WebSleuthsReviews 106

First of all, DO NOT DONATE any money to this site, the mods will beg you for paypal tips or patreon tips. DON'T DO IT. Why? Because its a majorly biased and unfair site to be on, you are quite literally stepping on eggshells around the mods permanently. Sillybilly is the worst mod of all time, i really don't understand how she keeps her job as quite frankly i would donate (as i like the idea of the site in general) but she makes the site so AWFUL to use i wouldn't dream of ever donating a penny towards her wages. I know plenty of other people feel the same towards her too. She puts you on time outs, thread bans, deletes your post for literally just stating an opinion, its as simple as that. Yet the people that actually start an argument she never seems to punish? Only the people that respond trying to defend themselves in the first place. Makes no sense and just another sign of the favoritism on here, sign up and you'll know what i mean... thats all i can say.

Moderation on current cases involves restricting discussion just to things that have already been published in the mainstream media. Links to social media source material or any other useful unearthed information will mostly be banned unless LE have announced that person as a suspect, making sleuthing by then a largely pointless exercise.

The entire website is therefore largely irrelevant circular chatter and is unhelpful for any serious sleuthing by those with sharp minds and attention to detail. The only smart conversations happen between members in private chat and not in the public forum where it will be swiftly deleted. Forum posts tend towards expressing emotion and feelings rather than clinical assessment of evidence, gathering new insights, and informed theorizing. Virtue signalling for "likes" abounds. Moderators tend to invoke their Terms of Service against anyone who adopts anything other than the accepted herd mentality view on a case which longtime members constantly direct according to their "years of experience following these sorts of cases on here" - never mind the real world experience of others or the different era of crime that we're in.

You may only contribute/post a video to the conversation/forum that was produced by Main Stream Media or Law Enforcement. You can't sleuth the web with that policy - so everything is very surface-level with a common denominator approach.

There are so many excellent true crime outlets that are not mainstream but are doing the best work. MODERN DAY SOCIETY doesn't get their news from mainstream media anymore, so to limit the convo to that is, well...

This website is not a serious true crime forum and is severely outdated in its approach. I understand now WHY Websleuth's owner appealed to their users for money to keep the company alive. It's a shame.

You are given only accurate and verified information on this forum. The community that has began growing feels more like family than your actual family. You speak w/them nightly.

The moderators are controlling in the extreme. They leap to conclusions that a poster is criticizing moderation and punish posters. They end discussion on motives they disagree with, then hijack the conversation back to their preferred theory. They overlook remarks by some posters, and punish others for comments the criticize as rude when they are anything but. If they disagree with you about 3 times, they freeze you out, putting you on a ban, or a "time out" with no word as to how long that is for, and no discussion. Controlling and dictorial. Not worth your time to try to make a contribution, and certainly not worth a "donation" to participate.

It is so great to listen to and! I enjoy the chat because they are respectful and factual. She covers all types of subjects and interacts with the chat. I have been to other channels and it was awful. I found websleuths and would watch when I have free time. Than the stay at home Covid. Her and the subs have helped me through the stay at home. It's a amazing experience. If you blue she will chat with and the amazing people who are in the chat will as well. The websleuths community over all is a positive experience!

I have to agree with ALL the negative other reviews of this site. The moderators are all on a power trip (especially silly billy, you only need to read their posts to realise what a complete fool this moderator is). Considering it's supposed to be a sleuthing site, bizarrely, on the threads you are not allowed to sleuth anything. Everything must be backed up by news media articles and if they are not you get put on a time out. Your not allowed to post any rumours that you've heard, sleuth any of the families or friends, pretty much everything is banned.
The moderators are completely biased also towards certain members, and they seem to hate the brits for some reason? Honestly don't bother. Awful site.

I've been a member of WebSlueths for years. I've mainly read, but have also contributed to case threads.
Let's see...
Favoritism? Check. Biased Moderation? Check. Owner begging for money? Check? There is a ridiculously biased, uneducated Moderator who goes by the use-name "Silly Billy" ( I kid you not!), who is just intolerably bad at moderation.
I have given up all hope for WBS's The new platform is a nightmare of "issues", an only serves to amplify the already poor quality of moderation, The posters are made up primarily of elderly women, one of which the owner, Trisha Griffen, is fast becoming.

So, If you don't work, are retired and elderly, you might fit right in. Provided you have no common sense and you like to moan and wail over the death of small children
If, however, your middle age or younger, and analytical, plan on being placed on "Time Out" or banned!

