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Should we worry about 'perverts' reading our posts?

(80 Posts)
MamaCaz Mon 21-Dec-20 10:27:45

I hope this won't be taken as a thread about a thread, although it stems from a matter that arose on another thread (look on the health threads if you want to find the post in question).

I know in advance that we will all have different views on this, but hope that we can respect each other's thoughts without any need for a bunfight grin

Concerns were raised over the wisdom of posting about an 'intimate' health concern, on the grounds that perverts might get off on it.

Personally, as we are anonymous, that thought, unpleasant as it is, doesn't really concern me. I wouldn't know, therefore I see it as unimportant.

Then I started wondering how far people's concerns stretch. For instance, there are no doubt perverts with a fetish for rubber gloves.
A lot of people have described their (anti-covid) glove-wearing practices in great detail. Are any concerned that perverts might be getting off on those descriptions?

As I said, just thought it might be interesting to generally compare our different views on this.

Esspee Mon 21-Dec-20 12:10:31

I tend to be suspicious of any first time poster who, for example, mentions clitoris in the title.
Tends to happen more when the schools are out.

What angers me is when genuine gransnetters spend their time giving advice when it is some pubescent teenager getting off on it.

So many of us are quite naive and need to be warned that this is an open forum.

BlueSky Mon 21-Dec-20 12:10:50

I didn’t comment on that particular health thread as I didn’t want to add fuel to it, so to speak, but had my doubts. Did the OP ever reply to the posts? Did she (?) have to use such a precise word to explain the area? Would you mention this subject while chatting to a mixed group you don’t know? confused

MissAdventure Mon 21-Dec-20 12:12:14

Oh no.
I have some standards.
I'd say "fanny".

janeainsworth Mon 21-Dec-20 12:13:26

I wouldn’t post anything confidential or intimate on GN, even if I had a pseudonym.
I don’t think the problem is perverts ‘getting off’ on threads which discuss such things, but that if a genuine poster does share intimate details, they are then opening up the possibility of receiving private messages from the sort of people they probably wouldn’t want a private message from.

Doodledog & Fanny - I don’t think you don’t need a different email address to change your username. You can just de-register & then re-register with a different one. Some quite prolific posters have had 5 or 6 different user names.
It’s possible that if you have two or more email addresses you could have more than one username at the same time.
But I think that’s against the rules & GN would know because it would be the same IP address. I think ?

MissAdventure Mon 21-Dec-20 12:14:48

You can just go to 'my account' and fill in a second choice of name.
It's that simple.

Elegran Mon 21-Dec-20 12:15:55

I don't have an opinion either way on the genuineness of the poster, but someone who can post to strangers about an intimate problem, and knows the right name for the body part they are talking about, is quite savvy enough and confident enough to consult a GP about it - as she was sensibly advised by many people.

Marydoll Mon 21-Dec-20 12:16:03

The thread everyone is thinking about has been deleted by HQ!

trisher Mon 21-Dec-20 12:17:07

I don't think you can understand or predict anyone's fetishes. That said I wouldn't share intimate detalis with anyone, telling a doctor is hard enough. I actually don't read these threads. I don't want to know.

lemsip Mon 21-Dec-20 12:19:17

this needs to be deleted too, otherwise it will run on and on!

lovebeigecardigans1955 Mon 21-Dec-20 12:29:50

I wouldn't put anything on here which could cause embarrassment even under my user name and if I see something which is intimate I tend to ignore it as my first thought is that it's probably not genuine.
I would have thought that there are enough forums on the internet which are for 'specialist' tastes (and some very questionable indeed) rather than using GN.

Riverwalk Mon 21-Dec-20 12:38:38

Did she (?) have to use such a precise word to explain the area?

Is there another word for clitoris?

I have to say I didn't smell a rat with that thread, because the OP was straightforward and matter of fact, and mentioned atrophy. Nothing sexy or turn-on about that - seemed quite a genuine enquiry, and I'm usually a big cynic.

