Is It Just Me: Thinking Mumsnet Brought the DadSec Attack On Itself?

I think its pretty standard knowledge that I’m no fan of Mumsnet or it’s bullying practices and members.

Even I was slightly shocked by DadSec hacking and bringing the site down, as well as “swatting” Justine Roberts and another member.

“Swatting” is a mostly American practice where to be ultra snarky to someone who you aren’t a fan of, you ring in a false report on 999, then film the swat team turning up.

No one has thus far uploaded a video of such events at Justine’s house, and it’s doubtful they will if they have sense- after all the Met do tend to take a dim view of false reports ending in lots of Police with guns going for no reason to someone’s home.

My view?

Mumsnet, especially Justine as its co-founder, have to take some responsibility for the actions taken against it. I’m only surprised it’s taken this long.

The site itself may advertise itself as a friendly place for parent’s to interact and share tips. In my experience, and the experiences of others, its anything but.

Now, I’m not suggesting that all members on the site are awful, but there does seem to be a hierarchy of longer term members who are allowed to do and say what they like and not get in trouble for it. To the point where, they can happily call you terrible names, tell you you are an awful parent and be as nasty as they like.

Yet no matter how many times you appeal to their supposedly neutral moderators, you get ignored. In some cases, the moderators join in with the abuse. All whilst covering themselves with a well placed smiley emojji.

Say something back at these bullies though, and the mere second they moan to the exact same admin, you get told off in public. Argue back, and, like me, despite legitimately asking for help against a vast group who even followed me to my blog to snark, and you’ll be banished from the site without a right to reply or appeal, whilst the very nasty lot you’ve had abuse from gets free reign to slag you further and announce you a wuss for “flouncing”.

Take as well the Bounty Mutiny.

Mumsnet had no issue battering a competitor to try and rid the competition from the net.

Yet answer back and suggest they had ulterior motives for suddenly and publicly trying to remove a valid funding source for the cash strapped NHS and, you guessed it, you better have your Twitter block button on standby and prepare for yet more abuse.

I met Justine Roberts many years ago at a very early blogging conference. Back even then, in 2010. she had no issue in confirming that Mumsnet preferred the Middle class Mum to single mums on benefits or lower income parents.

I kid you not, it caused all sorts of anger in the early UK blog community.

And no surprise that the site itself may run a Blogger Community but it’s forum members actively and unashamedly slag it and bloggers to death as being interlopers.

I’m not a fan of wasting Police time, but instead of bemoaning the behavior of taking the wretched site offline, perhaps Mumsnet Towers needs to put down the Prosecco, and look within as to why they were targeted.

All the while they are so off to Dads, single parents and the poor, and belittle with glee parent’s who actually stumble on the group for advice down to love for their children, Mumsnet should prepare itself for more attempts to remove it from the net.

There are far nicer groups out there, and I think the net can do without an adult cyber bully fest.

Perhaps now they’ve had a taste of their own bitter medicine, Mumsnet can regroup and refresh it’s skewed rules and regulations.

Dadsec may be sensationalist, but it’s about time the uneducated on the ways of this self confessed viper nest asked why they were adamant that Mumsnet should be stopped?

I for one hope they do make changes.

But, as someone who spent 18 months investigating the site, I very much doubt they will.