Make it easier (more visible) to contact The Night Watch

[BIWI]

Reading the threads/posts about the recent troll incursions, it's become obvious that many posters don't understand the role of The Night Watch. (I'm not talking about whether or not they're paid, which is a completely different - but massive - kettle of fish).

It seems that people don't know that there is a Night Watch, but especially how to contact the Night Watch, and that it's a different mechanism from the usual report process.

This is perhaps not surprising, as even if you know that The Night Watch topic is contained in the overall Mumsnet Stuff topic, it isn't visible in the first line of links under the Mumsnet Stuff heading. You have to click on that before The Night Watch becomes visible.

I think it would be a good idea to make a link to the Night Watch more prominent/visible - perhaps under the 'report' button?

Good idea @BIWI

I think you should be able to report to NW the same way you do to MN without having to post it on a thread where the troll can attack you like it did to someone the other night.

I made an alerting thread on the Night Watch page, and the troll found it and was taking the piss out of me in it way before anyone in Night Watch did anything.

This is NOT a thread to criticise the Night Watch. I think they do a great job. The point is that many posters seem not to know about them.

I think this is a good idea @BIWI

The button could be disabled during the day when HQ are around.

On the other hand, it's not fair to expect nightwatch to deal with loads and loads of reports, many of which will be better dealt with by MNHQ next day.

Better to have a link in the report reminding posters that if something really can't wait it can be reported to nightwatch.

Edit: I was responding to JaneJeffer's suggestion

I think MNHQ make it clear that NW volunteers are only expected to deal with reports if they happen to be logged in.

Outside of that there are no expectations.

It's relevant because you want Night Watch to be more visible, but it is already sufficiently visible that using that method let a troll attack me for reporting his activity.

I think MNHQ should let people know that there is no moderation at night.

Most people don't know that, hence not knowing anything about Night Watch or that you have to contact them in a different way. (I've been here for years and only discovered this on the Site stuff threads following the CSA images last year.)

I always thought that @Nightwatch would be easier.

Threads don't need and often don't get... I've just completely lost my train of thought.
Ah edited - just hidden until the morning.

That wasn’t a complaint about night watch but about the method of reporting individuals who then have ample time to post on the thread reporting them and what’s to stop them targeting that poster next time?

Where is this clearly stated?

BeckyMumsnet said it on the thread about the nighttime trolling yesterday or the day before.

It was also said after the CSA images last year.

Yes I’ve seen it said a few times, even by Justine when they were first introduced.

So it’s on a random thread in Site Stuff? It needs to be somewhere that everyone can see it!

I really don’t think it’s wise for them to advertise that the site may or may not be moderated depending on who’s around.

Becky said it on the thread from two night ago….

We do have paid moderators. Nightwatchers are not expected to moderate the site or have set hours. If they happen to be using Mumsnet and spot something concerning, they can temporarily hide the content and suspend the account’s ability to post until a moderator reviews it. It’s an entirely voluntary extra layer of support, and we’re enormously grateful for the help they give us.

Do you mean the Night Watch? That and Site Stuff are both in the ‘Mumsnet Stuff’ section.

Here is a direct link, anything you want to report overnight should go here as this is where the Night Watch volunteers look.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_night_watch

Maybe they should have some sort of automatic pinning to the top of each section between certain hours or something? I had no idea so many people didn’t know about it until these last few days.

Speaking for myself, I think I joined MN when I googled something and a MN post was one of the answers. I browsed a bit and found I liked a forum where there was intelligent writing, and stayed. I've been here for about 10 years.

I suspect I'm like many posters and have only ever been into Site Stuff when there's been an issue. Hence I only discovered about Nightwatch being volunteers (and in fact the existence of Nightwatch) last year.

Nobody is going to see that when they’re trying to report some perv who appears on another thread. They could pin a message under the text box or add report to Night Watch to the options under the three dots.

Thanks, @BIWI - good suggestions here. We'll have a discussion about this at MNHQ.