GNHQ here - please read

Perhaps GNHQ could consider seacliff's suggestion LaraGN.

seacliff Quote [ If they persist, remove them for a week or two, and announce it on the thread. Why can't you do that?] End Quote?

seacliff, I feel that releasing the information as you request would be a breach of the Data Protection Act.

It would in all probability infringe the section that states " collected and stored data is only to be used in a way that is adequate, relevant and limited to only what is necessary".

This is all becoming tiresome now. For goodness sake we are all adults on here not wimpy kids.
Think whoever mentioned Stepford Wives was right, that's what we are being turned into.
apologies to any goats who may be reading this

I can't see any indication that announcing someone is banned for a set period in any way discloses any collected or stored data or breeches the Data Protection Act. The suspension is adequate and relevant as there has been a breech of GN regulations and the action is more limited than a full suspension. So the only possible breech would be in the announcement which discloses no more information than that already known to posters ie. the miscreants chosen name.

I am reading this thread with increasing disbelief.

I've seen a few very lovely people leave which is such a shame really. Most of them had been through some horrific abuse in their lifetimes as well which made it even more tough to see them go. You have to have a thick skin in some areas of gransnet that's for sure.

Firstly - I agree with the original post (posted many lightyears pages ago!!) that people should try very hard to avoid personal attacks in their posts. Debate about facts or opinions is great, attacks at a personal level are not. Grownups like us should be able to tell the difference.

Second - I have come late to the thread so I didn't read the posts by Ggump, but they seem to have been virulent and repeated. Neither have I read whatever disagreement/spat the posters involved had previously been indulging in, and I don't want to know

Lastly, I thought that it has always been a point of etiquette on Gransnet NOT to carry a grudge onto a new thread. A new conversation should read as though it is newly minted, not a continuation of a previous set-to. If a poster is still smarting from one encounter, they should avoid replying to their opponent in another situation and drawing bystanders into the melee who are not even aware of old enmities. That isn't fair to the bystanders!

I am reading this thread and thinking it's just so strange and yes disbelief also.

trisher, in regard to your post @17:05 today, the notification that a forum member has been banned or had their membership suspended is a personal notification between GNHQ and the forum member involved.

Therefore to release that data publicly without the consent of the member involved would be a breach of the Data Protection Act.

If you know that some people on the thread are people you've had issues with in the past ,scroll past .I avoid 3 people for that reason and probably a couple more who I'll avoid in future.

Not unless you actually identified that member Grandad1943 and no one on here is identified because we have user names so our personal details are not disclosed.

However Trisher, there are posters who are in contact with with other posters and know their personal details. It only takes one person to reveal the real name and GDPR has been breached.
GNHQ cannot afford to take that risk.
I admit that there is a minimal possibility of that happening, but it could.

When I have ventured onto Mumsnet, which isn’t often, I have found it far worse than here. Are we oldies expected to be better behaved than our sister branch?

I think the threads which usually, but not exclusively, descend into vitriol, and personal comments, are the political. I am interested in politics and often find them very informative, especially when supportive evidence is given for opinion. Unfortunately reasoned argument doesn’t seem to last for long, and things become very polarised right v left. Pity because at this point some interested posters withdraw and leave the few to fight it out.

Funny thing is this seems to create an energy all of its own or posters wouldn’t hang on in there til the bitter end.

IMO once an argument has descended into the personal the whole cause is devalued and lost.

I suspect if posters were not anonymous they may be more respectful.

trisher

Not unless you actually identified that member Grandad1943 and no one on here is identified because we have user names so our personal details are not disclosed.

trisher, GN or any similar organisation would still be disclosing information that has only taken place between two individual parties. Therefore it would still be a breach of the Data Protection Act unless both parties agree to that release.

Example to the problems of such disclosure would be that this site allows the advertising of "meet ups" at which forum members get to know each other personally.

Should it be that one of those persons was banned by GN others who know that member are able to share that information?

And that is how data gets leaked.

Information about who is banned on MN is all over the site.

Not by MNHQ themselves I hasten to add.

Losing the will....

Personal data is defined in the GDPR as anything that can be directly or indirectly identified to a natural person, such as names, physical addresses, IP addresses, location data, and information about physical, mental, economic, cultural or social facts.

That covers the subject matter of most posts, on most threads. Maybe no-one should post anything, ever.

I know Elegran, but I think it has to be taken in context.

We ourselves reveal our personal data on this site, that is our choice. It is when it is revealed by an other party without our consent, it becomes a breach.

Recently I gave permission for another poster to give my personal details to a third poster. .
The offence would have been committed if my name and address had been given without my explicit permission.

Does that make sense? GN could be liable for a huge fine if someone's identity was discovered, without their permission. Obviously, HQ are going to play it by the book.

Yes, indeed, GN can't afford to let any data get into the wrong hands, but posters themselves reveal a lot about their lives in their posts. Every day you can read "information about physical, mental, economic, cultural or social facts." and location, occupation, family size and sex, etc etc. All this could be added together to make a profile of an individual. For forum members to communicate at all, some details get exchanged.

Elegran I agree with you that every thread should be ‘freshly minted’ and I often agree with a poster on one subject and thread and disagree on another thread with the same poster.
Today was......bizarre, and I refused to be drawn into it,( as in tit for tat postings) which I think is the best way.
I said earlier that I hope it highlights the need for more pleasant posts where possible, and I really hope it does.

The difference Elegran, is that they choose to do it of their own free will, so they cannot complain if they are identified.

It is only when another person/company/institution etc reveals a person's personal data without permission, it becomes an offence.

Firstly if it was a breach of the Data Protection Act then WhitewaveMK2's post about the banning would have had to be deleted because by allowing it to be made public then GNHQ would be just as guilty as if they had themselves given the news.
But it isn't. No personal data has been revealed.
Then even if it had been a breach it can only be considered for legal action if there is evidence that the individual involved has suffered personal harm because of the breach.