Troll hunting and thread deletions

Thank you Natasha, I too think it's time to draw a line under it and move on. Speculation can cause someone to wrongly being accused. The majority of posters on GN are kind and supportive, as I have learned in the last few days.

The PM caught me at a very low point, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered about calling them out publicly. As far as I'm concerned, GNHQ were very quick to support me, so thank you for that.

It has however, made me very wary about what I thought was an apparently innocent post of mine being totally misconstrued by another poster.
A hard lesson learned.

Anybody who has read your post would never think of you as a "feeble old granny" Marydoll!
Personally I have always been awed by your fight and courage.
On top of that you are one of the kindest most thoughtful people on here. Whoever the old b***h is severely underestimated you!

I agree, Merlotgran.

My PM, which I will now try to forget, has nothing to do with any poster alluded to here.
Anyway , the alluded to poster wasn't sneaky nor cowardly, (like the author of my PM) she said what she thought, without pretending to be someone she wasn't.

I'm sure the author of my PM, didn't think I was going to call her out publicly. She probably assumed that I was some feeble old granny! Oh how wrong she was!!! ?

Fair point merlot. I got a bit carried away. Apologies.

In RL I would be the first to stand up to a bully on someone else's behalf because I would know who and what I was dealing with but on an internet forum there is so much whispering behind hands about an invisible enemy that I'm not going to waste my time speculating.

I'm sorry some members have been hurt by nasty PMs and I remember the nasty incident involving phoenix's job.

There is only one way to deal with that kind of poster and that is to block and report them. If that poster is allowed to remain it's no use getting more upset because, unlike the school playground, you can avoid them.

Kate1949 You are casting aspersions on a poster who is no longer on the forum.

Unless I have missed something, this poster has nothing to do with the subject being discussed and your post could result in false assumptions.

Phoenix Edinburgh? Yikes. It wisnae me honest! What time of year was it? We're usually absolutely packed out with tourists during the festival(s). Could have been convenient for that nasty person to have sent it then.

I suspect there are quite a few other posters who have been targeted who choose not to say or who just leave.

I mean calls for her to be reinstated.

I'm quite shocked at that Marydoll. To be honest there have been a few calls on here for a certain poster who left (or was banned). This person, in my opinion, was often rude and hurtful. There's no need. Life is difficult enough, especially at the moment.

I think it is very telling that 2 of the most popular and entertaining posters have been targeted - jealously, pure and simple. The culprits must be very bitter and twisted. How sad.

Marydoll & Phoenix
I am totally astounded that some members of GN have been so hateful to you. Do as you would be done by has always been my ‘go to’ when commenting on anything. I’d rather say nothing than get myself tied up in a bitter conversation. We all have diverse opinions which should be respected however much we disagree. Whoever they are, they have big problems. GN isn't what it originally was: a place to find friendship, help, laughter (Phoenix provides that in spades ) healthy debate etc... I suppose, like everything, it has grown and is bound to invite undesirables and trolls. A number of regulars no longer post now, although they are still around and sometimes I am tempted to join them!

I'm another poster that has been reading for a while but only started posting quite recently.

I've had nothing but support and good advice from the threads I've posted on and I've laughed, felt sad, uplifted and regained hope from these posters.

I'm horrified to read what happened to phoenix and marydoll.
The cowardly act of annnonnimity says it all as these two particular posters are very entertaining and interesting to read.

Ordeal by innocence comes to mind for the rest of us posters.

A few years ago I received a very nasty PM but in fairness to her, she said a lot of it online because she thought I should not be driving as I have two eye diseases. She is not my ophthalmologist thank God and my sight problems have zilch to do with her.

I am on a phase 3 trial for one disease and as I am examined monthly I know I would be told when my driving should stop!

I am not certain but I think that GN jumped before she was pushed.

Some people think they know best and should take over. I had so much support from other GNs I was overwhelmed. There are so many really nice folk around. In normal times I have met a few over a coffee and we have raised a few eyebrows with our laughter.