Join WS before researching the credibility and integrity of owner Tricia Griffith. Currently site has added an ad video company, so she can collect money. After numerous complaints Trisia addresses on thread, she doesn't know why everyone's data is being eaten up and she has her man working on it. She says she's trying to fix but having to talk to people in another country. When members post apps to block the video, they are deleted. After weeks she post SHE NEEDS MONEY to keep site going and that's the reason all along for the unstoppable advertising videos. She's pissed closed many threats in retaliation because members won't join at 5 per month to watch her pod cast. She wants to be famous with her pod cast which are boring and drone on in her try to be sexy type voice. She is a user. In the worst way. After sleuthing Tricia, it seems she does this frequently and uses scare techniques to scare members of closing the site.
She abuses GoFundMe and needs to be reported to them and to the state commission for unethical business practices. Every six months she a new scheme to beg for donations. Wonder if she is reporting the funds collected to the IRS? Doubt it.
How much salary is she collecting from the site? It's BIG BUCKS. She's a dried up, bleached blonde, scam artist, seeking fame to feed her ego.
The state needs to open an investigation into her shady business and put her out of her misery. She does have a lot of older retired members who don't have money to support her and give money they need for food and medicine.
Do everyone a favor and call the state of Utah and report her for scamming.

I've been a member for a few months after a local case became national news. There are many great posters at the site but unfortunately you have moderation policies that aren't evenly applied and moderators differ their moderation from thread to thread. A discussion forum should have high standards of moderation that are evenly applied. Instead, you have a bunch of power hungry, nazi style inconsistent moderation that makes what could be a great site into a joke. For example, each forum has moderators assigned but it's not uncommon for the site owner to jump in and "take over" with her bullish tactics and marginalizing the actual moderator of that thread or category. She under minds her moderators with a god complex. Want to give an opinion? Fugetaboutit. The mods will not only put you in time out but you could be banned very quickly. No, I'm sorry folks but this is the last place where sleuthing is encouraged. It's simply a collection of news media posts that do nothing to further a cause and finding criminals. After enduring several months and trying to be a good contributor I found myself dumbfounded by the idiotic policies of this site. Don't waste your time.

It is impossible to even make a comment without someone else jumping down your throat if it doesn't match their own opinion/theory.
New users are treated like $#*! by the admins and the long time users.
Nobody follows the facts. They all just take whatever little bit of rumor they can find and run with it.
Many will try to start arguments rather than have a normal conversation.
It's an ugly ugly website full of $#*!s and morons.
I have only given 1 star because I can't give any less than that, however this place deserve no stars at all.

So many hurting victims of crimes.
So many children are abused and murdered.
So many families shattered because of Crime.
So many missing.
So many unidentified.
Websluths forum is not for the faint hearted. Websluths is for JUSTICE.
A caring community who embraces all aspects of true evidence. TOS is a boundary that enables all to be treated with respect.
I have been a member over a year. So much heart goes into cases even putting words into action to make this a better world. People care People help. Victims have a voice. Cold cases are worked on and missing victims are not forgotten. If you have a loved one involved in a crime. And you just can not sleep or get help. Please check out webslueths. You might just be in the right place.
The owner and mods run a tight ship. One that sails and does not sink. Very welcoming. Best true crime forum ran effectively to make a difference not just a chat room off topic. No trolls or narcissism need apply.

Attached images are the screenshots of the final alerts and the notice of permanent ban that followed. Real reason for the post removals and the ban: being too intelligent and logical to blend in. Quote:
"
Your post in the thread Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2 was deleted. Reason: no time given for what you are claiming
7:22 PM

Your post in the thread Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2 was deleted. Reason: Your example is wrong: they were laughing about an alternate way of saying "digging in the dirt"
7:20 PM

Your post in the thread Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2 was deleted. Reason: no link to attached files
7:17 PM
"

When originally signing up for the site, you would think that you are going to have discussions about a certain case, or to give insight, especially if you are from the area where the case has taken place OR if you have a similar life experience to the victim. This site promotes victim blaming. I was taken aback to see what they allow their users to say. These members are labeled at "well-known" users. That is the tag they carry under their selected usernames. I believe the "owner" is named Trisha. She has motives beyond belief. DO NOT GIVE HER YOUR MONEY! She will hound you for it. She is playing off of murdered individuals to get your money. It's scary. They advertise a "podcast" which is a total farse. I would not recommend spending your money on it. She also begs for you to sign up for her "Patreon" which is a bigger ripoff. You get nothing for your money spent. This "woman" is acting under the ruse of caring for missing and murdered humans but she is just exploiting them!