Spoiling GN

I must be missing something.

I haven't seen any 'dodgy' posts. What are they about?

I fully agree with maryeliza’s post at 17:49. These coded messages are very irritating. If I think a post is fake I either ignore or report it.

Anja there is a real over reaction very ill thought out to the issue of ‘trolls’. The word covers a multitude of different types. There are the very silly ones which are just so obvious, no emotional content and easily spotted, reported and ignored. They are just silly jokes. There are then some where the issue is a very believable possible one and people provide a variety of helpful responses. The OP may not post again but so what - the OP may or may not be ‘genuine’ but then again what
harm is done? The discussion can certainly have value for those reading and/or taking part. On MN I’ve seen a third kind where the OP posts about something very sensitive - emotional or sexual and keeps coming back and ‘stirring the pot’ so to speak. These are horrible and generally are deleted but not after some people have felt really hurt and abused. The bottom line is that we have to always bear in mind that this is a public open forum post moderated that anyone for any reason can post on. We should never give more of ourselves than we can spare and never give away identifying features ( although some are amazingly open re this) If certain threads upset us we should just avoid them. I really don’t get why some posters think it’s their job to troll hunt and risk all the upset that goes with that, especially false accusations.

Well, you and others who feel that way, look after yourselves anja. And let others who don't feel so strongly take their chances.

No one is over egging anything, but some people are missing the point.

Trolls do exist. They are seriously disturbed people. They play on people’s emotions. Some of the reactions are from people who feel they have been duped. That’s exactly what a troll wants. But if you are happy to play their games then go ahead but don’t give them oxygen by doing down posters who see them for what they are.

BB I really think you are overegging the pudding. We had a discussion a few days ago about how talking about Mothers Day upset some people. If you’re getting cancer treatment and someone posts their tests show their tumour is benign you might be upset. We can’t protect ourselves from this whether the posts are genuine or not

Ilovecheese…..I tend to agree with you!!
There is so much hysteria about fake posters!
It's very odd, the policing of GN by those who think they know best!!

Blatant advertising does get taken down quite quickly SpanielNanny and there have been a few ‘fake’ threads taken down but it can be quite slow whilst messages doubting the thread are deleted almost immediately

I m not sure of the answer but there have been some very upsetting ones like the one that maintained their dead mother was ringing their phone how upsetting was that for anyone on here bereaved Some are just drama seeking some so daft they can be ignored but when they are discussing really sad upsetting topics it’s jusr plain mischief making and shouldn’t be ignored them all

I don't see any need to feel sorry or sad about people who give replies on any threads, they are just behaving like decent human beings and should not be made to feel as if they have been foolish or duped.

Posters are not preventing anyone else from "getting through" like on a helpline.

Surely a lot of people only come on to Gransnet with a problem when they actually have a problem, they shouldn't have to undergo some sort of probationary period before asking for help.

It is also as well to remember that on an internet forum, unless you have actually met the person in real life, it is impossible to tell if what anyone posts is actually the truth.

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.

Exactly GG

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.

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

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 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.

Good advice Riverwalk
?
If in doubt - do nowt!

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

Good point grannya

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.