Page 5 | Is Mumsnet an English forum?

Purpleturtle43 · 2025-05-09T10:16:59+00:00

Seems like pretty much every poster and responder assumes everyone on here is from England. When asking questions regarding schools, health care, tenancy etc surely it would be useful to say what country you live in since the rules and laws are different all over the UK/world.

Abitofalark · 09/05/2025 18:23

MissConductUS · 09/05/2025 15:06

And a fair few of those sneaky Yanks seem to have barged into MN. Sod them. 😂

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Ah no. I don't think they are sneaky. At least, the ones I know of! They seem to me generally straightforward and not barging or uncivil.

GarlicPile · 09/05/2025 18:23

Purpleturtle43 · 09/05/2025 11:49

Most people on this forum do assume people are English 100% of the time.

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Apart from a few gripes about respondents failing to understand some things are different in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and other countries, this complaint is nuts.

What you're doing is similar to posting on Expats In Dubai and moaning that replies assume you're in Dubai!

Mumsnet is a London-based website. If this curdles your groats, stick to Scottish websites where the majority assumption is that you're a Scot in Scotland. If you enjoy Mumsnet and want to post here about something that's different in Scotland, mention your location and its relevance.

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 18:22

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:50

Wow how judgemental can you get.
You are the epitome of privilege because you do not understand real issues of the working class.
You have also assumed that I must be a typical English lout who leaves the house only to take the kids to school and sit on my arse all day.

Your posts say a lot more about your bias and bigotry than you’d care to realise 🤷‍♀️

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I'm working class too love. You have some weird issues abiut privilege and money.

Your nastiness says a huge amount about you.

You told me I had privilege , because I paid 10 pounds a week to do a hobby.

How weird!

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 18:16

Hey @Abitofalark why the laugh emoji on my post?

cramptramp · 09/05/2025 18:09

EverythingIsComputer · 09/05/2025 11:19

Add to this Ocado recommendations are useless outside of England and a little bit of Wales!

I live in England and Ocado isn’t available in my area.

BethDuttonYeHaw · 09/05/2025 17:57

Funnywonder · 09/05/2025 12:40

One of the most annoying issues on here is that people are criticised for their terminology etc. If you use ‘gotten’ for example, some arsehole will make the whole thread about the fact that you used an ‘Americanism’, when in fact it’s a perfectly acceptable regional expression. Of course the shocking anti Americanism is quite another thing altogether. But I wouldn’t accuse all English people of this assumption about language, it seems to be more a South of England thing. So many posters from that region don’t seem to be aware that others speak differently and have different pronunciation and that it’s completely acceptable usage. I had a government form to fill in for my son last week and the word ‘gotten’ was used in the form.

Fair enough, maybe I should announce that I’m from NI if it’s relevant. For example, I might mention where I am if talking about the school holidays because I know that they are slightly different depending on where you are in the UK. But I certainly shouldn’t have to do so in order to justify my use of certain expressions which seem to cause a fit of the vapours and an unnecessary derailment.

Agree that bugs me too.

see also the annual threads insisting that Halloween and Santa are American.

Pickledpeanuts · 09/05/2025 17:55

Surely it's just a case of numbers? It's only really irritating if someone specifically says they're Scottish/Australian etc and still receive replies that aren't relevant.

I couldn't get to worked up about it. It's a response based on where the majority of users live.

BethDuttonYeHaw · 09/05/2025 17:40

I’m Scottish and assume other posters are most likely English.

however it’s usually fairly easy to spot a fellow Scot quite quickly based on the content of their post or use of language.

it doesn’t bother me though. There’s just more of them than us.

Purplebunnie · 09/05/2025 17:36

Carrelli · 09/05/2025 15:16

@MauraLabingi I have an idea of a way you could rethink about Scotland and England to lessen the weight of the chip on your shoulder.

