The MNHQ Moderation Team: Thread 2

[BarrackerBarmer]

Follow on thread regarding the data breach situation:
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Dear MNHQ

I'm very grateful for the commitment to free speech you've publicly taken, and for Justine's courage this week.

A former disgruntled employee of MN is writing on Twitter about the 'transphobia' of MN staff, and calling you TERFs. She is showing a great deal of bias and intolerance towards women with feminist views, this may well be her honest opinion, which is no big deal I suppose, since she is no longer an employee.

At least, it isn't an issue until she calls a shout out to her
'friends who still work at MN' to report and take down posts by 'transphobic scum', by which she appears to be referring to any poster objecting to being called TERF by her friend.

Regardless of the personal views of the MNHQ staff, who should be as free to hold their own views as I am mine, I am disturbed that there may be a small contingent of employees who are invested in unfair moderation and will not be applying fair-handed principles, at least if the claims of this ex-employee are credible.

Can you please give posters some reassurance that the difficult job of fair-handed moderation isn't being abused by the 'friends' of ex-employees who are 'reporting it all' and taking down posts because any gender criticism means the poster is 'transphobic scum'?

Thank you.

Yesterday people were saying that she needed to post an apology on here and now she has she's being ripped to shreds for it

I expect they meant and 'I apologise unreservedly' apology, given the same prominence as the original breach and accusations. This isn't.

I don't get how this thing of 'taking a break from social media' is seen as any way proportional for abusing 'pretty contact data'.

Is there a go-to TRA database for shit excuses and apologies we don't know about?

Yesterday people were saying that she needed to post an apology on here and now she has she's being ripped to shreds for it.

mirialis that's because what we got wasn't an apology, but a "I'm sorry if you felt offended"-style letter which demonstrated no awareness of what she actually did.

Her apology reads like she was mean to someone on a thread. Not like she broke the law!

Some posters wanted an apology, some posters wanted appropriate legal action. Personally I never expected a sincere apology from someone who thinks I'm scum.

Personally I never expected a sincere apology from someone who thinks I'm scum

That just about sums it up.

"I do still really admire Mumsnet as a women’s organisation and a community"

Is that what she meant by "Fuck MN" in one of those tweets, then?

Personally I never expected a sincere apology from someone who thinks I'm scum.

The use of the word 'scum' always makes me think people are in cahoots with the masked thugs of Class War.

I suspect some vulnerable users will be doing more than taking a short social media break!

I've now changed my email address and password and with the guarantees given earlier I do feel safer but not 100% safe. The only good thing for me out of this debacle is I've realised just how naive I was. I won't be again.

Thank you @MNHQ for taking action.

And permit me just to quietly over the fact that in 2018 women are still not free to discuss proposed legislation in a democracy in which we have a vote.

The attempt by extremist transactivists to close down or censor or limit debate through threats of outing and/or violence is appalling. I'm sorry that @MNHQ has to divert resources (time, energy, staff) to dealing with these close-minded, entitled, and violent people.

Yes remember, she was incensed and boasting about her own importance when MN posted a link to a presentation on:
'How to deal with TERFs' including some delights like

'How to deal with TERF violence'. What kind of delusional fuck thinks GC women are violent?

Worth considering the possible range/impact of activism within some LGBT+ NUS groups...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3222263-Slide-show-on-How-to-Deal-with-TERFs
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3225459-Primark-Coventry-challenged-for-asking-trans-woman-for-ID-before-allowing-entry-to-female-changing-rooms

Hey Emma Healy

Sorry I got caught is not sorry I done it.

Too little way way way too late.

Sincerely

Scum

@JustineMumsnet

Thanks for the updates.

I'm pleased to see the IC and the police are now involved.

As for Emma's apology....

I don't think she tweeted "in anger"(rather I think it was done out of spite) but I don't think she meant to release the information she did. I believe she probably is sorry for the repercussions this will have on herself. She's been very, very foolish indeed.

@Bumblefuddle

What is her relationship with hq that you are protecting her to the extent you are Justine?

I don't think we are protecting her Bumble. We've reported this to the ICO and the police. But I personally don't believe for a minute she meant to "out" anyone. She obviously meant to use the screen shots she took - perhaps she already had sent them around her friends - but I believe she meant to use them to highlight what she viewed as anti-trans sentiment, rather than to target individuals.

Clearly this breach plus her derogatory posts on Twitter are upsetting and disappointing for us at HQ and quite frankly feel like a betrayal from someone who we believe we gave a good opportunity to and treated well; but she is a young woman who has made some serious mistakes which she's no doubt regretting immensely and for which she's apologised. I'm sad about it (and of course a bit cross) but see no reason not to state that I don't believe she's quite the calculated villain that people are suggesting.

And permit me just to quietly over the fact that in 2018 women are still not free to discuss proposed legislation in a democracy in which we have a vote.

^^Yes!^^^^ Thank you Raging

Or to have a meeting, or to discuss with MPs etc.

Sometimes the linguistic and logicical gymnastics that the TRAs employ make me lose focus.

This is one of the main reasons I am fighting this.

Apologies from EH are irrelevant now really. I use one email for all my internet stuff (though don't do internet banking, don't post much on FB etc) and if I notice any odd activity regarding it I will be contacting the relevant authorities and I will be taking civil action against EH (I actually have some sympathy with MNHQ - must be awful to try to give someone young a leg up in their career and be treated like shit in return).

I can't believe she worked at MN for six months without realising what a lifeline the site is for many people across many boards. At the very least she has created anxiety (maybe warranted, maybe unwarranted, we won't know until everything is fully investigated) for many vulnerable people and for that I think she deserves everything she gets.

No one who is that IT unsavvy should be working as a moderator

I believe she meant to use them to highlight what she viewed as anti-trans sentiment, rather than to target individuals.

In that case she should have simply linked to the posts in question or screenshot them when she wasn't logged into her staff account.

but she is a young woman who has made some serious mistakes which she's no doubt regretting immensely

Ah, the soft bigotry of low expectations. Someone yesterday objected, rightly, to the use of "silly little girl". But this basically "ah, the daft wee lassie, you can't expect any better of her". I'm not sure if that's about age or gender, but neither's terribly appetising.

@JustineMumsnet She took screenshots over a period of time to post on Twitter yet is not calculating - really?