Thank you for toughening up on nastiness.

[ReleaseTheDucksOfWar]

Just to say that it's really nice to see that some of the really unpleasant comments in AIBU are being acted on and deleted. There's a thread at the moment where the usual nastiness has come out fast in response to the OP, and the posts I've reported and others have been deleted and a forthright statement of what's not acceptable has been posted by @ClaraMumsnet.

The level of unpleasantness has been so bad in recent times that it's simply not worth posting anything asking for support, generally. It will take time to reverse that and give people confidence in posting again. But this is a good start.

Thank you.

NB: Unwarranted nastiness is not the same as straight talking, imo. Straight talking can be very unpleasant to read at first but necessary (specially if the person's right!). But you can always tell the difference between people out to hurt and people out to help, even if brusquely.

I agree. I’ve been on MN since 2011 and have never started my own thread because I’m too scared to!

Hello there, @ReleaseTheDucksOfWar
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this, it really means a lot to the team. We know the boards have felt sharper than they should in recent months, and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to set clearer expectations and step in sooner when posts cross the line from forthright to unnecessarily unkind.

You’re absolutely right - robust, honest advice is part of what makes Mumsnet great, but there’s a clear difference between straight talking and posting with the aim of hurting someone. Helping users feel confident posting again (especially when they’re vulnerable) is a big priority for us, and it will take a bit of time, but we’re committed to the shift. @LiveToTell we'd love to see you start your own thread - and do keep in mind you can always report to moderators if things go off track.

Thanks again for the feedback and for reporting when needed. It genuinely helps us make the boards better for everyone.

You guys are at the sharp end of it, day in and day out. It's very hard work!

I will say that it will take time for confidence to come back because the last months have been savage, in terms of someone trying to post when they feel vulnerable. Not doubt you moderators will also get backlash too.

But ~seeing~ Mumsnet moderators step in and draw lines will have a good effect too.

I agree too. I'm glad that it's being recognised when things stop being constructive or helpful and transition to nastiness. Thank you, moderators.

I agree. I’ve reported the odd post for being mean. And it was taken down. Much nicer for everyone. Thanks as well.

I agree OP. We're all perfectly able to tell the difference between straight talking and plain old nastiness, so it's good that it's been dealt with - especially when it's obvious that the poster is looking for support and advice and some posters take it upon themselves to kick them when they're down.

In recent months all the nasty posts that I've reported have been deleted, which is great. I agree that it's important for MNHQ to post about this on the threads themselves. I really hope that the posters are informed when their posts are deleted for this reason - I think it's important for feedback to be given to prevent them repeating the same behaviour on other threads. Repeated deletions should lead to a permanent ban IMHO.

Just need to work on the moderation of outright ableism and we’ll be nearly there!