The irony is that you are talking about “England” as if it’s a uniform lump. Do you think that people in Northumberland are culturally the same as people in Devon, or Sussex, or Merseyside? Hardly.

Physical geography enabled Scotland and wales to hold onto political independence long after the other regions of Great Britain were swallowed by the dominant warlords.

You are blessed with much more identity and independence than most English regions. It’s pretty cool for you.

I come from Mercia. I’d place a bet that I know a lot more about Scotland than you know about Mercia? More to the point I don’t know much about Mercia either…..

I can’t learn the Mercian language on Duolingo. I can’t go to the National museum of Mercia, or lobby the Mercian Parliament for our own laws. There is a culture and there is a humour, but we don’t have what you have.

History has placed us where we are, and it’s best to find the positives in what we have.

Edited

Fellow Mercian here. I think we need a new Mercian Parliament for our own laws. I'll vote for you.

GoldenRosebee · 09/05/2025 17:29

I find it more annoying when North Americans think US is default on this website.

WhoDatDen · 09/05/2025 17:21

Plus you see idiots everywhere such as when driving, when in the pub, the shop. Entitled idiots who think the world revolves around themselves. Surely some of these people would inhabit an online forum. They cannot always be avoided and the best advice is to mainly ignore their replies if they upset you. Life is too short to get upset over someone who is insular.

InMyOpenOnion · 09/05/2025 17:16

MN is a large, free to use forum open to anybody. I don't know why people are surprised that advice is factually incorrect, or that people post from their own perspective. Most threads are personal opinion and most people posting are there to chat. I just don't think it's realistic that everyone will stop and rephrase every post to take into account that users might be anywhere, they just post from their viewpoint. As the majority of users are in England, the majority of posts will reflect that.

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:50

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:43

Also my 3 hobbies - one is free, and the other two cost 5 pounds a week each.

So is spending ten pounds a week on hobbies really showing privilege?

Maybe you just need to get out of the house and actually get motivated and join one!

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Wow how judgemental can you get.
You are the epitome of privilege because you do not understand real issues of the working class.
You have also assumed that I must be a typical English lout who leaves the house only to take the kids to school and sit on my arse all day.

Your posts say a lot more about your bias and bigotry than you’d care to realise 🤷‍♀️

Pleasantsort · 09/05/2025 16:46

@Purpleturtle43 I'm Scottish, OP but live in England. It's not really the first thing I think of when I read a post on here and people tend to give a reply regarding legal or schools/health advice if you are in England and Wales just cos of population size.
Scottish posters usually fill you in with the differences. There is a Scotsnet as well which has probably been mentioned. Loads of Irish posters too and overseas mumsnetters as well!!

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:43

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:14

How fab you are able to afford 3 hobbies and have worked in lots of countries.
Your privilege is showing

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Also my 3 hobbies - one is free, and the other two cost 5 pounds a week each.

So is spending ten pounds a week on hobbies really showing privilege?

Maybe you just need to get out of the house and actually get motivated and join one!

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:39

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:26

Privilege? Dont make me laugh.You dont know what anyone on mumsnet went through

My dad abandoned us when i was a child. I grew up with a single abusive mother. We lived in total poverty when i was a child.

I've worked my way up and ive achieved everything ive achieved, with zero help from anyone
. So i definitely didnt have any privilege. Im proud of myself for what Ive achieved by myself . We make our own lives.

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lol. You don’t know anyone on mumsnet either but you seem to know how isolated and untraveled English people are.
So rather than being judgemental about a certain country, perhaps post about how you overcame said obstacles to attain your current privilege.

MaloryJones · 09/05/2025 16:26

Oh how wonderful, ..
English and England bashing . How unusual .!!

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:26

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:14

How fab you are able to afford 3 hobbies and have worked in lots of countries.
Your privilege is showing

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Privilege? Dont make me laugh.You dont know what anyone on mumsnet went through

My dad abandoned us when i was a child. I grew up with a single abusive mother. We lived in total poverty when i was a child.

