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.

An opinion on whether coffee is nice, sure, that needs no back up. An opinion that, say, the earth is flat isn’t valid as it’s based on false info. Not all opinions on all topics are valid without factual basis.

If I took your stance I would be divorced and estranged from my dc.

How so? Can’t you have discussions and agree to disagree with your family? Dont they generally have reasons for their opinions? Are they people who refuse to accept they are wrong about facts?
Im afraid it’s true that an opinion based on falsehood or ignorance isn’t as valid as one grounded in provable fact.

There is actually a separate thread on site stuff about misinformation and the use of AI, at the moment. I do think there is a worrying amount of misinformation across the site, including unevidenced claims, bordering on conspiracy theories (I find it most disturbing on the health boards, but I think that it is dangerous on some of the more contentious political boards too).

I don’t know how much @MNHQ can do, but personally, I would like to see much stronger guidelines on the use of AI (at the very least posters being clear when the facts they are espousing are based on an AI search) and also a more clearly established etiquette of providing links to show evidence for any factual claims.

The trouble is that even if you provide “evidence” then it is scoffed at. So let’s say in the case of immigration, one side would sneer at statistics from Migration Watch and the other would take no notice of a Refugees Welcome link.

Frankly I’ve got a pair of eyes and know when I’m being gaslit or an issue is being shut down. It’s not just on political issues: there were some pretty aggressive posters on the crocodile man thread and the one about the woman killing the children in the school playground. It’s clear there is sometimes a clarion call and posters work to get a thread deleted or try to run it to 40 pages with nonsense.

Of course we agree to disagree, thats the whole point. I don't then start AI scraping to dig dirt on them.

Anyway, you'll have to take it up with MN if you don't like how they want us to approach disagreement. Not my problem. This thread has served it's purpose.

Agree. I see that regularly too.

I do see what you mean - but I suppose at least if links are provided, then posters can make their own mind up about how they personally feel about the source. Obviously, I don’t think they should then be scoffing or sneering at the previous poster - but I feel like that’s already covered by the etiquette of being courteous and respectful in discussions (or should be). It’s the spreading of unevidenced misinformation that I think is dangerous.

Mnhq have said if co-ordination is suspected to report. If PMs are being used to make the "clarion call" mnhq will see that.

Agree and nothing we can do about it if the call is coming from outside MN. I know where @MaturingCheeseball is coming from when you get an influx of posters appear all at once. The Reform conference thread where I dared to question the presence of the heckler. That was the thread where one poster went through how many times I post, how often I was posting on that thread with the innuendos from others that you must be a bot etc. It is targetted oppression. The AI stuff was the same. It's not putting names through AI. It's more than that.

I go trawling myself for evidence if I'm sat idle. If I can't find any I will say sorry but I can't find any evidence on the internet at all. If I do I will put up a link. Some people just can't link and say so apologetically.

Really useful to know.

Im pretty sure theres a definition of goad though?
Something like to make a personal critiscism in order to get a reaction rather than a genuine post.

See this is why I won't use AI. My older sons laugh and say I'm a dinosaur. On the other hand my youngest who's just finished five years at university says his lecturers said to be very cautious and try not to use it but read actual papers written by real people if you want to learn.

You're not a dinosaur, you've just got your wits about you. I won't entertain it either.

Yes I have seen this. Still it’s not all bad mnhq have seen it too (thanks) and just let them know if you keep getting similar, citing this thread with their update.

Apologies as I haven't RTFT. I don't know which thread it was where it happened but I know from experience how it feels and it's awful. Sorry I can't advise anything helpful..You don't say anything I can imagine is remotely offensive so you have to keep on and imagine its water running off a ducks back. When posters really get to me by continually quoting what to me is bloody obvious then you sort of have to quote them and say " whatever. You have your opinion and I have mine" and try and ignore them. all the best

This used to happen to me on a hobby forum. It was incredibly distressing and the keyboard warriors cause me no end of misery. I too, found the same users (sometimes even in the same order) would reply and knew that they had multiple user names. It hurt that my close friend insinuated that I enjoyed playing the victim which simply wasn't true. They would goad me into eventually reacting and then they'd push the report button.

The admin were of no help at all - so much so I changed my password to 'these admin are crap'. Some posters would stick up for me and a couple were really kind and those were the ones bright enough to see what was happening under their noses. Whereas admin couldn't or didn't want to assist. Eventually more and more people realised I was being loaded.

It brightened the bullies day no end to see me upset and squirming and brought a tedious and somewhat boring forum to life by pulling someone down and pitching about me. Some people are very stupid and clearly have no empathy or consideration for the feelings of others.

I'm so sorry you were put through that, especially with your friend gaslighting you. There are some very spiteful people on SM. I will be cutting down on the time I now post on here. I've got some great online support, like to offer my support in return and enjoy doing MN puzzles. ❤️

Don't give up I once accidentally posted on a thread in the feminism board which I hadn't even realised. I was shredded so backed away. But that wasn't enough for some posters they chased me around the site no matter where I posted. In chat, lifestyle, fashion, health. I backed away for a time just lurking. They got bored and lost interest perhaps because when I started posting again I had no issues or maybe they'd been banned. Who knows. I've never been back to that board though.

There surely are some nasty people in this world. My first foray into the British Wild Flowers group… omg. Who’d’ve thought! I left them to it. And I also went on an author appreciation group and got told to leave and read something else because I said I felt one of the characters was rather pompous.

However, the attempted stifling of discussion on MN is not just frustrating but worrying. Fancy truly believing that bullying and hounding posters makes you the more virtuous person.

Some folks either never had an English teacher who organised and explained how debating works acting as adjudicator or had a very poor teacher.

Hi,

I have been following this thread with interest, as I previously felt hounded off MN. I am pleased that MN HQ have clarified some of the issues surrounding the kind of ‘bullying’ I received, and will now try MN again. I really hope it works this time.

Thank you for starting this thread OP.

Don’t blame the teachers!

<reflex action>

I've friends who are teachers who I love dearly. Debating isn't on the curriculum now here they said. Just no time.