Troll hunting

I have decided to withhold writing on new threads that appear to me to be questionable until I have informed GNHQ of my concerns and given them time to pull the thread.

There have recently been a few threads that I believe were genuine, but appeared to others to be 'dodgy' - two of those threads had the ring of truth to me simply because of my previous professional experience and I commented on both of them.

I started this thread because I was told off for mentioning onesies.

We are told to report trolls but they often come in overnight and can do harm before hq have chance to look at a post.

How it has descended to this baffles me.

As far as introducing ourselves goes - it's a shame we don't have profiles any more!

dragonfly46 I am sorry if my postings have upset you, my ire was aimed at those with a far thicker skin.
I will stop now as I believe that I have advertised my displeasure with the inner circle and I will leave them to have the last word.
I know that comment will make some not want toreply on principle but let’s see how many give in to temptation.

dragon, dear lady, you are worth more than sitting on here crying about a load of old nonsense.

Go and get a nice cup of tea/coffee and a toasted tea cake and forget all this tosh.

These posts are making me cry. Maybe I am feeling very vulnerable at the moment but I come on here to find kindness and empathy.

I must admit that with the first couple of posts I put up I was shot down in flames but I have learned how to avoid certain people on here who seem to enjoy causing hurt. They are probably dealing with huge problems of their own.

I am not able to pick out the trolls but I am much more careful about where I post and consequently have found some lovely sympathetic people on here.

hotmt
Everyone who posts on GN has at some point posted something which has been interpreted in a different way from what they intended, or has made a comment and then it’s been roundly condemned.
They either go away and return to lurkdom, or go away and come back having grown a slightly thicker skin and possibly put on some personal protective equipment for good measure.
Put your big boy pants on and get over it.

Maybe I didn't make my point clear but the idea of constantly re-introducing ourselves in an attempt to avoid any potential trolling struck me as quite ott.

Several posters have suggested that a quicker response from GNHQ would nip troublesome threads in the bud. In the absence of that quick response, posters will attempt to "out" those that seem suspect. That then leads to accusations of new posters facing ganging up and bullying.

However, squabbling over how to deal with the problem simply hands "victory" to those who set out to cause disruption.

Now that would make a good Ladybird book!

I agree MawBroon. There is already a thread for those who want to comment on the original post by holdingontomyteeth .
This post is supposed to be about trolls hunting, which is something I still don't really understand tbh and no doubt have been duped many times. It sounds like a children's book title. "Janet and John go Troll Hunting".

I expect my contribution will fall flat, but for what it is worth
Blimey!

So much vitriol, so much aggression, so much outrage!

Many of the comments are clearly about another thread or threads and should be confined to them or risk deletion under GNHQ guidelines, but there is no way OP could have envisaged a harmless enough “site stuff” post turning into this barrage of umbrage.

Breathe.

I am intrigued by the idea that a well-known poster should introduce herself. After many posts and interactions oldbatty (as just one example) is an established member of GN.
Surely you don't mean that we should all re-introduce ourselves every time a new poster appears?
Re the biting, it was simply a mistake on your part to post a serious subject in what you thought was a light-hearted way. I didn't reply critically but do agree with those who say that such behaviour has to be dealt with firmly and not with an indulgent 'bless'.
Accept that you got it a wrong, stop digging and move on.

I would point out to you that it wasn’t me that suggested that I bite, smack and verbally intimidate a 5 year old child. Who was referred to as a brat and a madam.

Go back and you will find my post said none of those things, but there was nothing about your OP that suggested it was meant to be humorous. To most of us it was not a topic that could ever be humorous. This is a problem with writing something down, you cannot always indicate humour the way you can with a voice. I have had that problem myself. Nor can you dictate how people will respond to a thread you post. I was taken aback at the universal reaction to one subject I posted, but that is life.

I must confess, however, that I am among those who cannot see any humour in a 5 year old biting, witty response or not. I have a daughter who had the gift of the swift retort at an age as young as 5. I often found myself biting my lip when she came back with some witty comment after misbehaving, but did let her wit get between me and judging and, if necessary punishing, the behaviour that preceded it.

