We are wondering if there is trolling...

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,

In the nanny forums we've had a few threads that seem tragic, unusual, and oddly similar. If you have a minute, could you see if there is a troll at work? Here are the two most recent and similar:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/309519.page
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/309569.page

If we're wrong it's been a pretty sad week out there.

Thx much.

[jsteele]

Good catch. Both of those threads were started by the same poster, as well as a few other threads with employer-employee drama. I've blocked the poster and will start removing the troll threads.

[jsteele]

If you remember the thread about the nanny who had to wait outside at night in a bad neighborhood? That was one of her's as well.

[jsteele]

One more post about this. This troll is very strange and unlike others that I've seen. She doesn't appear to be malicious or even interested in a lot of drama. Most of her threads are about normal working issues (from both employer and employee perspectives). Things like "how to fire a nanny" or "how much notice to give". I'm wondering if she is writing a blog or providing some sort of nanny service and provides advice about nannies. She may simply be using DCUM to get data for whatever she is doing. She also linked to her care.com profile in a few threads. So, I know her first name and that she is 25 years old and in Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Wow!

Thanks Jeff!

I'm glad there weren't really that many awful true stories out there.

Kind of odd that she linked to her actual info...

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:If you remember the thread about the nanny who had to wait outside at night in a bad neighborhood? That was one of her's as well.

Jeff, I was the first poster to call this OP a troll. The thread was reported and you commented on it stating that accusing someone of trolling was a form of trolling itself. There was another thread recently in the DCUM (not NANNY) forum where an OP started a thread, was outed rather quickly and therefore there was no verbal reproach directed at the troll shouters for lack of a better term. So my question is this-how do I know if I'm trolling when I call another poster a troll (knowing that this site is frequently trolled by your own admittance) when I don't have the means that you do to know if I'm right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:If you remember the thread about the nanny who had to wait outside at night in a bad neighborhood? That was one of her's as well.

Jeff, I was the first poster to call this OP a troll. The thread was reported and you commented on it stating that accusing someone of trolling was a form of trolling itself. There was another thread recently in the DCUM (not NANNY) forum where an OP started a thread, was outed rather quickly and therefore there was no verbal reproach directed at the troll shouters for lack of a better term. So my question is this-how do I know if I'm trolling when I call another poster a troll (knowing that this site is frequently trolled by your own admittance) when I don't have the means that you do to know if I'm right?

If you think it's a troll, use the report button.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:If you remember the thread about the nanny who had to wait outside at night in a bad neighborhood? That was one of her's as well.

Jeff, I was the first poster to call this OP a troll. The thread was reported and you commented on it stating that accusing someone of trolling was a form of trolling itself. There was another thread recently in the DCUM (not NANNY) forum where an OP started a thread, was outed rather quickly and therefore there was no verbal reproach directed at the troll shouters for lack of a better term. So my question is this-how do I know if I'm trolling when I call another poster a troll (knowing that this site is frequently trolled by your own admittance) when I don't have the means that you do to know if I'm right?

If you think it's a troll, use the report button.

Thanks. That sort of answers part of my question.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:If you remember the thread about the nanny who had to wait outside at night in a bad neighborhood? That was one of her's as well.

Jeff, I was the first poster to call this OP a troll. The thread was reported and you commented on it stating that accusing someone of trolling was a form of trolling itself. There was another thread recently in the DCUM (not NANNY) forum where an OP started a thread, was outed rather quickly and therefore there was no verbal reproach directed at the troll shouters for lack of a better term. So my question is this-how do I know if I'm trolling when I call another poster a troll (knowing that this site is frequently trolled by your own admittance) when I don't have the means that you do to know if I'm right?

The incessant troll calling is indeed a form of trolling itself. Countless threads are turned off topic or deteriorate beyond usefulness by troll calling. In the case of the post about the nanny who had to stay outside, when I was first asked to look into it I got it wrong. I didn't see any sock puppetting in the thread and a review of a few other threads by the poster didn't suggest trolling. One of the characteristics of this troll -- almost unique in my experience -- is that the troll was extremely consistent within threads. I didn't immediately see any inconsistencies within the various stories, it was only when I noticed threads in which the poster was playing very different roles.

I won't always call out the troll callers. In fact, it is fairly rare. But, sometimes I do. The preferred method to react to a suspected troll is to ignore the thread. But, if you feel you need to do something, use the report button. If you really want to see a response, post in this forum.