Political threads, bullying and echo chambers

[TenLittleSweetWrappers]

I just wanted to clarify Mumsnet’s stance on this as it seems really ‘off’.

I’m a long time poster and not aware that I’ve had posts deleted before or done anything controversial.
A political thread came up in my feed so sort of ‘advertised’ to me by Mumsnet. So I had a look.
Lots of posters are on this political thread who know each other well and have similar political leanings. That’s fine, but there were posts supporting anti-immigration and pro posting flags on roundabouts. So I felt a need to challenge as I don’t share that political stance,

Cue the group of long time posters to jump on me, accuse me of goading, derailing, telling each other to ignore me, referring to me as an ‘it’ - or ‘crying to Mumsnet’ when I ask for clarification - and - as a group encouraging each other to post rock gifs each time I post. Any perceived ‘goading’ or ‘derailment’ by me was minuscule compared to the onslaught of animosity from the bullying group.

Mumsnet told me to stay off the thread and to discuss my political thoughts elsewhere.

I’m sorry, but I’ve never come across this on Mumsnet before? I thought threads were public and all are free to post?
It felt like echo chamber, and rather than address the bullying, gang-like behaviour - Mumsnet seems to be accepting it.

I won’t be posting on the thread anymore. But I’m really disappointed that Mumsnet doesn’t moderate these threads fairly or adds them to my feed when I’m not actually welcome to post there at all and they are only for people of a particular political persuasion.

I think they probably try to figure out your intentions to see if you're just on the thread to be obnoxious. I know what you're saying but there are some posters go out of their way to land on an otherwise laid back, harmonious thread and just plop in it. So atheists landing on religious threads to proclaim that believers are stupid or TRAs plopping over serious FWR threads (they ALWAYS use too many words and vastly overestimate their own cleverness 🙄).

One person's free speech/ right to debate is another person's 'I wish they would just piss off and stop disrupting the thread!' I don't envy MN moderators!

@SquirrelosaurusSoShiny
I’ve not really seen a thread/series of threads like this before though! One poster is seen as the ‘host’. Then they all welcome each other each time a new thread in the series is created. Any poster they deem to be unacceptable - they gang up and back each other! It’s like the huddles you used to get in the school playground…
And constant posting! I guess they don’t have a day job…

I agree with @SquirrelosaurusSoShiny I would have to read the thread and your posts before I could comment on your post here.

Tell us the thread and I'll come support you. The flag shaggers need telling.

I do see mumsnets point though. As long as its not personal attacks or breaking other guidelines there's no reason these people cant have their echo chambers. If its too unpleasant to be involved in you can always leave.

You appear to have joined on thread 19 and continued on thread 20 of a long running series, and been a bit combative. Posters don't have to respond to your utterances and are free to remind each other of this on the thread.

(You think this was bad, you should have been around when the Nobdies were, or the 10/10 fruit and veg lot were.)

These sorts of threads are very common on MN. Even if they have an issue focus, they are also friendship threads where people develop something close to actual relationships, running jokes, etc.

It doesn't seem like it would be constructive to wade into one of these threads to proselytise for political views that are counter to the consensus there. A bit like barging into a conversation you don't like the sound of at a pub table next to yours.

There are plenty of other political threads that don't have this 'friendship' quality where all comers state opposing views. And of course if you listen in on a friendship thread and something hateful is said there, you can always report it to MNHQ.

@ProfessorRedNine

I’m really not bothered if they don’t respond at all. But I don’t like being ‘ganged up’/a pile on!

@MyThreeWords

I would have scrolled past, but it’s the flag ‘shaggers’ that provoke me. Thank you for that term @dairydebris!

Why join a group of people you don't agree with, to tell them you don't agree with them? What's the point? If you overheard a group of strangers in a cafe talking about holidaying in Dubai, and you objected because of their human rights record, would you pull up a chair and interrupt their conversation to tell them? Would you expect to be welcomed? Accuse them of bullying if they told you to piss off, or told each other to ignore you?

You won't change their mind, and they won't change yours. Find a thread you enjoy. Don't be that annoying poster that derails and makes the whole thread about herself.

If I click on something on Active and it is clearly a long running thread if regulars, I would think twice about posting. Probably just lurk and read.

There's loads of threads on MN that are basically closed - outsiders are not really welcome.

Didn't MN used to call them "quiches" (cliques)?

Fuck I've been here a long time 🤣

Nobdies! Yes I heard a lot of moaning about them@ProfessorRedNine but I think that was before my time.

Feel like a proper old gimmer..

Wait until the Moldies get mentioned!

@SidekickSylvia

I probably would stand up to anyone being xenophobic or flying flags on roundabouts in real life though? Or should I ignore it?

I lurk on the thread you have mentioned and they most certainly do not support flags on roundabouts.

They do, however, challenge your statements. Respectfully.

@GetOverTheEgo

The first post I came across was a YouTube link of (can’t remember exact name) Garydoescars - promoting flags on roundabouts.

Gonna need more evidence than that.

And the intent.

The threads you mention are very scathing of such things. In fact they joke and make fun of such nonsense.

I think at best you are taking things out of context innocently.

@GetOverTheEgo

Thread 17

“I say this you tube channel and I think the title really sums up the UK at the moment where a lot of the 'Backwardness' and lack of critical thinking is coming from those on the Left.

Bleh, you made me read thread 20. They all seemed very civil and talking about UK Labour and their policies until YOU tried to shoehorn Trump and yesterday's news about him into the conversation. No wonder they got pissed off (although I've not seen that from them either).

The post clearly says they agree with the title of the YouTube video, not the full content of it.

Little bit of misrepresentation from you there.

Do you think you have the right to tell everyone how to think? That's incredibly arrogant and intolerant. What difference do you think you make? And I don't believe that in the real world you go elbowing your way into strangers conversations to tell them their views are wrong, because they're not the same as your views.

So if I see a thread about the Green party, full of Green party supporters chatting to each other, but I don't agree with the Green party, I should complain when they are not 10000% welcoming to me and my tedious carefully thought out arguments against them when I try to take over their thread?

Of course there are some "echo chambers" on here, OP. It's the way a forum site evolves.

This. It’s really rude to barge in to a thread with an established community of posters who clearly have a commonality of views and start arguing with them. The pub table analogy is very apt. There are plenty of political threads if that’s what you want to discuss.

there is some contradictions in your posts - the above and "I’m a long time poster ".

MN is a perfect place for debate.

Have you never seen a thread where OP is trying to chose an expensive handbag, posters try to help and then a few sods join in to say they'd never spend more than 50p on a bag and OP should give it to charity?

Have you never seen a Christmas thread, on a Christmas topic, where posters enjoy themselves discussing gifts, food, whatever, even in March, and some strugglers join it to say it's too early, not appropriate, whatever?

If you haven't seen it you can't be a long term poster.

There is a great freedom of speech here, so if you don't enjoy a thread, especially long running one with an established community, you aren't sentenced to spend your time there.

ETA: and you're right, some of them might not have a day job. Do you have any issue with this?

I have a night job.

And a day job.

I've seen you on that thread and you are clearly not posting in good faith either there or here. Constant attempts at derailment and claiming you're oh so worried about Reform when that is not the focus of the thread and it is not populated by Reform supporters. Name changing and claiming to be a new poster, making post after post that simply do not address anything being discussed. Did nobody ever teach you any manners?