Mamapedia & Trolls

I was gone for 5 days and didn't miss it. A year or two ago? I would have missed it. Now? There are some that are just - well - they are just so not worth the time nor the effort and spoil the site with their ugliness....

I've been asking for several years for MMP to track IP addresses....this would dramatically cut down on trolls and multiple accounts.

Some trolls are funny. Some, like DandyLion (where did she go by the way?) started out nasty - then just became hilarious with her antics...

Some are just plain trolls. This one today? We keep feeding it...I admit - I have fed it today as well.

The "monitoring" of the site? PAHLEASE!!! If someone doesn't like what you say - they might report you!!! And then ask their "Friends" to report....so without even READING the post - it gets removed....it has happened....just recently one of my friends had a response removed - and there was NOTHING flaming in it - the OP just got her friends to report it and the monitor removed it without even READING it...

When they remove posts like this? It knocks down their credibility. However, they really lost a LOT of credibility when they TOTALLY screwed the pooch and posted about one members loss and didn't even have the correct information!!

They will never catch them all. Unfortunately. You can't make everyone happy all the time.

What could MMP do to improve the site?
1. implement IP address controls - that would CUT DOWN - not eliminate trolls.
2. Monitor the site better. Actually READ what is reported and not just "hey - two people reported this - it must be bad - so we must remove it"
3. improve the search engine - if people could actually FIND what they were looking for - we wouldn't have so many repeat questions....

That's my take. Hope it helps to know you are not alone!!

I am with you on this.

I find I spend less time on MP and when I am here I take most posts less seriously because of the troll factor. I search for the Moms that I know, unfortunately, not giving new members much attention until it has been established that they are "real". Which means, new Moms oft get less advice here than they did before.

MP could try what other boards have done - recruit long time members to serve as moderators. My sister is a moderator on a board she participated on for years - the system works well - and at no cost for the site itself.

Ah, the raisin answer was truly a thing of beauty. :)

I totally agree with you. I used to feel as though I was among a group of friends. I grew to recognize names and felt we could discuss problems and dilemmas and get a lot of helpful advice. I also enjoyed the postings that would be like a continuing story with updates, etc. Then I don't know what happened that made so many change their names and I didn't recognize anyone. I've figured out some of the "old" ones, but not all.

Although I'm not on as often as I used to be, I still enjoy this site and refuse to let the trolls ruin it for me.

Trolls and bored kids will always be a bane of any site. Even heavy moderation will not catch them all. I tend to be able to catch most troll posts at the title and try to keep all the names in order. I generally check their histories and if they are new posters with doozy questions I skip unless I am in the mood. Not so much tired, just used to them.

To me, it's a fatal flaw in my personality make-up:
I do not like things which don't make sense.

To me, trolls simply do not make sense. There are so many other things to do in life, why troll a board? Seriously, that would be the LAST thing on a list of things to do if I was deathly bored, on that deathbed of *dying of boredom*... and then I'd just rip it off the list and do that next to last thing, like just the most inane stupid thing I could think of. Trolling is more stupid than THAT.

There are also questions I cannot answer nicely, simply because troll or no, I am convinced I will lose brain cells contemplating them. I'm happy to help with legit questions and like some of the opinion-type ones. Lately, though, I have enough going on that troll weekends don't bring on a sense of Mamapedia loss. I figure that some of us just 'go on vacation' for the weekends and come back when the Weekend Frankenstein's Monster version of MP ends on Monday.

ETA: S., just FYI, I have written to MP several times, asking for improvements, such as a notification that a post might be used on Facebook (in case someone wants to change details), or *asking* about a sensitive post being posted (some of us remember that one of our online community here had a sensitive post reposted on FB), or that there would be weekend moderation... S., I've asked repeatedly. That's really not what MP is here for... from the ads I get, it's apparently to sell "For Men Only" online gaming sites, boob creme (oh, gawd, so don't need it!) and Madden 25 football video games, etc. etc. I say this with a pinch of salt and humor-- I don't think MP is meant to be an altruistic, caring entity. I'm not mad about it.. I just think they need to do better data-mining for the ads I'm presented! :)

I'm totally with Turnip on the IP issue. It needs to happen.

The worst is when they get on and ask really disgusting sexual questions, and it stays up all weekend. More then anything, I want the pervs blocked. All trolls threaten credibility, but the pervs are the worst.

