Are you having a New Year break, GNHQ?

I did not intend the thread to go this way, just to stress the need for moderators to be available and give some illustrations of what can/has happened.

I have always found GNHQ to be very supportive, which I was puzzled by no apparent moderation over the last few days.

One can delete PMs. Its being deleted by someone else is not going to address any hurt caused by it.

GNHQ can prevent them from contacting others, as they are likely to do if it's some sort of scam.
Or, if it's simply someone being nasty, can tell them to desist or be banned.

At the very least, the person who was targeted will feel they have been supported not left alone to cope.

That would be misconstrued as bullying by some. You can't really win. Best thing is to report them and then block them.

It says more about them than you. We don't know what is going on in their lives. Let GN deal with it.

Maybe we should name and shame anyone who sends a nasty pm. No need to go into details but just remove their safety net?

It's a cowardly thing to do.

I speak from experience Baggs. I received a PM when I was in a very dark place. The poster didn't know me, totally misinterpreted what I had said, did a fair bit of character assassination and added some imaginary details about my life and family.
This is a regular poster on GN and it still upsets me now. I am robust and savvy enough to fight back, but others are not, which is why I think moderation is essential. .

It nearly broke me. I cannot for the life of me, understand why she did it. GNHQ did deal with it immediately, but I was left feeling very low.

One nasty PM is one too many! Why even send them in the first place.

I think you would get a ban for an abusive or pestering PM on Gransnet too, fannyc.

Would you get a ban for sending an abusive pm? You ought to, surely.
MN seems to be a lot stronger on stuff than on here.

Marydoll

That's a fair point eazybee, but that's not really what I am concerned about. That is their choice to do that.

Hypothetically, what if a vulnerable poster receives an unsolicited and unpleasant PM from someone, which greatly upsets them and nothing is done because there were no moderators available ?

I know of a poster in the last few weeks, who has left GN because of an unsolicited, nasty PM about a post she wrote.
People who send PMs like that should be dealt with immediately.

I agree.
What a shame that some posters have to be so awful.
Disagree in public with others, it’s cowardly and shameful to do this by pm.

Hypothetically the nuisance PM sender could continue to send unwanted PMs but, once one had cottoned onto that, surely one simply wouldn't look until GNHQ had done whatever they're able to do and told one so.

Hypothetically, what if a vulnerable poster receives an unsolicited and unpleasant PM from someone, which greatly upsets them and nothing is done because there were no moderators available ?

One can delete PMs. Its being deleted by someone else is not going to address any hurt caused by it.

GN has different mods to MN.

Sometimes they do have mods from MNHQ who respond to reports from GN.

I reported a suspect scam thread the other week and got a response from MNHQ - "thank you for bringing this to our attention, it has now been deleted."

I agree with you too Marydoll.
Gransnet is part of Mumsnet.
It may not be a profitable part of it, but it’s still part of it. Although profits have reduced in the last couple of years, they still run into £millions, so don’t tell us they can’t afford to pay moderators retiredwell.

It’s in the site’s interests to have effective & balanced moderation. If they don’t, things do get out of hand sometimes, posters leave and revenue falls.

OOPs pedantry alert!

ITS posters.

I'm not being naive about cost, lack of advertising etc, we are living in exceptionally difficult times.

I also understand that by posting on this site, we can leave ourselves wide open being upset.

However, I'm looking at this from a safeguarding point of view. GN has a duty to protect it's posters, whether those at their lowest point, who pour their heart out and later regret it, from scammers and people who post particularly nasty, personal attacks, just because the can.

Hi
GN has different mods to MN.
MN also has volunteer mods at night.

For the record, I agree with everything that Mary has said.

That's a fair point eazybee, but that's not really what I am concerned about. That is their choice to do that.

Hypothetically, what if a vulnerable poster receives an unsolicited and unpleasant PM from someone, which greatly upsets them and nothing is done because there were no moderators available ?

I know of a poster in the last few weeks, who has left GN because of an unsolicited, nasty PM about a post she wrote.
People who send PMs like that should be dealt with immediately.

The basic problem with GN moderation is cost, as I seem to remember they admitted a few weeks back. Many forums such as this have succumbed under the pressure of Twitter and Facebook.

To employ persons costs money that many forum sites that still survive can ill afford. Bank Holiday employment adds further to those costs. Therefore, surely anyone reporting a post can wait for moderation to become available if it is not provided on a twenty four hours three hundred and sixty five day basis.

After all, it is hardly the end of the world, and if a post is then judged as "inappropriate" it will be eventually deleted and the forum member notified.

MawBe

You could test the system by posting about one*ies, daps, or rapid stair-related descents.
(Just joking GNHQ Happy New Year )

Well yes or airborne accessories.

Are they the same mods as for Mumsnet? That site gets a LOT more traffic so maybe they're busy elsewhere. Or, god forbid, ill (Covid).

You could test the system by posting about one*ies, daps, or rapid stair-related descents.
(Just joking GNHQ Happy New Year )

Nobody forces people to post, and some of the private details they choose to reveal are astonishing.

retiredwell not at all as safe as you think people are under assumed names can sometimes can be recognised just by the things they post, the problem, a family dispute etc etc and these posts can be used in newspaper or other media articles without permission

Retiredwell, you are totally missing the point. If there are no moderators, and people are aware of it, that means that posters have free reign to post whatever they want, without sanction. That includes the scammers who prey on vulnerable people and there have been a few recently.

On a number of occasions, we have had, Wil, Simon and friends posting during the night to con vulnerable, lonely ladies.
You seem to be unaware of the consequences of these invitations not being dealt with promptly.

I'm not sure what you mean about vulnerable workers in relation to GN. In all the years I have been posting, I have not seen this lack of moderation.

I understand that like everywhere else, people may be ill or the business is short staffed. I just wondered what was going on.

It should be checked by someone at least every hour

Harsh comments here! Perhaps there are unforseen
circumstances that we dont know about thats caused a delay in GNHQ responding!