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.

But you could use a VPN, with multiple email addresses, to create multiple accounts, that you use multiple browsers for.

I haven't seen anything about flags either.

A wage.

I was responding to what you were writing about people who just want to discuss handbags and Christmas. So I wasn't missing the point of what what you wrote.

Some people give money to charity and some don't. Many people only have enough money to cover the necessities of life and can't contribute.

There will be people who are irritated and put off charities. Why are they irritated? Why don't they just ignore a post? Is it because of a guilty conscience? They weren't going to contribute anyway so it doesn't make a difference. Some people will be more inclined to contribute.

People write things in posts which aren't true. Such as false statistics. When someone points this out to them they are irritated. They are resentful. I don't care about that, and I don't care if pointing it out makes them double down on their lies. I am always going to contradict people who give false statistics.

It sounds like you enjoy banging an ideological drum, @JennyShaw, even when it's rude / inappropriate to do so.

I think it's very appropriate to point out false statistics. Especially when false statistics can affect the lives of women. Even whether they live or die. Someone on one side of the debate will think that it's rude to contradict and that they are derailing the thread but someone on the other side of the debate will be cheering them on.

I'm not talking about false statistics, I'm talking about you shoehorning donations to charity into a chat about handbags. Rude and inappropriate.

😂

A lot of posters on this thread seem to think we need their 'opinions'. The same can be said of the thread in question. Posting hour after hour... day after day...does it make a difference?.are people really interested? Best left in their 'do not enter,' echo chamber.

Isn't that the point of any thread?

Posters sharing their opinion and other posters choosing to engage with it. Or not. It's not compulsory to open a thread.

I know it’s been said but the assumption that if you buy an expensive handbag you need telling to donate to charity is only made by the financially illiterate.

Quite apart from anything else, donations to charity bring tax breaks “the rich” are quite keen on. I remember going through an old boss’s charity file which was vast, in my early twenties as a contract secretary. I thought how much he gave to charity and was organising some big bunch of hedge fund bosses to come to an event and he very honestly admitted that it was all a huge tax break. I had made some comment about how nice it was these gazillionaires pitched up to dinner and flung £70k a head at a fake race and he looked shocked that I thought it was altruism and clarified it immediately. There was an upside anyway but Birkin buyers don’t need any civilian to remind them to donate to charity. They get so much tax back that Birkin feels free.

I haven't shoehorned anything into a chat about handbags. If someone wants to do that then they can. You don't have a right to tell people what they can and cannot say on Mumsnet. You might think it is rude and inappropriate but that is your opinion.

As for false statistics, there are people who think that someone who contradicts them must be a troll. They don't like to be contradicted but that will always happen on a forum because that's what forums are for.

You need lessons in the art of conversation, as well as manners!