Are Gransnetters just vicious online trolls?

I would mention that the poster who told me about it was having nothing to do with it herself. So we have some decent people on here.

So, in answer to the original title question, I would have to say, some are.

I don't know if I am allowed to post part of one of the comments on the DM site; it may be deleted but here goes:

But have you tried to look at it from Catherine Middleton's perspective? So many readers of Daily Mail online make horrible, cruel and derogatory remarks, about Catherine and the rest of the Middleton clan, and I think a lot of that is actually bullying. I don't see what you said on Gransnet as being any better than that. In my opinion, whenever we make 'fun' of other people, we are, in fact, bullying them. I hope that none of the Middletons read the nasty comments, and you should ignore replies to your comments if you are upset by other people's views

I agree with this entirely and in fact had been pondering this and wondering how to phrase it in a post.

The OP posted by GrannyB63 was in fact online bullying of a nice young woman who happened to fall in love with a member of the Royal Family and a of a defenceless young child who is royal by accident of birth but with 'common' ancestors.

As *GrannyB63 said in her article: As for me, I have learned that you’re never too old to be a bully - or to be bullied. But as with all bullies, the advice is the same. Stand up to them, then ignore them. They will move on to another victim soon enough.

But perhaps GB63 does not realise that could refer to her. I hope Catherine, Carole, James and Donna ignore her, if ever they bothered to read such tosh in the first place.
George was probably too busy eating his toast and his Duchy Organic Strawberry Conserve.

Lots of good stuff on this thread for another article

I don't know where they found the Gransnet 'models' either. I don't have a 'granny perm' or that many wrinkles (at least I hope not). Nor was the granny on the laptop looking at GN. It looked more like Ebay.

I hope you reported the whole matter to GN, jingl, and asked them to trace the source of the campaign. I know of at least two other sites for over 50s where this kind of thing went on and the mods ignored it. It soured the atmosphere on those sites and people stopped posting, although one of them did eventually take some action. I find GN very mild in comparison.

I welcome the fact that there's an area where discussion can be 'robust' at times to give my diminishing grey cells some exercise.

I would say so too, going by the jingl. That is dreadful behaviour.
I can sort of guess who the clique is, but it did take me quite a while to figure it out. So probably not the worst behaved clique that I have come across.

I was once included in a round robin to get another GNetter barred, several years ago. I replied in no uncertain terms and obviously my name has been removed from the 'sheep list'. I wouldn't be surprised if the same person it still playing her behind the scenes games.

On another note, after I wrote a blog on GN I was approached by a national newspaper to do a follow up piece, with photographs and a fee. I declined.

So do be careful Big Brother is watching you

Can I be your agent maggie? Just call me Mrs 10%!

Is this the first time grasnet has been in a DM article?

And I would echo Anya and say be careful what personal details you post.

thatbags, I Do Not deserve to be attacked, no one does, the poster and post are one the same.

obieone no, it isn't the first time apparently; I put a link above in a post and some of the articles in the link are sourced from GN!
People's posts are reproduced in the articles.
here if you missed it:
www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?sel=site&searchPhrase=Gransnet

No-one deserves to be attacked, but GN makes the distinction between the post and the poster I think.
They aren't really one and the same, one is someone's viewpoint, the other the person. Personal attacks are banned on here and rightly so.

I've never felt bullied on GN. I've had some robust exchanges with others and sometimes clear groups emerge with the same conflicting opinions, I may have been annoyed but that's life. Possibly there's something useful about getting to know posters and what those individuals are like. You sort of know what to expect from them.
I know whose opinions I respect (no surprises- Elegran), who often posts facetious things for a laugh, who's just daft etc. You can usually tell when someone posts in real psychological or physical pain and who need support.
Nothing to see here, no bullies, move on.

Theres no distinction between the poster and post, the poster knows what they are typing it is their veiwpoint! they are still that person. I think its a cop out for gransnet to say that.

There are personal attacks on gransnet so why havent gransnet done anything about it if its supposedly 'banned'.

Soundslike there is a definite clique though Jane10.

They do, Mumsy.

The DM uses both Gransnet and Mumsnet a fair bit, but I can't remember someone writing about the site before. It's usually using a thread as 'news'. A thread from Mumsnet about wedding guests is on the DM website today. Quite often the threads used are the Am I being unreasonable (AIBU) kind.

Everything on GN is visible, even photos.

I've never been asked to gang up on anyone on here (Billy Nomates? ) and tbh I am shocked to hear about it.

I had no idea that Geraldine (previous GN editor) was writing all those articles, with info pinched from Gransnet, for the Daily Mail!

