There is a poster that seems to be here just to harvest replies. What should I do?

[Another2Cats]

Very much as the title.

There is a poster here who made her (their?) first post on 25th April.

Since then, she (they) has made 57 posts, of which 55 are starting threads that appear to be just there for soliciting engagement. This is done by way of asking a question and providing a three or four word opening post. Or sometimes only a single word in the opening post.

Should I highlight this to @MNHQ and, if so, should I link to all the 55 threads that they have started since 25th April?

For context, I am often on the Genealogy board and it was only after seeing two threads started by this person there that I took notice and realised that they had also started multiple threads on other boards as well.

This included Chat, Other Subjects, Tech Tips, AIBU, Property/DIY, Music, Sports, UK Travel, Education, Baby Names, Living Overseas, Style and Beauty, True crime and unsolved mysteries, Bullying, Parenting, Pets, Food/Recipes, Wildlife nature & conservation, and Telly Addicts.

Starting 55 new threads in the space of two and a half weeks which appear to be very much about soliciting engagement doesn't seem to really be in line with what MN is really all about.

Just to add to that, the username of this person is a direct reference to a thread that the newspapers back then picked up on. It was a thread from 2013 that people who were here then would likely remember and the poster is likely purporting to be somebody with a history dating back to then (despite their first post being on the 25th April this year).

Without giving the name of this poster, it would be like if she had called herself something like "Isle of Wight bollards" or "stacking goats".

Am I even right to call out this sort of harvesting of replies?

Are MNHQ likely to do anything about this even if I do make a complaint?

"Without giving the name of this poster, it would be like if she had called herself something like "Isle of Wight bollards" or "stacking goats".

P**r.

I noticed t it too but thought I was being overly suspicious.

It's relentless.

Something pfunny going on there.

I've noticed this person too, it's strange alright.

"Something pfunny going on there."

Yes, that is the person.

I just report any threads that look a bit odd.

This place hasn’t been the same since that stupid ‘penis beaker’ thread was promoted by MNHQ on FB.

Yes. Report it. Email MNHQ. And report each individual thread under ‘spam, advertising, research’.

The latest one wasn’t even subtle, so I knew exactly who you meant.

I don’t know if they’re harvesting replies, or trying to identify a specific poster?

I think I’ve been hiding them all, but will report too now.

Is an 11-letter username beginning with P and ending in R?

Threads usually go

TITLE:

'What was your favourite subject at school?'

Then their first post:

'History.'
.

And

'Do you have a middle name? And what is it?'

'Jennifer.'

.

Given the state of Mumsnet the entire internet these days, it's probably someone from MNHQ generating clickbait that's then reposted to FB.

I think that poster keeps name changing, because they’ve been doing similar threads for months & their posting style is pretty distinctive.
Other people have reported & apparently been told the poster isn’t breaking any rules.
I just don’t get why MNers engage with them. Those threads end up as long pointless lists & irritate me sufficiently that I usually hide them on sight now.

That seems likely.
The poster in question never engages in her threads, either.
Just an OP - then zilch.

What does harvesting replies mean?

Ohhh okay reading the rest of the thread I understand now

Yes. Pretty sure they used to do the same under another name too.

I just ignore their threads.

I think I’ve seen a couple of these and wondered if they were trying to identify someone - it would be really easy to out yourself here actually.

I think this has been going on much much longer than suggested here. I certainly remember it from quite a few years ago and at that time the threads certainly were deleted. Every new name change was reported and banned as well.

Oh wow it looks a lot like they’re either trying to identify a specific person on here or like they’re building profiles. It doesn’t look like normal engagement farming as they aren’t all particularly interesting questions, but they are extremely identifying ones. How weird and disturbing.

i have been noticing a lot of threads where posters are not coming back after one or two replies and they are really annoying - leaving me to wonder

Abyway what would be the benefits of creating threads to harvest replies by asking bland questions

And people keep answering, like a bunch of lemmings.

Hmmmm yes I see what you mean. Hmmmmm.

Agree that there has been at least one poster doing the same sort of thing before.

That’s what I think, especially as there was talk of MN being sold and advertising revenue being increased for the value of the business.

And all of the unstoppable adverts, IT issues and lack of resolve.

I sometimes wonder if people get paid to post…😂 and if payment is minimal and per post, the an AI question would be a quick earner with little effort. 😂

My conspiracy theories …I definitely spend too long on here…maybe I should apply for a ‘posted job’. 😂

AI bot, trying to glean responses so it can learn how to better fake humanness.

"Is an 11-letter username beginning with P and ending in R?"

Yes

AI bot being answered by other bots.

The quality of most threads on here is shocking now. There can be pages of replies but responses will just be repeated over and over again based on the first post.