggressive to her accusers but that doesn't mean that they should react the same.

NameChangingMancMidlander · 13/01/2005 13:36

Possibly with a little more tact and a few less insults ? I know that W&R was very rude, offensive & aggressive to her accusers but that doesn't mean that they should react the same.

nailpolish · 13/01/2005 13:36

how can that be done soupdragon?

aloha · 13/01/2005 13:36

And she WAS absurdly & obviously ignorant about the law....but as people have said, it was taboo to say this. It's NOT nasty to say that someone who is pretending to be a QC is a fraud and a troll when they are!

Poshpaws · 13/01/2005 13:37

Also agree with that comment, TC , but will admit that she/he was duping (it has transpired) some very vulnerable people, esp those suffering DV.

And with that, I shall depart...this thread, anyway

CarrieG · 13/01/2005 13:37

The ISP address could be banned. More or less impossible to prevent someone re-registering on a different pc, tho'.

lowcalCOD · 13/01/2005 13:37

they sent lou around to her house and confiscted her mouse?

NameChangingMancMidlander · 13/01/2005 13:37

I don't want to take the moral high ground, Coddy. I'm merely stating my opinion, like you. I have no problem with accepting that you were all right in your suspicions.

ThomCat · 13/01/2005 13:37

She may well come back. At the end of the day though as long as when/if she does she doesn't offer any legal advice and isn't nasty or aggresive, will it really matter?

Just feel sorry for her, it's sad and pathetic.

As log as you take other poeple's posts with a pinch of salt and we are all a bit vigilant etc can any real harm be done??????

galaxy · 13/01/2005 13:37

I don't think anyone is taking the moral ground and I don't think this is the right place to stat another debate about who was right and was wrong.

At the end of the day, W&R is a fake and those of us who felt upset by the turn the apology thread took have a right to feel that way. I for one also don't regret giving her the benefit of the doubt in relation to the bereavement issues. Whoever it is, obviously needs help.

munnzieb · 13/01/2005 13:38

lol@ ahola - say it as it is girl! lol, anyhow gonna get off and do some work now, (lunch finished half hour ago

nailpolish · 13/01/2005 13:38

thanks carrieG!

but anyone can go into a internet cafe and get a new address and name, im more careful than i was before all this, thats all i want to say