I admit, I am rarely on the site - maybe once a week. I've been pretty busy the past few weeks, so it has been awhile.

I just ignore them. I am disappointed that there aren't more legitimate questions on here. I really enjoy coming here every so often and reading the questions and answers. I find it relaxing and usually learn something. I definitely gain perspective on the things that my kids are doing. Lately it seems that there aren't that many questions (real or troll). I often wonder why.

I asked a question about it not that long ago about why there were less questions. Most people said it was the trolls that discourage real questions. Others said summer is like this. Some said people were too harsh with their answers.

Whatever it is, I miss having lots of good questions to read about. I hardly think trolls are the problem.

I am very curious what this "public incident is." I feel so out of the loop!

I'm still of the opinion it's a regular member that does a lot of the troll posts.
There's already been a pretty public incident which showed for sure at least O. regular member has more than O. account. Possibly up to four.
Obviously they do t track IP addresses or even care if anyone has more than O. account. I do t understand the need for more than O., but whatever floats ya' I guess....
I like the funny trolls like DandyLion.
The others? Annoying.

I guess I am more of a realistic person. I cannot respond to the nonsense, even if it is funny. I begin to read the post and as soon as I identify the message has come from a troll, I click off of it. It is just one big turn off for me.

I guess trolls, hackers, panhandlers, and head lice are just part of life we cannot seem to control.

Yes - the trolls are out of control!
This site need a few moderators on duty 24/7and holidays (especially school holidays) and the ability to block an IP address is absolutely necessary.
If they want to badly enough, there are ways to solve this problem and they don't have to re-invent the wheel to do it.

I guess I've been "tardy to the party", as I have only been posting on here for about a month.

I have actually been receiving MP emails for years, but by random chance about a month ago there was a question in an MP email that piqued my interest, and I logged on to reply. And, the rest is history! ;-)

In the few weeks I've been on here I have been impressed with the depth of many of the responses. Which is why I recently opened myself up to sharing an important (but admittedly not parenting-related) personal matter.

The responses I received to my post - both posted and as PMs - were wonderful and SO helpful to me. Your responses honestly might help me save the life of someone who is very special to me.

So, I guess my point is - I don't know how things "used to be" around here, but MP can count me as a fan.

They may not care, as they use our questions for FB anyway. But I do think they just need to ban these people via IP or something.

For the most part, when I detect a troll, I don't answer the post. I can't say they bother me too much. I think you actually have trolls on EVERY site. However, in some cases, the "trolls" probably are some kid looking to prank someone but rather a person who enjoys misleading people into thinking they are one of them. The net is a place that connects ALL different types of people, shapes and sizes and mentality.... There are very much some weirdos out there.

Therefore, even if you decide this website and its trolls are out of con"trol" :) no that other websites may have similar issues.. but maybe their trolls aren't as obvious..

I try to act like it's a real question and answer like I was the silliest goofy person on the planet. It's often fun for me. I do sometimes just go off on them though but that's been a long long time ago.

It adds some entertainment to a rather boring day on occasion.

Trolls are everywhere. I moderate on a few boards and while we try to catch them pretty quickly we also have lives.

They are just a part of internet land. This sites trolls are actually pretty calm, not nearly as bad as some of them can get.

Honestly I just move on, unless it's to good to pass up of course.

Wait . . . did the sleeping beast awaken because of this post?

It's only Sunday morning, and the Viagra posts have been removed!!!
(Actually, all of that "member's" posts seem to be gone.)

I agree, the raisin response was priceless, though :-D

Thank you, Mamapedia!!!

Remember the Raspberry Beret question?

I do visit here less and less for sure. And when I do pop in for a day or two, I see and recognize and miss many of the old names, like yours.

Yup. It's interesting to me, after having been on this website for 8 years now, that Mamapedia hasn't made any effort to improve the site at all. We are bombarded with ads, to the point that on a mobile device, the site is unusable, and yet, there's STILL no usable search feature, there's STILL no monitoring over the weekends... I have to assume the owners of the site don't care whatsoever that a huge number of long-time members of the site are unhappy, and many have left in favor of smaller, closed/private Facebook groups. It's too bad, because a lot of those women provided great answers and support to the new moms on the site. Note to Mamapedia: without those of us who have been there and done that, you have no site.