I've worked my way up and ive achieved everything ive achieved, with zero help from anyone
. So i definitely didnt have any privilege. Im proud of myself for what Ive achieved by myself . We make our own lives.

rosemarble · 09/05/2025 16:23

I have honestly never read something akin to

"you're lying because its a bank holiday in England"

I've certainly come across people not thinking beyond their own world e.g. "but it's not school holidays at the moment", which I think is thoughtless rather than superiority complex, or sometimes a poor attempt to try and catch someone out.

Madcatdudette · 09/05/2025 16:14

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:01

Out more?

Ive been out in three different hobby groups this week.

And i went on holiday last week.

Work takes up the rest of my time. Then the gym. Then volunteering.

Im out loads.

Im never "In"!

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How fab you are able to afford 3 hobbies and have worked in lots of countries.
Your privilege is showing

FullOfLemons · 09/05/2025 16:12

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 15:47

"People in the UK dont think its the centre of the world".

And yet we have so many posters on mumsnet, who think that every poster on mumsnet - lives in England.

That is a small minded mentality.

You see it in so many threads. Like the poster above mentioned. She wrote that she had just dropped her child off at school.

Another poster wrote "you're lying because its a bank holiday in England"

Instead of writing - where are you living? Which would have been a more rational response.

She indeed thought that everyone on mumsnet lived in England

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A sample of quotes from threads on MN is not representative of the UK.

I’m sorry you have encountered small minded people so far during your 6 months in UK. I hope you get to meet others.

I did not use the words you placed in quotation marks. The wording you quoted has a different meaning to the words I actually wrote.

As for English bias on MN, I don’t have anything to add to what has already been posted.

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 16:01

quantumbutterfly · 09/05/2025 15:58

What percentage of the circa 8000000 users are you referring to?
I think you may need to get out more.

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Out more?

Ive been out in three different hobby groups this week.

And i went on holiday last week.

Work takes up the rest of my time. Then the gym. Then volunteering.

Im out loads.

Im never "In"!

quantumbutterfly · 09/05/2025 15:58

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 15:47

"People in the UK dont think its the centre of the world".

And yet we have so many posters on mumsnet, who think that every poster on mumsnet - lives in England.

That is a small minded mentality.

You see it in so many threads. Like the poster above mentioned. She wrote that she had just dropped her child off at school.

Another poster wrote "you're lying because its a bank holiday in England"

Instead of writing - where are you living? Which would have been a more rational response.

She indeed thought that everyone on mumsnet lived in England

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What percentage of the circa 8000000 users are you referring to?
I think you may need to get out more.

Arina22 · 09/05/2025 15:47

FullOfLemons · 09/05/2025 14:48

Yeah, you sound clueless

Hardly anybody in the UK thinks it is the centre of the world. Unlike say the USA or for that matter France.

You should try and visit a large city like London and meet people. It’s about as connected as a place as you find anywhere.

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"People in the UK dont think its the centre of the world".

And yet we have so many posters on mumsnet, who think that every poster on mumsnet - lives in England.

That is a small minded mentality.

You see it in so many threads. Like the poster above mentioned. She wrote that she had just dropped her child off at school.

Another poster wrote "you're lying because its a bank holiday in England"

Instead of writing - where are you living? Which would have been a more rational response.

She indeed thought that everyone on mumsnet lived in England

Swiftie1878 · 09/05/2025 15:47

Purpleturtle43 · 09/05/2025 11:33

People don't assume they are talking about Britain, they assume they are talking about England.

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Oh goodness me. You’ve got a complaint, so instead of couching it in a spurious thread question, just spit it out.
You’re Welsh/Scottish and offended? Just say so!
It’s a legitimate complaint, but I would just say that it has more to do with ignorance than arrogance. Inter-changing the words England, Britain and UK drives me nuts too, but I try to let it wash over me on MN.