Some times one posts a thread that is miscalculated, I have done it and so have you. The wisest course of action is to put it aside and forget it.

Merry Christmas! Its raining here in my part of the World and I have a lot of shopping to do today. Goodwill to All

Chewbacca You talk about kindness.
Regarding my 5 year old attempting to bite, you posted that you would be tempted to bite her back to ensure that she didn’t repeat her actions.
That’s what I call a special kind of kindness.

By the way I didn’t even post on your biting thread or had any involment with your posts until you came on here all guns blazing

Ahh well I tried ...........you carry on doing it your way Holdingon
All the best

I have no trouble worrying about putting peoples back up, nor with being classed as an outsider.
And as for showing humility, I would point out to you that it wasn’t me that suggested that I bite, smack and verbally intimidate a 5 year old child. Who was referred to as a brat and a madam.
It is pack culture, and I have no problem in confrontation, no matter how many of you try to justify the situation.

Well it may surprise you Holding but I don’t have bonds with anyone on these threads at all, some have, some haven’t Like with all forums /groups/ clubs you feel an outsider for as long as it takes but the best way to become part of the group is to show a bit of humility and enter slowly not like a big old thunderclap putting everyone’s back up You have a very aggressive way of posting
I m sorry you didn’t get the answers you expected on the biting thread you probably started it as a lighthearted comical thread and it went pear shaped this sometimes happens not everyone has the same sense of humour, perhaps you were unlucky in timing

From now you can take this one of two ways you can carry on being defensive and aggressive like a blunderbus or you can take a step back lick your wounds and come back with an ounce of humility

By the way I started the infiltration thread not because I was in cahoots with anyone and not because I wanted to hurt any newcomers but because I was fed up with seeing some very kind soft hearted posters opening their hearts to people who were taking the piss

I don’t post for mailing lists,( never looked at them) popularity, or any other reason and none of us are incessantly hunting for trolls (talk about exaggeration) but neither are we ‘roll over’ old dears

So there you go, now it s over to you

Just have a look at the Thread that I started Another Young Lady who cant control her mouth.
Suggestions that I smack, bite and shout at a 5 year old
Another poster gleefully suggesting that I regretted posting.
Referring to her as a brat and a madam!
Why such hostility?
Then I look at the threads Trolls and Infiltration and see you all congratulating yourselves on your skills at outing Trolls and false Threads.
What about those who have innocently posted as I did, in good faith, and receive such hostility?
So its a case of the biter biting back.
Yes, there are suspicious posts, but if you are unsure of them then move on to another one.
How would you feel if you were a victim of such nasty, personal posts?
Should you read the other posts that I have mentioned you will see that others support my comments.
Even wrongly picking on one innocent poster is one too many.
You may all have been together for some time and formed bonds/friendships but this does not give you the authorisation to treat other newer members any differently from the way that you would yourself wish to be treated.
Your incessant hunt for trolls is having a detrimental effect on those who would like to contribute but are reticent to do so.
One of you even smugly says that "Granny knows best"
So read your Infiltration and Trolls Threads again and perhaps you can see why I have taken umbrage.
I note that none of the Threads that I have mentioned have merited enough kudos to make the daily list of Threads sent out by GN to all subscribers of their mailing list.

I think a little thread for introductions would be nice.
Oldbatty I think there is a thread for new posters to introduce themselves - if they wish.
If they don't want to that's fair enough.
I think you, along with others, have been on here long enough not to need an introduction as you have contributed to many threads.

I am puzzled by the hostility too.
Holding a grudge from thread to thread is not a nice thing and not a way to elicit helpful responses on any subject holdingon.

I think many of us have been 'bruised' occasionally on GN but that is par for the course with so many differing opinions.

Quite breezy out tonight in Devon.

Me too. Something not right?

Why such angry hostile posts Holding Has someone been nasty to you or have they just seen things from a different angle that you’re not happy with
I m quite baffled where this aggression and hostility has cropped up from

From holdingontometeeth "but newbies are cast with the burden of proving themselves genuine due to suspicions of more established members."

really? since when?

And I won't even mention the use of the wrong word...........

Yes. I have made one good friend since joining GN and have met several others and enjoyed the meet up.