Goading and group pile ons

[LuckyHazelFox]

I would be grateful if you could confirm what measures you take to deal with goady posters and pile on attacks. I am seeing this on here every day and nothing is being done about it. I have sent you two emails.

I agree with @EasternStandard you've single handedly fought for an even voice on CITME. We need you in parliament!

Hey @MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack no one is saying you can only ask for evidence once, as that's clearly unworkable and frankly we can't moderate to that degree of granularity!

Posters aren’t obliged to keep answering the same question, either. If they don’t respond, you can say why you think the claim is unconvincing, offer other evidence, or simply leave it there.

It starts to become an issue when the thread turns into repeated tags, “still waiting” posts, or conclusions about what someone’s silence supposedly proves. These are all things we see repeatedly and they do not make for a useful or interesting discussion for anyone. At that point, the focus has shifted from the claim to the poster.

Hope that makes the distinction a bit clearer.

Yes and that post got deleted by MN didn't it?

Probably because there were so many deletions. But it was a shame that by people making too many offensive comments, a Jewish solidarity thread got deleted.

Twiglets for PM! Free Twiglets for everyone 😄

Yes it did and you always know it's going to happen. It's pointless anybody posting something like that, which kind of proves the point that there is a massive imbalance. I probably shouldn't be on MN because I'm right wing and feel a push back against left wing dominance is needed. That's probably my 'problem'.

😆 🤣 if only x

From experience the reply you get if you report misinformation is that MN can’t verify all claims and you should challenge on the thread. So that needs to change if robust challenging might now get a deletion or even ban.

I think we need all sorts of people on MN to keep it an interesting site and you are a good member of the community as you have strong opinions and are good at expressing them clearly and generally politely🤗

I agree with @Twiglets1it’s not a site for just one pov. It’s good you’re here.

Only if those opinions are based on fact. So many aren’t

Yes. There is plenty of crap currently being posted on the thread about RAF Fairford for example. No point trying to counter any of it.

Facts are one thing, opinions something completely different.

As @Nuthatch26 says, all our opinions are equally valid on a debating site. As long as they aren't opinions pretending to be facts. Or aren't opinions that are offensive in terms of being racist/sexist/homophobic etc.

Started by a brand new username.

I wish MN would do something about that.

So a poster can make a claim.
Refuse to provide any evidence of claim.
And then report any poster asking for evidence more than once.

Seems like a charter for misinformation.

Thanks @BeckyAMumsnet, I agree that nobody is obliged to answer any question. I disagree that we shouldn't be allowed to draw conclusions on the basis of people's non-responses, because that is often the only way in which false claims can be established as such.

But you've at least made the MNHQ position somewhat clearer. I do absolutely agree that the repeated "still waiting" posts can get in the way of useful and interesting discussions. However, I personally feel that blatant disinformation posted without evidence is a much greater barrier to useful and interesting discussions than repeated demands holding people to account for the false claims that they have posted, and it's a shame that MNHQ seemingly has no appetite to tackle this problem.

Pressing for evidence isn’t the same as asking for it. Nobody really ought to be pressing anyone on here. People know the difference. I don’t go on that board so much these days, but I have found that right wing posters there are as quick to band together in their opinions as anyone else , and I did used to wonder whether there were bots in the earlier days. There is also a strategy of demanding answers to a dozen questions on anything they don’t like.

I’m actually a fan of (quality) evidence generally , across Mumsnet, because so many inflammatory and untrue opinions are declaimed on threads eg in the NHS ones. The (let’s not name the party) ones also make a lot of unsubstantiated claims.

It would be useful to label a thread as a support thread if that’s what it is. I think people might avoid it more. Although if the thread then proceeds to promote contested “facts”, then I suppose people will disagree.

I disagree. An opinion is just that. We all have a right to our opinions. Some of my opinions won't make sense to you I'm sure (understatement of the year lol), but there we are.

It’s not a question of making sense. An opinion based on misinformation isn’t as valid as one based on verifiable fact. Which is why I’m very hot on posting links to back my opinions.

Many years ago a well known child care guru was allegedly threatening action for comment(s) on here, so I suppose it depends how libellous Kemi finds it if she reads it. I'd struggle to see the attraction for her but John Major & Edwina Curry were a bit 'out of left(?) field' too.

I also provide links when I post information, as you do. But I also hold opinions that I can't necessarily back up like that. They're still valid.

Agree that John and Edwina was a whattt!!! moment

Yes, I was thinking of Major and Curry when I dreamt up that scenario! In reality I doubt Badenoch would touch him with a bargepole. She seems to quite like Rupert Lowe though...😁

MN is full of sad, unhappy people who try and offload their misery onto others. Thankfully, there are lots of kind, lovely folk as well.

Don't give me that mental picture, that's just cruel and unnecessary.

I am so sorry 😞 😁