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999 replies

JustineMumsnet · 08/04/2020 13:17

Hi folks,

First and most importantly, I hope you and yours are safe and well, and that you all stay that way.

After 20 years of unreasonableness, rofls, wtfs, advice and support, and the odd lawsuit, it's fair to say that we are as close as we’ve ever been to existential difficulty.

Like many ad-funded businesses, the COVID-19 crisis has seen us take a big hit to our revenues. The businesses who would normally pay to advertise with us are slashing their marketing budgets, but lots of our outgoings are fixed and we so need to find new ways to keep paying the bills.

We’re doing our darndest to find every single saving we can - lots of our staff have volunteered to reduce their hours, we’ve cancelled all non-essential services, I've taken a pay holiday and we will use every scheme and loan available to us from the government and the bank to help tide us over. But we still need to find alternative revenue streams to ensure we don’t run out of funds in a few months...

To put it frankly, it’s squeaky bum time.

I know this is a very tough time for many of you and some of you are only just keeping the lights on yourselves. We’re sending you our solidarity and we most certainly don’t want anyone to stump up anything they can’t afford, but if you can help, please do subscribe now to our Premium service.

We’ve banged this out as fast as possible in response to the current crisis and it’s definitely not the finished article, but it’s free of banner advertising, so if you’ve ever been vexed by those (or use an ad-blocker) this might be right up your alley. Banner ads also tend to make pages render more slowly and take up bandwidth, so if you’re surrounded by bored kids streaming with their mates, step this way.

We’ve opted for a price point that we hope is doable for most and which covers the potential lost ad revenue for the majority of users. We hope £4.99 per month or £49.99 for a year (less than a pound a week!) feels a reasonable exchange for the value Mumsnet brings you, but in any case you can unsubscribe any time.

Over the next little while we’ll look to add some extra features: things that people have requested regularly like editing, sorting posts by the OP, and reading offline.

Rest assured we remain committed to always providing a free version of the site, as we fundamentally believe that access to the advice and support Mumsnet offers should not depend on your ability to pay.

And if you can’t spare any cash right now… then of course we get it. It would still be very helpful if you removed any ad blockers or clicked on affiliate links around the site when you shop, joined our insight panel or even shared the best Mumsnet threads on your social channels whenever you can - it all helps.

If you have any questions at all feel free to post them here and I'll get back to you. We also have a page of FAQs that might answer your question.

Hold tight everyone.

Love

Justine and the team at MNHQ

OP posts:
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cheesycrisps · 08/04/2020 13:28

I think this fair enough 🙂 and a good idea.
When you say banner ads, do those include the ones down the right hand side and mumsnet ads?

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Stet · 08/04/2020 13:30

Done! Filtering OP posts only would be a very welcome addition Smile

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northernlittledonkey · 08/04/2020 13:34

What it’ll get rid of those awful ads, I’m in. Grin

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TheQueef · 08/04/2020 13:35

Will I get special treatment?
None of my personal attacks deleted and a footrub on Saturdays with Hebe?
I'd also like a special username, like HQ posts but more important.
Regal purple background should do.
Also two hand drawn pictures of parking scenarios provided by Emma and Michael each month.
I might have more.....

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northernlittledonkey · 08/04/2020 13:35

Can we have mumsnet swears by, back again too?

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DGRossetti · 08/04/2020 13:37

Threaded views and edit posts ?

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somewheresorted · 08/04/2020 13:37

Done! Only too happy with to subscribe - can’t imagine life without Mumsnet!

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DramaAlpaca · 08/04/2020 13:37

If it means fixing Advanced Search I'd be in.

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Irial · 08/04/2020 13:43

I think you missed posting this by a week? because this has to be an april fools

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PennyMissilesAndWombPies · 08/04/2020 13:44

I there was an "ignore poster" button I might be tempted!

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MutteringDarkly · 08/04/2020 13:52

Subscribed. Keep going!

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Rockbird · 08/04/2020 13:55

Done. Would go even more out of my skull without MN!

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Eggcited · 08/04/2020 13:55

Whilst I appreciate these are tough times, and I wish you all the best. I'm disappointed that the edit button, which is a basic function of most forums, and one which has been requested over the years is being put behind a paywall.

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TomHardysCBBC · 08/04/2020 13:56

You normally make millions in revenue and suddenly there's none left?

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JustineMumsnet · 08/04/2020 13:57

@DramaAlpaca

If it means fixing Advanced Search I'd be in.


We're on this I promise - briefly rolled out a fix today but I wasn't working right so had to roll it back - apols it shouldn't be too long now...
OP posts:
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MrAlyhakinsMassiveYacht · 08/04/2020 13:58

That's as much as the cost of a pair of kid's shoes (BMC joke there) Grin

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Rockbird · 08/04/2020 13:58

I do think we should have a little crown or something by our usernames...Grin

👑Rockbird

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JustineMumsnet · 08/04/2020 13:59

@northernlittledonkey

Can we have mumsnet swears by, back again too?


Sorry not quite sure what you mean NLD - we still do send out a weekly Mumsnet swears by email? And we have this Swears by section on the site?
OP posts:
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OhYouBadBadKitten · 08/04/2020 13:59

I've happily subscribed. No banner ads is a huge bonus in my eyes.

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FrustratedTeddyLamp · 08/04/2020 14:01

Do what you must to survive and i completely understand it, but i must say it seems a bit disappointing that things that posters have wanted for years such as an edit button which is usually a basic function on forums is potentially now available for £49.99 a year (less than a pound a week!).

Like i say i get it and understand the need to find alternative revenue sources to survive but it just seems off to include stuff like that when its a basic addition that has been wanted for so long and it was either a good idea or a bad idea, not a bad idea that becomes a good idea for £5 a week.

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IBoughtAllTheToiletRoll · 08/04/2020 14:01

Will mods know who has subscribed and who hasn’t? Shouldn’t really make any difference in an ideal world but what happens if a paying customer does something ban-worthy?

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WorraLiberty · 08/04/2020 14:02

I'll try it for a month and then see.

Hopefully less trolls and goady name changers if they have to pay?

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DramaAlpaca · 08/04/2020 14:03

Thanks JustineMumsnet I'll sign up as soon as it's fixed Wink

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Ibeingbornawomananddistressed · 08/04/2020 14:03

I'm in.... worth it for the amount of lurking I do.... will be glad to see back of ads...

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FrustratedTeddyLamp · 08/04/2020 14:03

See right here, £5 a month, not week! If only i had paid my £5 i may have been able to edit it!

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