to think people really don't understand the AIBU section?

[EveryStepThatITake]

I've lost count of the posts that I see on AIBU that really don't belong here.

Even a few are currently on the first page.

I understand it gets a lot of traffic but surely most of them could be posted in Chat.

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

Yes. But AIBU is the new chat.

People post here because more people ARE here, so they get more replies...so people see that you get more replies if you post here, so they post here, so it gets busier so people post here more so it gets busier...

And fairly soon there'll be tumbleweed all over the rest of the board

It's like the Shoe Event Horizon.

[HerbyVore]

Shouldn't this be in Site Stuff?

[valiumredhead]

AIBU is the new shouty CHAT

[Trills]

YANBU

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

herby

[Trills]

It is exactly like the shoe event horizon.

[Trills]

Everyone go post something and reply to something in another section, quick.

[EveryStepThatITake]

shoe event horizon?

[Trills]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Places_in_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Shoe_Event_Horizon

[Trills]

It's on wikipedia so it must be a real thing...

[DeepRedBetty]

Trills Do you mean the place where school shoes (just one, naturally) hide at seven minutes past eight every morning?

[DeepRedBetty]

Nah, I think my idea's better than Douglas Adams. And I say that as a committed HH fan.

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

deepred

[Trills]

But how is that like AIBU?

People post in AIBU instead of in Relationships or Camping or Food.

So the other sections are quiet.

So people don't want to post in those sections because "there's no traffic".

So people post in AIBU instead.

So the other sections are even quieter.

etc

Until nobody posts anywhere BUT AIBU

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

The foundation of the AIBU (Bunfight) Event Horizon theory is that when cranky, people tend to look at mumsnet, and when they look at mumsnet, they see AIBU. To cheer themselves up, they might join in a bunfight. Thus, in a generally cranky society, demand for bunfights will rise.

In the critical condition, demand for bunfights rises faster than the capacity to create good bunfights. As bunfight quality decreases, the demand increases further because bunfights disappear faster and need to be started more often; as the demand for bunfights increases, lack of attention to detail causes bunfight quality to drop even more. What results is a spiral of increasing bunfight demand and decreasing bunfight quality. Eventually, this destabilizes Mumsnet to the point where it is "no longer viable to start anything other than a thread in AIBU", and planetary society collapses.

In my defence, I am really really bored.

[Trills]

:o

[atthewelles]

Jeeze, I started a thread on here then looked at it and thought 'really, you should have posted that in Chat. Its really more a chatty, musing on things kind of subject than an AIBU'. Now, its turned into a bunfight and I'm afraid to go back in there

[montage]

Could we have an entirely new section entitled "I Know It's Not an AIBU But Posting Here For Traffic"?

[ClippedPhoenix]

Does it really matter?

[ClippedPhoenix]

Ok then, it doesn't matter to me, not one jot.

People can post where they like as far as I'm concerned.

[Latara]

I never did watch Event Horizon.

But AIBU is good for when i feel a bit low whereas eg. Relationships is (no offence) a little depressing...

[louschmoo]

I lurked on MN for ages before I realised that there were places like Chat to post. AIBU gets most of the traffic, so it comes up most in the 'most active' board on the right of the screen, and in active convos. If I had posted when I first started using MN then I would automatically have posted there, and probably got a pasting for my trouble! And it's not like there's a big notice that says 'only post in AIBU if you are emotionally stable and have the skin of a rhino'!

So YANBU to think that people don't always understand what AIBU is for. But you can't blame new people for posting in what is the most popular part of the site. I hate it when people get told off for posting 'in the wrong section', it's just so rude and unnecessary.

[HerrenaHarridan]

Stop being such anal pendants!

Does it really cause you such unimaginable grief for someone to post in Aibu about whatever they want to talk about.

If you don't like it ignore it!

[montage]

I may be a pedant but I am not a pendant.