Should we be a ZERO TROLL-Tolerance site?

[QuintessenceOfFrankenShadow]

Should we combat trolling?
Or are there certain types of trolling we like?

Should we start reporting all posts we gather are trolls?

Should we stop feeding the trolls and silence them to death or give them their fun?

????

[SaTanicGore]

Can always tell when you are on duty Justine, nasty stuff gets dealt with instead of brushed off as not important enough to worry about.

[JustineMumsnet]

Eeek that's not really the plan StG... to be fair there are sometimes good reasons for hold ups - lack of people, or techs or evidence... but you guys who know what's what have always been the best early warning system - tbh you often have a much better handle on what's happening on the boards and it takes us a while to catch up/ realise the significance of something - so do nag us if you think something's not being dealt with quickly enough - we're always grateful for the heads up - and thanks for all your vigilance.

[SaTanicGore]

Ermm, Justine whilst you are around... you might want to delete one of my posts.

[appyday]

Um, don't get on here too often, but seen trolling referred to, being really dim can I ask, What is it?

[JustineMumsnet]

Moderators aren't great for legal reasons - once you have them, you have less protection as the law stands for not vetting libels etc. We're much safer having a report this post system whereby effectively anyone and everyone can moderate and yet we're not legally responsible until something is reported.

[NappiesLaGore]

actually, i have to agree with solidgold's post on this one.
but i would coz i luuuurve her

[SaTanicGore]

The thing is Justine, when you report something and get an email from HQ saying there is insufficient evidence to do anything, it is like a slap in the face. You think, why do I bother, can they not see what I am seeing!

And I know multiple people reported the governor thread for example and were told the same thing.

Then it all goes belly up and next thing you know threads, posts and blogs are deleted and a poster gone.

I just get the feeling that you and Carrie listen to us and trust our instincts a bit more than maybe some of the newer members of MNHQ do.

[JustineMumsnet]

Have you reported yourself StG?

[SaTanicGore]

No.

I only told someone to fuck off go away.

It is a rare event.

Can I have this one as freebie please? [pleading smile]

[Marina]

Agree with StG on this one Justine. You do sometimes sit there thinking, "And I bothered to report that post for what reason exactly?"

[HRHSaintMamazon]

I agree!

It is far better to take a chance and ban someone who has been making comments that have upset people than to allow them to conitue until you have evedence.

this isn't the law courts, we dont need 100% proof.

if enough people are yelling troll then i thinik that should tell you something.

if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck...

[JustineMumsnet]

You mustn't ever feel slapped StG, please don't feel slapped!

You know it's really tricky this moderating thing and having everyone shrieking at you (I know you don't shriek!) but when you have 10 report this posts all coming in at once some arguing for one thing, some outraged by the opposite, it can be quite scary even for me and I've been at it for eight years! Plus we're always banging on about freedom of speech, so we're wary of knee-jerk deletions and bans just because the crowd is demanding one. We would be doing you a disservice we think if we didn't try and consider every post on it's merits.

What is always super helpful though is a heads up from old timers - please don't ever feel like you can't just mail us/me and say look I know you said you couldn't do anything about this when I reported it this morning but YOU REALLY SHOULD LOOK AT IT AGAIN! It is fantastically helpful to whoever's on duty and always really appreciated.

[JustineMumsnet]

Ooh look at that stray apostrophe in there - I'll let you off the swearing if you don't tell the pedants about my bad grammar? Deal?

[S1ur]

I think you have the balance right Justine tbh.

Trolls are tricky because threads can develop at speed from innoculous to nasty, but I think posters are big enough to cope with a delay if necessary.

FWIW I support the policy of free speech and think it is worth this kind of fallout.

[SaTanicGore]

I would never dob you in to the pedants Justine.

With my typing it would be like signing my own death warrant.

[S1ur]

ahem innocuous obv

[JoolsToo]

I'm for outing nasty name-changers. if posters knew this was going to happen, they wouldn't post their vitriol in the first place.

As for zero tolerance with trolls, I'd be for it. What's the point of a thread that's full of 'don't feed the troll' (thereby feeding the troll). There's no discussion, get rid!

[arfishy]

You should recruit one of the Australian contingent, who also happen to work in IT, to do the overnight policing.



We'd do it for the LOVE you know and the power.

[LemonyAle]

[ignores PUBIC HAIR thread]

[harm0knee]

You cant just say ban everyone who you suspect of being a troll FGS. For most peole being banned means no access to MN ever again.

Not only is that bad for the possibly innocent and niave poster but also for MN which does rely on fresh blood to keep it going.

I dont think some people realises the importance of 'newbies' for a site like this.

[Flightattendant2]

Nappies I can't believe you are so compact.

I have a whole stash of them in mine...probably about 17 at last count

[Flamesparrow]

Banning randomly isn't right.

I do agree with outing the malicious namechanging trolls though.

[QuintessenceOfFrankenShadow]

Yes, but MNHQ have more information about the poster than we do. We may think it is a newbie, but it could in fact be an old timer.
Or, they can see immediately that this is a newbie. In any event, I dont think it would be a question of straight out banning.

How they respond to the reports would be to their discretion. If Lapin were to troll, I am sure she wouldnt be banned, but get a slap on the wrists a la "Oi there Lapin, you know better than this, now stop it, or else.... " email from HQ.

If a newbie were to troll, there is no saying she/he would be banned right off, but could receive a mail saying something like " Hi, Welcome to Mumsnet, I see you are getting a lot of attention from your thread today, may I refer you to our troll policy, and ask that you please refrain from this kind of posting behaviour if you want to continue using the site", etc. So, a warning, and if the warning is not headed, then a ban, maybe?

I think MNHQ needs to formulate an internal troll policy, and classify trolling.

1. Humourous Trolling
2. Malicious Trolling

and
A. Newbie trolling
B. Old Timer One off Trolling
C. Serial Name change Troller

And work out a Response and Escalate procedure internally, based on the early warning system (us) and existing knowledge.