The useful Bunbury Guide to Spotting Community Disruptors is constantly evolving. It seems appropriate to resurrect today
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.
Remember there are people out there who would like to silence us by fair means or foul and attacks are increasing.
This is a continuation of Bunbury’s 9th Public Service Announcement but other Bunbury’s are available and I believe Bunbury’s Orchestra is still alive www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4238543-Does-Bunbury-have-an-orchestra
If and when you see threads plopped into FWR, especially a curious repeat of well-worn topics, maybe check for poster history before engaging. AS is your friend.
If you feel your hackles rising, give yourself a break. After the Maya case we may find an escalation.
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 always have 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 can be found in the ‘Break it Down for me’ and ‘It never happens’ threads but in essence FermatsTheorem recommended “that in the absence of a block/hide poster button, the following strategy is suggested
Do not name check the sealion. Instead, respond to a depersonalised paraphrase:
"It is sometimes erroneously suggested that blah. Blah is wrong for the following reasons (short and pithy). If you need more information re. debunking blah, here's a link."
Then (this next step is important to combat derailment) go back up thread to the last useful contribution to the discussion, make sure you do name check that contributor, and pick up the discussion from that point.”
Bunbury’s is under attack so be on your guard - there be dragons looking for witches.
If you’re lurking, Bunbury was a fictitious person in the Importance of Being Earnest - whenever our hero wanted to get out of an unwanted social engagement he would claim to have to be visiting his sick relative Bunbury. Hence the rediscovery of hitherto unknown second wave feminist Germaine Bunbury, to indicate to posters that a thread may in fact constitute an unwelcome social occasion they might want to avoid (courtesy of FermatsTheorem)
Finally, TAAT (thread about a thread) will get the thread removed. Let’s see how long this one lasts.
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
Bunbury's Thirteenth edition - unlucky for some.
highame · 10/06/2021 19:04
Floisme · 30/12/2022 16:55
That's why Bunbury's advice is so helpful - not that I always have the self discipline to follow it when confronted by yet another GF.
One thing I watch out for is posters tagging me when there's nothing particularly remarkable about what I've said. I keep an eye on them and, if they carry on doing it, then that's it.
OmiOmy · 30/12/2022 17:36
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 for you MrsOverton for your input on that thread.
MrsOvertonsWindow · 30/12/2022 17:26
I look for the fact deniers Floisme. I've been on the men in women's spaces thread in AIBU and there are posters insisting that there were no campaigns for breastfeeding spaces in stores etc back in the day and therefore it's wrong to point out that that changing them to mixed sex parents facilities hasn't happened as they didn't exist!! All the women pointing out that this is women's / feminist history and the campaigns did happen and the breastfeeding spaces did exist are wrong and telling lies.
I'm trying not to engage with them - but failing 😀
Floisme · 30/12/2022 16:55
That's why Bunbury's advice is so helpful - not that I always have the self discipline to follow it when confronted by yet another GF.
One thing I watch out for is posters tagging me when there's nothing particularly remarkable about what I've said. I keep an eye on them and, if they carry on doing it, then that's it.
RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 31/12/2022 11:52
And ideally has to be tracable online 🤔
Believerinbiology
I'm always suspicious of those posters - even when they claim to be parents of hundreds & Victorian feminists with degrees in all the ologies known to humankind. 😉 But mentioning no names as it's nice to see a Bunbury thread at the top of this board.
Happy New Year to everyone.
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I have stepped away from the MAP thread - it's just become a shit storm. Massive amounts of flowers to many of the posters on there who have had terrible experiences in childhood
Happy Hogmanay to all you brilliant women on FWR - have a fab one when it comes.
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