Spoiling GN

Well said. anja!

It upsets me to read kind posts in reply.

Exactly annie.

I too agree I think that genuine posters get short shrift while others ‘ave a laff’ at peoples expense there’s a few very doubtful threads on these last few days

I am with you there, Anja.
I have one little helpful thing for you. I have just replied on a thread which included a link (probably spam) and used this to see where the link went, without following it to a possible dodgy site. I added a note of how I did that, which I repeat here. It may not work with Ipads, tablets, phones etc, but they may have another way of doing it.

"I could see where this link was pointing without selecting and following it. I highlighted it, gave it a right click and from the menu that appeared I chose "view selection source" That showed a window with the bit of code that included the URL to which that link was pointing, it was obvious because it was selected in blue and had http at the start. That was in Firefox, but other browsers will have a similar method"

Totally agree Anja
I suppose it’s a difficult call for GNHQ but whilst we await their response on each occasion, those of us who are sceptical about a dud really feel sorry for the ones who are duped.
I hate to think of the poster poking fun at kind people!

Thats what annoys me Urmstrong people spending time and effort to reply with well thought out answers What do they get out if it ?
I think I ve been pulled into one going at the moment
The trouble is when you do report dodgy ones unless it's blatant advertising thay are left running, but if one of us expresses any doubt we are deleted immediately and called a troll and I resent being called that

As long as posts don't breach GNHQ guidelines they are permitted to stand apparently. So, if GNHQ believe that posts detailing child protection issues are genuine I hope they are fulfilling their Duty of Care by reporting them to social services.

Yes, it makes me angry too, particularly on behalf of those who have kindly and generously given their time to write a considered response to help someone, who's just having a good old laugh at their expense. I don't get it. As BB says, what do they get out of it?

And yes, I too resent being told off by GN if I challenge a poster - like many others here, I have expressed confusion or doubt about the authenticity of a post as a way of raising the alarm, to warn others to think before they waste their time replying. It upsets me to see people being made fools of.

Oh dear, I must be very trusting ( or thick), but I don't spot these possible fakes unless they are one of the really obvious school holiday ones about plimsolls. My perception skills must be waning.

Good point grannya

Because I haven't been expecting " dodgy posts " on this forum I haven't been looking for them. When I was on the crime forum I could sniff them out no problem because I'd realised that you can get odd-bods on such a site-------but not one such as this.

I left the crime site because of this very problem. Because I had my own personal view about a case the abuse etc was coming thick and fast and also from its " sister forum ". This " sister " forum is run by/owned by an ex-cop who just allowed posters to say anything insulting about anyone, disgusting .

I'll look more closely on here, sadly.

Cari, thanks for the response and I think we all get that but don't you have a duty to do the right thing by the people who really are 'members'?

I now wont offer advice on threads started by new posters - just in case - though some might say that's a blessing!

But it should be ok Cari, to point out when the OP starts “muddling” their story. When the OP replies and it doesnt quite tie in with what they’ve said before.

There was at least one of those this weekend.

You have to have a good memory to be a liar!

And it's the young/younger ones who have the better memories !

IMO it's a bit presumptuous to think that some members i.e. the naive and kindly, need saving from 'dodgy' threads.

Many/most of the responses are from long-standing members who choose to engage with the OP, for whatever reason.

If members read these threads properly and think for a minute before diving in with advice they would see that it's best to be a bit cautious.

Good advice Riverwalk
😊
If in doubt - do nowt!

I would rather take a post at face value and try to help.... and if I'm seen as a sucker then so be it.

Quite honestly I don't give a tinker's cuss what people think of me.

If you actually care what people think then I can see how you might be annoyed when you're taken in.

These kind of people feed on being believed and pulling you in. By ‘feed’ I mean it gives them a feeling of power and encourages them.

As someone who volunteered for years on a crisis line we learned not to feed the fantasies of those who sought to disrupt by tying up the phone lines when others in genuine need were trying to get through.

It’s not a case of being ‘annoyed when taken in’ at all, but it it all about not encouraging this to grow and grow.

I’m sick and tired of all these troll hunters quite frankly. If a thread poses an issue that could easily apply to others and is not titilating or creepy why would it be started by a troll? The replies could be useful whatever anway. If people reply in good faith why try and make them perhaps feel silly by yet another coded message that someone thinks it’s not a genuine poster? No one needs to come back and say they found the replies helpful fgs and posting that on a thread is pathetic quite frankly and could be seen as mischief making in its own right. Why not just grow up - report/ respond/ ignore but back off from ‘cutsey’ little messages

Gransnet is not a "crisis line'. It's a drop in and out forum. No lines to get tied up. Easy to ignore posts you don't like.

Exactly GG

I occasionally browse mumsnet. They seem to get A LOT of obviously made up posts, far more than here (probably down to being far more well known). However I’m always impressed by how quickly the moderators of mumsnet take down these threads. I wonder why gransnet don’t take similar action? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a post removed from here.