Troll hunting

[TheArmadillo]

As troll hunting season seems to be upon us once more and MNHQ have tried several times to outline their troll policy over the years I've been here and it has had little affect. Is there a way that troll hunting can be discouraged?

on threads like this where someone name changes to accuse OP of trolling.

This seems wrong because:
a) if the OP is trolling then surely there is no harm caused. They are not asking for people's money or contacting people offline (afaik)

b) if the OP isn't trolling there is a great deal of upset caused to them.

c) the only reason for calling 'troll' seems to be that their posting style seems familiar to one or two mners.

It seems that trolling accusations are now being thrown at people who have been round a while posting, not just newbies.

Also while I appreciate some trolls do cause posters a lot of upset and problems (I have seen a few) these are rare and tend to be more obvious than a thread on a sensitive asking purely for advice and nothing else.

Plus as MNHQ are unlikely to be able to tell if someone is trolling unless extreme and repeated. And even then not 100%

Would it be a good idea to have a policy of deleting posts crying troll? They cause upset and are offensive to those accused at difficult times. Any serious concerns re trolling can still be reported to MNHQ via the report this post function.

It seems that asking people to stop doing it isn't having any affect and I for one think it is damaging MN because it does put people, especially newbies off posting for advice on serious issues.

Anyone else got a view.

Was dm a proven troll? Or "generally agreed" to be a troll?
Probably shouldn't even ask.

cause name changing can be harmless fun! For jokey threads, or all changing to rebel names, or whatever I miss that on here. Not all name changers are out to make trouble.
An example would be the nativity thread a couple of years ago, where everyone was changing their names to nativity play characters like ''smallshepherddressedassuperman'' and ''pushyparent'' and ''narrator''. was v funny and would not have been possible without namechanging.

I agree reality. I also think that there are probably regular, well-known posters who are trolls - perhaps they have different accounts on which to troll etc, but there are certainly trolls who know which buttons to push to get the reaction they want and imo that can only happen ifyou have experience of the site...

The one thing that made me very is the fact that if you create an account and then delete it, the info of the account i.e. the IP address etc is deleted with it. So it would be quite easy to be a reg poster on one account, start a separate account for trolling purposes, "befriend" the troll in your regular name, then delete the troll account when required thus deleting the link between your troll and your regular account.

MollieO

that whole situation was very sad...it was fairly obvious (to me anyway) it wasn't real....

however, i take the view that if you make something like that up, you're not in a good place mentally, she was desparate for attention and sympathy....she needed help imo..

if all the attention she received helped her in someway....maybe that's a good thing..?

I suppose it depends what is more important though mollyroger, being able to take the piss, or protecting the welfare of other, potentially vulnerable, posters.

see I think the whole "someone who needs to troll is in a bad place and needs help/sympathy/support anyway" somehow gives credence and validation to what they do.

And I think that some of the most damaging trolls have been too premeditated and well thought out, knowing exactly what to post and when and how in order to get exactly the response they want.

I think the more we excuse trolling as people with mental illness needing help, the more people will troll here because although they know people don't like it, they also know they will still get sympathy for their "mental illness" even if not for the trollery.

it's not just taking the piss, it is using the site for fun and distraction and enjoyment and creativity. The humour has always been one of the most outstanding things about MN IMO, as oppsed to other parenting sites.

Discalimer: have never changed name for inflammatory purposes.
I have, however, pulled off a piss-take thread which entertained many people and offended no-one.

I don't think trolls are worse than they ever used to be.
I also think people have to take some responsibility for their own online 'protection' both practically and emotionally.

this is a public site. Which anyone can read or post on. It is lovely, and helpful, and supportive and community-minded, but ultimately, public.

wannabe;

i was talking about the twins dying thread....i think that poster needed help...

sure they're are trolls who just like causing trouble....i don't think she was in that league...

see dp I don't.

I think she had been here before, many times, and I think she is here still.

I think a lot of the most prolific damaging trolls are the same person.

(DP, ironically singing loudly to Copacabana is a guilty pleasure of mine...!>>)

just seeing Lola's name makes me want to burst into song. Gah!

really wannabe...? maybe you're right.

i just don't understand why someone would make up something so awful unless they were mentally ill..

oh well.....

mollyroger..

let me sort this barry manilow thing out...

i sent 2shoes a BM cd i got free in the Daily Mail.....

i have never trolled about being into indie/rock/punk.....i really am..

yes, yes, of course you did...

I can't remember which thread it was (it wasn't dm's one) but I recall people sharing very personal experiences in order to help the OP. Later shown that OP was a troll and it really really upset some already vulnerable posters. That sort of thing makes me mad.

Some MNetters have had the most terrible experiences in their lives and it takes a lot for them to share. I can't imagine what it is like to do that and then find out that you are offering advice to someone just out on a wind up. I recall reading a post after this had happened and the poster sounded destroyed.

dp I think a lot do it purely because.. they can. Because the internet is like a huge stage where you can act out whatever senario you want, be that the perfect life with the perfect husband and children, or one where you need support and people want to be there for you. Or it could even be a platform to run a plot for your latest novel.

I also think that there are sometimes occasions when mn hq could give more clarification but don't.

e.g. a post recently where a poster caimed she was a long-time regular, posted a long thread which involved the giving out of personal info eg phone numbers etc, someone questioned it and reports were made to mn hq etc. And although they said that they didn't have specific reason to believe op was a troll, they wouldn't confirm whether or not she was a previously regular poster.

Now while regular posters can of course be trolls, if hq had been able to confirm that she was a regular as per her statement on her thread, people might have been less inclined to stay suspicions.

MollieO..

yes, i can completely understand that...although i would never get involved in deep personal issues on the internet....people have to remember this is a public forum, your posts are open to the world...and you never really know who you're talking to.....that can work both ways...you could get a genuine poster who gets trolls replying....it's a bit of a minefield...

wannaBe..

exactly....i only read probably around 5% of threads started on here.....but i know alot goes on that i'm unaware of...i have seen a poster outed...she was two different people giving someone completely different advice....very weird...

plus lolatheshowgirl.....i actually liked her....didn't really know how to feel when she was outed....just felt a bit of a sucker....she was very believable...

i got over her in 2 minutes....

wannaBe was that the post where she posted under a different name and then under her regular name, thereby outing herself.

daftpunk - I agree but unfortunately a lot of posters don't always realise that or get too caught up in the OP's story to think about what they are posting. I post on the basis that everyone I know can read what I post and am therefore careful not to post stuff that is too personal [too lazy to name change emoticon].

I remember hughjarsss cocking up her name change once.

(Mastermind Specialist Subject: MN Trolls 2008-9)

Ruby I also have DM on my FB friends list and I chat to her regularly on the FB messanger. I dont think she could have kept her story going all this time without slipping up somewhere. I will continue to support her in any way I can.

I will also support anyone on MN who has suffered the bereavment of a child no matter how many people shout 'troll.'

bitoffun..

iv'e heard that name mentioned alot....never come across her/him

shabba I stand to be corrected re DM. Afair MNHQ asked her a number of questions which she never replied to, hence the likely scenario.