AIBU - that sadly, MN is losing its way?

Think we have too much information. Pre Internet things were much calmer, life was slower. "Ignorance is bliss". Now info spreads like wildfire and everyone has an opinion on it.

Like that white nationalist fella Kirk who got shot, the vast majority of people outside america wouldn't have heard of him two weeks ago. And pre internet it would have remained that way. Now though we hear about such people and form a view, and with so many views it can descend into vitriol. Likewise any scandal spreads quickly when previously it would have died down. Anyone with any misdemeanour now must be fired! Everything is so reactionary.

I totally agree. I’ve been on here 23 years and it’s just awful now. The blatant abelism, zero moderation, unethical advertising, the continual far right threads, the anti immigrant, anti benefits,anti autism ……enabling all day every day. All they care about is making money. It’s so sad, nasty and dull.

Dows anybody know any other forums that are better at moderation and just nicer?

The only posts that make me laugh now are usually on the Telly Addicts topic.

The rest of MN seems full of bots and AI shite.

It's just not funny anymore, I used to come on for a laugh, for some reason I still log on every day. When was the last time you saw someone suggesting a post go in to classics? Nothing is funny, or heartwarming anymore.

Yes, I would say it’s quite a bit different. I guess I feel it’s still more congenial than the rest of social media.

I agree. I'm absolutely fed up with the frequent pile-ons of posters who come here for support and advice. Seems to happen all the time now. I've had to comment about it a couple of times, but so many more times where I haven't. I don't know why so many people enjoy kicking others when they're down.

Add to that the AI generated threads and it's definitely not what it once was

I think it depends where you look, @funkylittleboatrace. For example, MNers have recently made two blankets and a cushion to send to a MNer and her dd, when their son/brother died in a road traffic accident. The outpouring of love and support on that thread really are the best of MN.

I actually really like the troll posts sometimes they're funny

I agree, coming into my 9th year on MN. A lot more bitchy and a lot less humour! Also, does anyone remember the threads about what you were wearing that day, with posters photos?! They were great and I often wondered what happened to those!

I noticed its sense of humour lessened around Covid, and because we all have so much to worry about now it doesn’t seem to have recovered fully.

I think a good proportion of the world has always been nasty and a bit thick, we just see so much more of it now with social media and the internet. 40/50 years ago you could avoid most of those people, now you open up your phone and they’re there waiting for you.

Mumsnet used to keep me laughing for hours. It’s years since I’ve read anything worthy of classics. 😞

Honestly? It's been about 15 years here for me under many different guises...I think it's always been a bit hit and miss...I've seen and still do see incredible acts of support and kindness alongside some "viper pit" responses. I think arguably the bot situation has increased but that's true of the Internet in general.

That said, i was just thinking today how I used to be addicted to twitter, but now I am rarely ever on there

Change is the way of the world 😪

I’ve been here years and it definitely feels slightly different. Too many fake posts and trolls, posters quoting ChatGPT and when you scroll down Active these days it’s the same posts constantly appearing. I feel like the site has more users and yet somehow people are actually posting less.

It seems to come in waves though. I like the holiday forum which is generally always busier in summer months. Posters seem to get much more miserable and anxious as winter/Christmas approaches.
And yes, I guess when you’ve been on here long enough, it’s the same old subjects going round and round - useless husband, unlikeable mother in law and cheeky fucker friends.

The advice does get a bit repetitive.
man does something wrong LTB he’s abusive
woman does something wrong don’t criticise her that’s misogynistic
everyone seems to earn 100k + a year
everyone has a hobby which they cannot mention otherwise it will be ‘too outing’
evening wedding invitations are the rudest thing ever

People are much, much nastier.

Absolutely.

Sometimes it feels like people just get pleasure out of being nasty to the OP.

On some threads I get the impression that the replies are being nasty to/siding against the OP for no other reason than just to be spiteful and argumentative.

Passive aggressive (and direct nastiness) appears all the time against the OP for no reason whatsoever.

It’s so unpleasant and uncalled for.

Too much AI content and disingenuous posts. They ruin things. Also people attributing thoughts and feelings to posters, pronounced with great certainty, are a bug bear of mine - by all means give your own opinion, however outrageous or out there it is, I will listen. But there’s literally no point in posters pretending they know what’s going on in the minds of others - they don’t!!

Yes i agree with this.

On MN I think there are some genuinely intelligent, informative and helpful posters. And they express themselves in an. empathetic way.

But I think increasingly there are some very aggressively unpleasant posters who work in tandem with each other. And their view point has nothing to do with reasoned, intelligent points of view. And everything to do with shouting down other posters who express individual, logical viewpoints which don't fit in with the herd mentality.

It’s turned into Meannet.

I agree re lots of bots and writers? journalists? politicians? trying out crackpot ideas.