Are we being watched on GN by the press?

I thought we all knew that.
The matter has been raised before and we were warned that it is a public forum, we sign away our rights to privacy by posting so be careful what you put out there.

I think it is a given, some of the moderators are journalists aren't they ?

Naturellement.
The journalists are free to pick comments, sometimes out of context, and use them. They can also sign up as members and pose questions or create discussions to fuel their own writings.

I'm constantly amazed that poster put up personal posts referring to a family/ personal conflict.
Its an open forum Of course newspapers pick up stories.

Of course we know that happens 25Avalon
I believe sometimes the ‘suspect’ fake threads we worry about are journalists revving up some juicy answers

BlueBelle

Of course we know that happens 25Avalon
I believe sometimes the ‘suspect’ fake threads we worry about are journalists revving up some juicy answers

Not only “suspect”, there was an instance earlier this year wasn’t there where the “author” of a thread then revealed its contents in detail in a newspaper article I think in the SW.
We do need to be aware - this is not like pouring your heart out to a close friend who will respect confidences alas!

I think we are. And yeah, we need to be aware because GN is open for everyone to read.

We were warned about this ages ago. I try to be very careful about what I post.

I remember an incident a couple of years or so ago where a new poster wrote a supposedly funny account of an incident concerning the royal family. I can't remember the details but most of us commented that it was banal and inappropriate.

The poster was a journalist and a report about it appeared in the DM. I think we were portrayed as a load of humourless old biddies (or words to that effect)

She clearly couldn't write an amusing article if you held a gun to her head but never let the truth get in the way of a devious set up.

That's right MawB, and they even admitted it!

I doubt whether journalists are particularly interested in the political leanings of GNs or their views on the vaccine etc because social networks are full of heated discussions on these topics. No, what they want are stories of internal strife within families, juicy DiL type discussions, scandalous behaviour of the 65+! I feel sorry for those GNs who sometimes go to great lengths to give advice to someone who has clearly planted a "suspect" fake thread for whatever reason.

Journalists like a spot of conflict, it attracts readers. They and reporters have to fill the insatiable maw of the public (not you, Mawbe!) with tasty titbits, and they soon run out of friends and neighbours to write about, so where else can they get their stories from but other media sites?

If you don't want your private life and what you said in an angry moment discussed the length of the country, don't post about it on social media! It is clearly stated on Gransnet that this is an open site and posts can be read by anyone with access to the internet, and that is repeated on the threads again and again.

I guess this is why some GNers send private messages in response to an OP - provided the OP isn’t fake of course.

DMail recently published an article that was based on a thread of tweets, giving the name of the person who'd posted, and without her permission used her photos including her profile photo. She was looking at legal redress as photos are copyright unless the source is credited. I don't remember them ever mentioning Twitter. They didn't include screen shots.

Surely no one is daft enough on GN to post photos of themselves or their family?

Photos of cats, dogs, gardens, cakes, craft, holidays are hardly of great interest to the outside readership. Someone would have to be pretty clever to work those out as someone they know.

I'm dismayed by how many photos of DGCs appear on Gransnet.

A small child can't give permission.

25Avalon

I guess this is why some GNers send private messages in response to an OP - provided the OP isn’t fake of course.

Even if the OP was 'fake' - you would still be able to send them private messages.
I would have thought that that would be even more risky.

Are our pms open to the public?
If not, how can they be kept private?
eg if someone from the press registers as a member here he/she can then pm any other member .
This happened to me once, but I found out the other person was a genuine member.

Has anyone found someone they know on here?

My A level English teacher went onto become very famous. I mentioned this on a thread on Mumsnet, and an old friend who was in the same class got in touch.

If you want to post about a personal problem, it's a good idea to change some of the details.
For instance, maybe the mumsnet person mentioned had something else wrong, not a broken bone, and maybe it was her own parents who refused, not her in-laws.
Obviously, I have no idea about that person but little changes can hide your identity while still posting what you want to say.

PMs are private Fennel
GNHQ say that they don't read them, but I'm not so sure as I'm pretty certain that MNHQ do.

A member of my son in law's family posted photographs of the 2 grandchildren on a media website. She did not ask permission to use the photographs. My daughter's friend came across them and informed my daughter. The photographs were immediately removed. It had not occurred to the young woman that it was unacceptable to post photographs of the young children on a public forum.

merlotgran

I'm dismayed by how many photos of DGCs appear on Gransnet.

A small child can't give permission.

I've long expressed amazement at this.

Children deserve privacy - not have their every move chronicled by grandma on a public forum for all the world to see.

There was once a photo of GC with classmates clearly visible and easily recognisable. Some posters must just feel the need to share!

Fennel

Are our pms open to the public?
If not, how can they be kept private?
eg if someone from the press registers as a member here he/she can then pm any other member .
This happened to me once, but I found out the other person was a genuine member.

Anyone who registers as a member can presumably send a PM.

As owners of the site, GNHQ can read PMs, whether they bother to do so on a regular basis I have no idea.