Troll hunting, why it's not a good idea and why we deleted the Rarebird thread

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
We've just deleted the Rarebird thread as it had deteriorated into a bunfighting trollhunt. As we've said in previous posts we do think it's better to work on the assumption that posters are telling the truth and after a lot of digging we have found nothing to suggest that Rarebird is anything other than genuine.

Of course you can never be sure of any poster's real identity but we think it's better to err on the side of being occasionally taken in than on the side of being sceptical of genuine posters. If you take a different view (and we do understand that some folk do) then quite simply it's best not to get involved in threads such as these and we'd rather you did that than post suspicions on the thread. Mumsnet will be a worse place if folks routinely assume that any unusual post is a troll making it up.

Of course anyone who has genuine concerns please do tell us - we'll always take a look.

Many thanks,
Justine

anotherglass - I'm sure I'm not the only one who reported the thread very early on and I don't understand why it was allowed to continue. I'd like to hope that MNHQ read carefully through the posts and think about the bullying culture that beertricks mentions.
I don't post much but really enjoy listening in to others' conversations and I do feel that this is a community and mostly a fun and thought provoking one for me as I've been lucky enough to lead a uneventful life to date.

But len that's what I'm saying. WE strung it out. The posts were all from MNers. I think the OP only posted twice on the entire thread.

I mean, do you honestly think that posting links to a real person's identity and speculating about whether they are the OP, speculating about their mental health, googling their work, emailing their RL personal email, phoning up the hospital and asking to speak to them - do you REALLY think that's the best way to deal with a potential troll?

And not just all that - but posting a blow-by-blow account of the "investigation" on the OP's thread?

The initial posts may have started with an intent to raise concerns, but that could have been done in 5 posts. The remaining 595 were MNers digging each other in the ribs and chortling. What on earth does that achieve?

I think what I'm saying is that the troll-hunting mentality is not actually very likely to put trolls off.

It is however likely to put off, and even harm, genuine posters.

And bumping a troll's thread for hour after hour serves nothing except to please the troll, and draw it to the attention of more people who might be sucked in to their story.

So I agree with your point that there may not be a needy person behind every unlikely thread. But even given that, I still think this is the wrong approach and, more importantly, it diminishes MN in the process.

Anyway I'm going to bed. [grump]

I wasn't convinced by rarebird, and I did make a few comments, or rather, asked questions about confusing issues. I think the way it all kicked off today is an indicator of the fact that some people have too much time on their hands.

I saw a little bit of the thread - or two threads actually - before they were deleted. I am genuinely relieved that I just do not have time to get deeply involved in any of this stuff anymore.

The troll hunters often end up being more disruptive than the trolls themselves. Imo.

In response to TYV, I think that trolls will actually be encouraged, enlivened, by the troll hunters. But troll hunters will absolutely put off genuine posters in real trouble who are in desperate need of some help.

Sometimes it is difficult to ask for RL help. Sometimes there is no personal RL help - just helplines available. We don't all live in cosy tight knit communities with Mum and Nan living round the corner, willing to help at any time of day or night. Some people have lived fucked up lives in fucked up families and just do not have anywhere else to go.

I don't know (because I didn't read) all of RB's back story, but in cases of DV quite often the woman has been totally isolated from friends and family by her abusive partner - where else has she to turn to? But no, people on here shout out, why don't you get rl help? Or, "this cannot be true, it's just too extreme!!!". Some poor bastards' lives ARE extreme. Some poor people just do not have anywhere else to turn to. If you are in doubt, report the thread and then hide it. Seriously.

Oh bollocks, you mean I've missed yet another MN pissing match? FFS.
I really need some kind of early warning system so I can get comfy on the sofa with the kettle chips and vimto.

I think those who are still focussing on the trolls are somewhat missing the point. Troll posts an outlandish story. Other posters think , report to MN (as per guidance) and the ignore/hide thread. Troll gets bored, pisses off to where s/he can stir up some trouble (tis what they like doing after all).

But, and it is a very big BUT, there are some genuine people who have outlandish stories and need help. Twice in the last 2.5 years I have posted on here (once as Rinders, once under another name), desperately needing some help & support. Both times I was lucky in that no-one called Troll, but if they had done I would have run away, perhaps a little more damaged.

I have been guilty in the past of pulling faces or worse but really, the best thing to do is to ignore. I understand some people get drawn in and reveal too much of themselves in a bid to help, but really all we can do is protect ourselves and be aware not to give away any more than we care to lose.

Rarebird - wishing you strength. You will get through this.

How good would that be - a Webchat!

I'm really glad it was deleted. The slavering, self-righteous relish of some of the posters was quite the most unedifying thing I have seen on here for a while. The trollhunters bother me far more than the trolls. For my money, I find their actions far more destructive to the atmosphere on here than anything a potential troll could dream up. It's getting like the flamin' Crucible on here.

I read a good bit of the thread this afternoon, and I might be wrong but didn't the MNer who rang the hospital say in her original post that she phoned the hospital because she lived nearby and could take RB the things RB said she needed (RB said she didn't even have a toothbrush)? I got the opinion that RB was completely alone with no RL support to speak of, and MNer (sorry, can't remember name) was trying to help (perhaps in a misguided way)..? Not condoning phoning the hospital or anything, but I got the impression it was done with good intentions... could be wrong, but that's how I remember it. I remember lots of other people suggesting MNHQ phone hospital too.

Sorry if my post is raking over old ground. Probably should have just let that point lie, sorry.

I think this one should be deleted, too.

It was me, and thanks for the support hickey (and others). I wasn't going to say anything more about it, I regret doing it and I've apologised in half a dozen places, but people keep villifying me for it. I can see why it sounds awful out of context, but my intentions were not malicious (but yes, probably misguided).

Agree expat, the whole thing is just going round in circles.

Not that I'm helping, I keep bringing it up too.