The sh*t threads don't get deleted and they entice a whole load of posters who show great interest!

sodapop Mon 21-Dec-20 12:40:43

And there have been quite a few of those Riverwalk grin

DillytheGardener Mon 21-Dec-20 12:46:36

Gosh hadn’t even thought of that. I’ve answered posters posts that ask intimate advice on some of the more intimate parts of menopause, are there people that are such leches that get off on that? ?

DillytheGardener Mon 21-Dec-20 12:53:25

Riverwalk That was the thread I replied too. ? I’m confused was it a ‘fake’ post?

Chewbacca Mon 21-Dec-20 12:59:12

Grannynannywanny

Thank you MissAdventure ?

Being the sensitive little soul that I am, I’ve been embarrassed about it since another poster replied to me and said grannynannywanny or whatever ever your name is it’s too long. Ouch!

No don't change it grannynannywanny. It's what my GC say when they're at my hoyse and bouncing up and down with excitement! ?

Marydoll Mon 21-Dec-20 13:01:13

Grannynannywanny ignore! No-one's business but yours, what a cheek!

Riverwalk Mon 21-Dec-20 13:01:50

Dilly I don't know if if was fake but GNHQ has deleted it!

I thought it genuine and replied.

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 21-Dec-20 13:02:17

The problem is that we all think it’s a ‘She’ it could be anyone, could be some old twit surrounded by other old twits in a pub, or young idiots doing the same in a cafe ( do youngsters still go into cafes.?)
Who knows?
But there are always kind GNers who will offer advice, which is a good thing as we all try to take the questions at face value.
Just don’t put any personal identifying stuff on the post.
Much more of a problem is if they PM you, they can be blocked, but can then pop up again with a different name.
All of our messages are being analysed by GNs computers to find out more about us, so best to keep it vague.

Chewbacca Mon 21-Dec-20 13:04:15

I tend to agree with Marydoll; why would anyone who had a problem of a very personal and intimate nature, post on a public forum for advice? Random strangers aren't qualified or equipped to give medical advice and can only ever offer up "Go and see your GP", which the poster knows anyway. I admit to reading those kind of threads with a good pinch of scepticism anyway.

Hetty58 Mon 21-Dec-20 13:06:46

We are all anonymous on here - unless we reveal too much - so why worry about perverts?

They'll find something, somewhere, to interest them but it's not connected, at all, to the person posting or commenting.

Grannynannywanny Mon 21-Dec-20 13:19:01

Thank you everyone for the vote of confidence in my daft name!

Just as some of you have experienced, it’s one of those funny things my 4 gc started calling me when they were little. I was frustrated trying to register an unused name and typed that in and let it go without noticing it was indeed rather lengthy.

I could actually have used my full name which has frequently been grannynannywannypanny but that might have been a step too far ?

BlueSky Mon 21-Dec-20 13:30:24

trisher

I don't think you can understand or predict anyone's fetishes. That said I wouldn't share intimate detalis with anyone, telling a doctor is hard enough. I actually don't read these threads. I don't want to know.

Agree Trisher exactly that.

Riverwalk Mon 21-Dec-20 13:40:27

There are many members who write about their health problems - I think they're not looking for direct medical advice just putting out feelers as to if anyone else has the same condition or symptoms.

A lot of members seem to have mental health issues - are they not to post about them instead just go to the GP?

Greeneyedgirl Mon 21-Dec-20 13:41:28

I think if you have been on GN for a long time you can spot certain t.... posts and they are not necessarily on medical matters.
What is really upsetting is many posters really trying in all sincerity to advise and help with some of the “problems” that are posted.
I suppose it happens on all social media, there is no easy way of stopping it.

Galaxy Mon 21-Dec-20 13:52:59

I dont think anyone is saying dont post riverwalk it's fine to share experiences but they are going to need to see a doctor as well. I think the people responding were doing a good job of waving a flag to say this may not be as it seems. I thought they did it quite politely. I dont post on threads I am concerned about as I would not be as polite as those posters were.