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Original poster

Bunbury’s Public Service Announcement 2

999 replies

arranbubonicplague · 30/11/2018 12:54

The useful Bunbury Guide to Spotting Community Disruptors is constantly evolving.

The best research and advice is not to engage with community disruptors and trolls. As ever, if you suspect troll activity, report it to MNHQ.

This is a continuation of the first Public Service Announcement thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3321127-public-service-announcement

If and when you see threads plopped into FWR, especially a curious repeat of well worn topics, maybe check for poster history before engaging.

There are a number of posts/posters/threads that are reproduced on Twitter or Facebook to foment controversy using screen shots & flagging to either MNHQ to have threads or posters deleted. Sometimes, it’s used to approach commissioning editors with ideas for articles. It’s a tiresome tactic that we’ve had several community disruptor posters who themselves post the comments that they then highlight elsewhere as purported evidence of racism, religious intolerance, anti-men sentiments, or transphobia.

Some helpful links in following posts.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
DickKerrLadies · 01/08/2019 07:16

But... but... biscuits were an emoji MN created themselves that became associated with people who were being obtuse, obstructionist and you couldn't be bothered wasting your time with.

They're deleting them? WTAF?

Damn dodgy formatting.

WrathofSWhittIeKlop · 01/08/2019 08:14

I hope Datun slept soundly. She did well.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/08/2019 08:23

Maybe someone should ask MNHQ about the biscuits. Maybe there's a mod or two who is too recent to understand their origin, which has absolutely nothing to do with troll hunting.Confused

ErrolTheDragon · 01/08/2019 08:28

Sorry, posted too soon - the official meaning of the biscuit, as defined in the 'smiley hints' at the bottom of the page in the browser version is 'no comment'. I know (and generally agree) that 'context matters' but I can't conceive of any context in which 'no comment' should be considered reportable let alone deleteable. Tbh if I was a mod getting reports about a biscuit I'd be quietly marking the card of that reporter as a malicious reporter who isn't interested in promoting civilised discussion.

DickKerrLadies · 01/08/2019 08:36

Tbh if I was a mod getting reports about a biscuit I'd be quietly marking the card of that reporter as a malicious reporter who isn't interested in promoting civilised discussion.

I'm not sure it matters, I'd be interested to see how many of the serial reporters on FWR actually post on MN.

ZebrasAreBras · 01/08/2019 09:28

I wouldn't be at all surprised if our 'monitors' over on Twatter had signed up purely to report.

But I suspect the persistent derailers who have taken up residence on certain threads are actually hardcore TRAs, but just not owning it. They're in it to get women banned.

It comes to something when a Biscuit is deleted! Of course, a biscuit deletion shouldn't result in a strike - but this vexatious reporting has one means to an end - to get women banned.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/08/2019 09:52

I've lost track of whose biscuit was deleted, have you queried it? Posts do sometimes get deleted erroneously in haste, especially on contentious threads.

I've not been following the ones you're currently talking about... last night went to see a screen-to-stage showing of Measure to Measure ... much more of a tragedy than a comedy from women's POV so feeling mildly depressed now. 'Who would believe you?' - plus ca change...and the ending was (correctly, imo) not shown as happy.

BluebonicPlague · 01/08/2019 12:21

It was my biscuit that was deleted and no, I haven't queried it. AFAIK it didn't earn me a strike, or at least I haven't been told it did. The delete message on the thread merely referred to the guidelines. I assumed it was deleted for being bad manners when someone had simply asked a genuine earnest question about permissible hair length for feminists. It was an early response to a thread I half-suspected would be deleted (though I didn't report it) but no - it's gone on and on. 144 posts.

Having looked at the thread again I see the OP is giving every impression of being a genuine earnest person (a long-term MNer who's frequently NC'd) who is fearful of being judged by her hair length. Some responses are sarcastic, some are playing it with a straight bat, and one or two are sharing their appalling stories of how dreadfully intolerant feminists can be. Hmm

HorsewithnoRegretsNonJeNeRegre · 01/08/2019 12:58

Anyone else getting a bit Gregory Peckish with all this talk of biscuits?

