Are Gransnetters just vicious online trolls?

We obviously do not read the right papers, jingl.

It's quite easy to google if you know the original was in the DM (it says so above).
Then a search of their website typing in 'Gransnet' brought up all the other articles.

I could show you how to do a link if you like djen

Bridget Frew's DM article has left me (almost) speechless.
Someone upthread said she wrote for the Oldie.
As someone who has subscribed since the first issue back in 1992, can I just say I've never seen an article by Ms Frew, and I doubt that she would ever get one published as the writing is of a high standard.

Thanks for the info and link to the blog, daphnedill. It's a bit over-dramatic, but I do love being described as an "ethereal vampire". Do you thank GNHQ will let me change my screen name?

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

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

Speechless
(at last you may say)

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.

PS. Have just seen Jalima's link.

We obviously do not read the right papers, jingl.

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/

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

Are we forming a clique?

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

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.

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

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.

They do, Mumsy.

Soundslike there is a definite clique though Jane10.

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'.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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 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.