And isn't it about time she found a more recent photo. That one is ancient

Obieone a clique isn't necessarily a negative thing. It just means a group. There have been very clear groups emerging -the brexiters vs the remainers. At the time of the general election there were tories vs socialists. That's bound to happen. As in real life like minded people get drawn together. Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't make them a bully or troll.

Done, Katek. As soon as I get my call up from the DM, I'll let you know. I'm already trawling through Jalima's link to see if they've used any of my bon mots in their articles - if I find any, I'll set you onto them. This time next year, we could be millionaires

Do I get a cut for providing the link?
5% will do

Are we forming a clique?

Confused now! Which articles?

The one about GN bullies was written by somebody called Bridget Frew. This is the full version on her blog:

Tuesday, 22 March 2016
Online Abuse of the Elderly by - the Elderly
I recently ventured into the murky waters of on-line blogging. I’ve had a personal blog for just over 6 years, visible only to my immediate family, (if they could be bothered to read my drivel, that is). I write for my own amusement and treat it like a diary of my life, thoughts and opinions on this crazy planet we live on. Occasionally I’ve had the odd article or letter printed in magazines or newspapers but not enough to make me big-headed or presume I have any kind of talent. The fact that my blog is almost exactly the same age as my first and so far only grandchild is no co-incidence. She has brought such joy to our lives, (my husband has just recently retired), I picked up the proverbial pen again after years of child-rearing and work put writing on the back burner. So, as a grandmother I have just discovered a website dedicated to like minded women like me, (or so I believed), who wish to share information, chat, discuss problems or queries or just share nonsense they’ve penned to get a little feedback from their peers. At first all went well and I received some useful advice about such topics as what age to teach a granddaughter to knit or how to deal with a thorny motor insurance problem. I also posted a few comments on other grandma’s “threads” – see I’m learning the jargon already! I kept my comments short, to the point, always respectful in spite of my personal take on the subject and, I hope, constructive. Then one day I dared to put my toe into the shark infested waters of the “Blogging Forum”. Wow....of course I didn’t realise that this area was for professional or semi-professional writers and discovered too late that had my piece been correctly monitored by GNHQ it would never have passed the rigorous criteria required. It was a small somewhat caustic and very tongue in cheek piece, and not at all intended to offend anyone except perhaps Princess Catherine and the Middleton family who I’m convinced are big enough to take it on the chin anyway. Well the amount of vitriol spewed at me from the other grannies had to be seen to believed. I appear to have inadvertently offended not only all fans of the Middletons but everyone who was ever related to or descended from a coal miner, or living north of the Watford Gap, or lovers of “Marmite”. One of the more disgusted sisters then reported me to GNHQ – sounds scary enough to be a secret agent network doesn’t it? GNHQ very politely informed me via e-mail that they had removed my writing from the Blogs section and placed it in the less explosive “Chat” area. Then an enterprising granny posted a new and very originally entitled blog called “When is a blog not a blog?” and the same old witches, (sorry grannies), proceeded to spit their bile at me on that blog too. After informing them that I’d discovered their not very discreet game of hide and seek I then got bored and gave up viewing the poison. After all I had no desire to feed their already inflated egos by letting them think I was waiting with baited breath for yet more unoriginal snide comments as they each tried to outdo one another with bigger and better insults to me, a sad, snobbish Southerner. Luckily for me I lead a very busy life in retirement with several hobbies, volunteering and of course caring for our beautiful granddaughter while our daughter works. So I’m at a loss to know where these GOGs, (that’s Grumpy Old Grannies), find the time to a) read and b) tear to pieces so many other peoples’ harmless jottings. Oh yes, after a little research it wasn’t long before I spotted the same old pen names crop time and again posting similar vile comments on other writers who had dared to venture onto their hallowed territory. Fortunately I’m a mature, well balanced person who knows I can shut down my account and no longer have any dealings with these ethereal vampires. But I can imagine if you’re young and just gaining some confidence in the grown up world how hurtful and harmful on-line bullying can be and I accept I got off lightly. I heard recently that Saira Khan had death threats from One Direction fans for daring to write about Harry Styles. What on earth is that all about? I never thought that at the grand old age of 64 I’d become a victim of Trolls. It’s been a unique experience and I wonder how many other silver surfers have come across this phenomenon?

adoptingthebraceposition.blogspot.co.uk/

We obviously do not read the right papers, jingl.

PS. Have just seen Jalima's link.

She's obviously been desperate to find some way of getting GNetters to respond negatively and having failed with knitting etc has written a poor, unamusing, short piece. Let's just hope the poor writing was deliberate.

So not only in the DM then, but in her blog too.

Speechless
(at last you may say)

Hell clearly hath no fury like a woman who can't write for toffee scorned