The Magnificent Deborah Orr in the Guardian (re. hacking)

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

I imagine there might be other threads, but I thought we'd have one here.

She's written this in response to the hacking and MRA tactics, and you need to read it because it is ace.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/21/mumsnet-hackers-seem-too-pathetic-to-be-true

Only one issue - I smell a rat when she claims she just happened to google MN and find us. I think she's a regular - right?

Of course she's a regular

I felt she must be.

I haven't been on MN so much recently and reading that article reminded me why it's such a lovely important feminist space.

Gosh, reading the comments afterwards....they really hate mumsnet don't they! One man agrees that mumsnet brought the whole thing on themselves, re that daft blog.

Really?!

I followed my usual rule of not reading the comments - but that doesn't surprise me. Depressing.

I need to follow that rule, jeanne. I get drawn into them!

The article is great :)

Isn't it?!

I just hope she knows how funny and on-point it is, because god knows I'm not going near the comments after what hazey warns.

A good rule. I failed to follow it too, hazey. I'm a bit glad, though, because I think I spotted an mn-er or two on there.

I think a lot of the chaps who write in the comments section smell of sour milk and unwashed socks.

I am always astonished by how much ire mothers come in for. Intellectually, I know it, and I even understand why, but still ... it's a bit of a shock when you come across it being expressed.

It's a fabulous article.

Never read BTL.... it's infested with the type of person who thinks rape jokes are hilarious and women just need to get over it. Ot those who think that all feminists are old, fat, hairy, dungaree wearing lesbians. And think saying that they are is the height of wit.

Ooh - I'll go look if there are MNers on the comments.

But yes - why on earth do some people get up such anger and hatred?

It makes me feel very defensive and protective of MN, and especially MN FWR.

plays - YY, you're not wrong. Though, since I started posting on MN I have become progressively older, fatter, hairier, and closer to lesbianism. OTOH, I have no dungarees.

YY. I think I've definitely become older, fatter, hairier and closer to lesbianism as my mn-ing years have rolled by!

And, yes, it has made me feel quite protective about mn too.

Let us celebrate the passing of the MNing years, then.

I just can't get over the fact someone has had police sent round to a person's home. Why?! And that article beautifully contextualised it for me.

Great article. Wish I hadn't read the comments, though.

It is a wonderful article. I've not read the comments either, I never do.

I've become older and hairier since I started mning. No closer to lesbianism (although dd1 has come out as being a lesbian, does that count?) and am slightly less fat too.

She sooo is a MNer

Am a bit concerned for her - on the hacker's twitter there was a link to the article and then he twitted that 'the media' were next on his hit list (used the pic of a police raid that he's used before).

How vile to try to intimidate a woman who speaks out publicly in defence of a woman-dominated, woman-run forum. Makes me feel proud of D.O. for coming out publicly, and humorously, pro-mn.

Sadly I think she's going to get swatted. Jeffrey has posted another swat team pic and says the media need to learn a lesson.

Of course she's a MNer!

Using swatting as a technique of silencing women isn't exactly a scalable model, is it? And I reckon DO is plenty used to the sorts of comments this article has received - though it doesn't make them any less vile

I expect police are well aware and have her address flagged.

Good on your DD1, MsM!

thecat - YY, I agree.

christine - true, I guess. I never thought how it could or couldn't be scaled - I'd assumed the idea was to frighten women?

Bloody brilliant article.

But I'm just reading it while DH watches the Matrix, with Lawrence Fishburn's monologue on. So it was like Lawrence Fishburn was reading it. (Bizarre!)

Yes, it's trying to silence women who dare to put their head above the parapet (DO, the MNer who engaged with Jeffrey on Twitter the first time around), but if we all speak up, well, there just ain't enough armed police squads to go round

Yes. We won't be silenced.

Surely "swatting" people takes this situation from a nuisance to seriously criminal. If the police don't take harassing women seriously (and I don't know that they don't), then they surely take being manipulated and used themselves very seriously. Especially when it creates a dangerous situation.

I believe so - it is a crime.

And it must be a huge waste of police time, too.