There are some very odd people about, whether in real life or on social media. for you, Marydoll, what a shame that somebody felt so jealous of you that they had to spoil your day like that.

I’ve only ever had one mean pm, nowhere near as bad as yours. Mine came from a poster who always came across as a sad and angry person. She doesn’t post now. I felt sorry for her, trying to pull others down probably made her feel better about her life.

I have only just caught up with this thread and I am horrified that this has happened.
Phoenix what happened to you was before I joined GN. That someone could do that is so bizarre! I love to read your threads especially the ones about MrP. I am glad you stayed around so I could get to know your sense of humour and thank goodness your boss was so understanding about it all!
Marydoll your poison pen pm is beyond belief! You have been so kind to many people on here me included and have suffered so much yet you still find time to support some of us less hardy souls. I hope GNHQ will act against the vile person who sent this.

I am shocked beyond words at what I've read on this thread.

What a terrible thing to have happened pheonix to think that anyone would sink so low as to try and get another GN the sack beggars belief.

Thank goodness they failed and also, if it was their intention to drive you away from GN, they failed there too.

I'm glad you've reported that offensive pm Marydoll and "fought back". It is very upsetting to receive something of that calibre and if you allow it too, can make you wary of even being on GN never mind being wary of what you post.

It's several years since I received an awful pm but not as long to finding myself being victimised here on GN over a period of several months. Sections of posts that I'd made years ago were being re posted out of context in an attempt to make it appear that we deserved being estranged from our son and only GC.

It stopped for a few months but then was started up again by the same GN's. I came to GN more than 7 years ago looking for support from other parents who like us had found themselves estranged.

The kindness I have received has been instrumental in helping me get to the point where I can embrace and enjoy life again.

The kindness and support I received on the public forum and from pm's was instrumental in helping me cope with the nastiness I was subjected too.

My thanks to the friends I have made here, to 'strangers' who pm'd me with their support and to GNHQ for their proactive approach to a very upsetting experience.

This is terrible Marydoll, please tell me she’s not posting on our lovely Good Morning thread! I couldn’t bear to think it was anyone from there?

Elegran that is what we worked out that somebody posted it in Edinburgh as they were maybe there on a day out from somewhere smaller and could possibly have been traced by GNHQ. We tried our best but no joy. I have never forgotten it because it was so devious and that person spent money to carry it out. Thankfully phoenix's boss took no notice but it could have been very different.

If you remember some of us wrote a thumbnail sketch of ourselves but they were removed after that debacle.

As Elegran says, someone could have been passing through Edinburgh and waited until away from their own area to do post it.
I can't get my head around the reason for trying to get someone sacked, when you don't even know them.

I could have seen a reason for my PM, if perhaps I had had a spat with the poster, who sent my PM, but I only know the name, not the poster.☹️
I'm sure they were surprised, when I fought back. Probably thought I was an easy target.
I see she was still still posting!?

It's hard to understand how anyone could be so unkind and devious. It is a warning to all of us that nothing is private on social media and we should be take care with personal details revealed. I'm so sorry this happened to you Phoenix

I wonder if the same person was responsible for both your letter and MD's PM, phoenix?

I am very sad to hear that it was posted from Edinburgh, Phoenix, and I can only say that I don't believe any of the Gransnet members that I have met from around here would have been responsible. Perhaps it was someone passing through who sent it from somewhere well away from their home town, so that they would be harder to trace. Was it in July or August, when the city is full of visitors?

perhaps it wasn't something about you, but an opportunity to grab an identifiable business from details on here.
there was a poison pen in talking heads, it's so well known.
they may well be opportunists, like a burglar trying every door until one opens.
i don't think it is just this site.
on MN they try to get money out of people, or spin long stories of invented medical problems. fantasists/narcissists.

But Phoenix the strangest thing is someone going to all that trouble for a complete stranger that's just weird. And you aren't marmite at all, your posts are upbeat and cheerful, a breath of freshair after reading the political ones!