ArranUpsideDown · 02/08/2019 13:46

Sealioning comic:

wondermark.com/1k62/

ClosdesMouches · 02/08/2019 15:58

Unfortunately I'm beginning to find several threads on this board to be unreadable. Many years on MN, mostly lurking on FWR, and in the past couple of weeks is the first time that I've actually wanted an 'ignore' or 'block' button for a poster.

WrathofSWhittIeKlop · 02/08/2019 17:46

They flood the site with drivel so people lose interest.
We must be very important to them as they spend so much time and effort in trying to shut down the conversation

BernardBlacksWineIceLolly · 02/08/2019 18:06

I can guess which threads you're speaking of. I have one hidden at the moment. I highly recommend it

ArranUpsideDown · 03/08/2019 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Datun · 03/08/2019 14:00

They flood the site with drivel so people lose interest.

Whilst that's true, all the lurkers don't just get to see the incoherence of any counter argument, they see the techniques employed to shutdown debate.

Although it's tedious, it's an incredibly effective recruitment tool. Which is why I will sometimes enter the fray. It's always so instantly revealing.

Datun · 03/08/2019 14:03

And yes, that comic is spot-on.

I mean, it's a well-known technique, to the point of people doing memes and cartoons about it. It takes a particular kind of person to carry on, in the teeth of such recognition.

sackrifice · 03/08/2019 14:47

Although it's tedious, it's an incredibly effective recruitment tool. Which is why I will sometimes enter the fray. It's always so instantly revealing

It so is.

A bit like someone who calls everyone else idiots, and yet makes reports as 'assaults' on them when people are questioning their complete lack of knowledge on a topic.

WrathofSWhittIeKIop · 03/08/2019 15:51

Trouble is, I started droning on myself.Blush

I do hope it's not contagious.

ClosdesMouches · 04/08/2019 14:07

And we're off again.

ArranUpsideDown · 04/08/2019 18:04

Misty-eyed at the return of some posters I certainly haven't seen in a while but I refer interested people to the opening posts on this thread.

wrt the paper that looked at ways to automate the classification of particular categories of poster: Antisocial Behavior in Online Discussion Communities

cs.stanford.edu/people/jure/pubs/trolls-icwsm15.pdf

The paper emphasises the secondary gain of anti-social behaviour in online discussion groups, it seems that this behaviour is (inadvertently?) rewarded by the community.

We find that such users tend to concentrate their efforts in a small number of threads...and are more successful at garnering responses from other users.

Responses are rewarding for the disruptors and collaborate in their vandalism of some ideas, discussions, and threads: they increase the risk of deletions/suspensions. As ever, I know responses to this vary, but I act in accordance with the research that suggests it better not to engage. Beyond a certain amount of factual correction, I tend to find the engagement does reward disruptors etc.

TheInebriati · 04/08/2019 18:15

How helpful you are.
I'm not, lets have some music.

ClosdesMouches · 04/08/2019 18:36

We find that such users tend to concentrate their efforts in a small number of threads...and are more successful at garnering responses from other users.

Indeed.

pombear · 04/08/2019 21:40

I've made a couple of flyiing visits to FWR this weekend, after having a bit of a holiday to the board.

I swear, if I didn't know better, and didn't know some of the posters involved, I'd suspect that there is a strange cabal of GC people sitting around a table right now working out how to expose the madness by posting more and more bonkers stuff.

Girl Guiding: Yeah, trans girls have penises.

Pride: Yeah, let's shout at lesbians who believe in same-sex attraction. You bigots (by the way, I had a lovely time!)

Safeguarding: Yeah, women abuse children too sometimes, so let's ignore the stats and make it a free for all.

General mumsnet poster who wanders onto this board. Erm, what?

TurboTeddy · 04/08/2019 21:55

One of our regular derailers appears to have name changed again.

FloralBunting · 04/08/2019 22:52

Girl Guiding: Yeah, trans girls have penises.

Pride: Yeah, let's shout at lesbians who believe in same-sex attraction. You bigots (by the way, I had a lovely time!)

Safeguarding: Yeah, women abuse children too sometimes, so let's ignore the stats and make it a free for all.

The odd thing is that, perhaps due to their Twitter bubble, they really believe that this is a good look for them. I suspect some of the, erm, Male at birth posters are insulated from some sense of reality because every bugger around them will lie right to their face to be nice. But the 'ally' types must know that none of this will play long term, however much they push.