Do Mumsnet use bots or post threads to drive traffic?

[GarlicFind]

I've now passed my personal tolerance threshold for replies marking the OPs as "rage bait written by a bot to generate traffic". This seems bizarre. I can just about imagine the automatons of Reddit doing this in subs that rely on shock value, but really can't see how it would benefit Mumsnet.

There's already an excess of "rage" (internet version) on here. If MNHQ did create threads to stimulate engagement, I'd have thought they would aim for helpful life advice and exchanges of funny parenting stories.

So - do you post threads to generate traffic? Do you use bots that post on the forums? Do you see "rage" as useful in terms of engagement numbers?

Hoping for a reply I can link to when people write these accusations.

Some threads feel like soap opera storyboards - eg cheating being discovered in real time - & I’ve begun to assume that some are fake. And they always get taken down without MNers getting to know the follow ups

True. It must be incredibly upsetting when you are going through a crisis, only to keep being swatted by know-it-alls accusing you of lying! We see this all the time now, on all the boards; it often scares the OPs away. I do feel it makes MN far less helpful than it used to be.

If people don't think a story's true, they can always hide the thread so it doesn't bother them any more. I assume many prefer to hang around and show off their 'cleverness', not caring whether they might be sending a genuinely distressed woman away.

I don't believe MN creates sensational, bigoted or small-minded threads for engagement. I'd like some confirmation, though.

If that’s supposed to be aimed at me, I never actually voice my doubts. Are you trying to generate engagement with your post?

😂😂 Nice one. (No, it wasn't.)

Hi there @GarlicFind No, we don’t use bots to post threads or replies on Mumsnet, and we don’t create threads to try to drive traffic.

The idea that we’d seed rage bait to boost engagement comes up from time to time, and we understand why people might wonder about it given what happens on many other platforms. It’s just not something we do, and not something we’ve seen evidence of happening on MN.

It also wouldn’t make much sense for us as Mumsnet works because people trust that they’re talking to other real users sharing real experiences. Undermining that trust would be pretty counterproductive for us!

That’s not to say every thread is genuine, this being an anonymous site with lots of women having the audacity to talk to each other, we do attract some disruptive trolls. We rely on your reports, pattern spotting and moderation to deal with trolls or clearly fabricated posts when they do crop up. We should point out that our policy is we'd rather be taken in by a troll than deprive someone genuine of support, and so we often give people the benefit of the doubt.

We’d also ask people not to troll-hunt on threads. Accusing other users of making things up can cause real distress and we’ve had genuinely upset OPs contact us with personal evidence to “prove” their situation, which is something we would never ask for. If something doesn’t ring true, it’s always better to report it and let us take a look.

As for 'rage bait' some topics naturally provoke strong reactions. That’s always been the case. Hope that helps and please do ask any further questions if you're unsure.

Thank you for the lovely reply, Becky!