unable to post from laptop

Deck,

you might be old but I've been here since Jan 2007, so I'm not new.

I'm not angry about it at all.

I never saw any joke posts so don't know if they were racist, sexist, homophobic, disabilist etc but if they were then that shit is never funny. I also think it's really unfortunate people couldn't post over New Years who needed support but a commercial site like this one is probably best not taken too seriously. Not because the people who post here don't do a lot of good but because it could be taken away at any moment, sold, or changed into something completely different. The Samaritans and the like are in a much better position than we are to offer support as they are trained to do so. What if one of us, though well meaning, accidentally said something stupid to make a situation worse?

Murder,

yes, I know they are busy at that time. (this time)

I don't think that means it isn't about a sense of expectation or entitlement...I don't mean that to sound totally crass.

Of course people get more upset when the cultural expectation is to be with jolly friends or family and they are on their own.

That's normal. But the fact is if they can override the cultural expectation a little, then they may realise that just because their NYE is spent alone it doesn't mean their life is over.

Don't get me wrong. I have been there and have both supported and used the samaritans myself. But it was never their fault if I lived or died.

exactly Glaikit. If I messed up I wouldn't expect my boss to discuss it with clients, or on a public website, other than the bare facts of the mistake 'we' made and how 'we' are going to sort it out.

Exactly ohyoumerry and all these people saying thats it Im leaving. Well fuck off then I doubt you will if you cant cope without mn for about 2 hrs.

These things are always so stupid eg a poster is banned for 2 mins then you get right we are leaving, its changed, no humour, huge amounts of people will commit suicide over this etc. What if for some reason site maintenance had occured over same period Im sure most people would just get over it. Im sure we will have another one next month over some lame issue yaaawwwn

Look no one got killed. No one was even injured really.

Some of you are talking like no one from MNHQ ever got slightly pissed off before.

It's not the case. I can remember plenty of times when Olivia or someone else sounded pretty grouchy and had to take a firm line.

But no one seems to be able to remember those times because it's easier to have a pop at poor old Julie.

In some ways it might have been better if Rebecca hadn't apologised - I'm not having a go at her either but it seems to have given rise to further outrage and people thinking they were justified in their horror, when in fact, nothing much happened to write home about.

Shouldn't we all just forget it and move on?

Oh there should have been a ? after NYE.

I saw the threads last night, they were irritating but obvious piss takes & the majority were daft rather than hugely offensive. It shouldn't have been too difficult to zap the bad taste ones while leaving the 'shall I let my dog babysit while I go to the pub' 'only if it's a staffie ' ones (can I admit the staffie reply made me guffaw )

I think if people have complaints against an individual member of staff then the appropriate thing to do is email mn. Really unkind to discuss an individual in public.

MNHQ left a newbie in charge on NYE. Do they wait for the most controversial threads & drunken evenings to do this the David Salisbury thread cough cough

"Tbh I'm not sure if I agree on the needing support on NYE thing. I think it is when more people feel entitled to, or expect, more support."

You might want up look into how much busier charities like the Samaritans are on NYE, I don't think it's that people feel "entitled" more at that time.

They can't exactly. Sorry

As I said for me it was over 8 hours before it was back on.
Happily I was asleep for most of that

The 'behave or else' message was also a bad call as it clearly spurred people on to post more of the threads. The warning thread also stated that individual posters would be suspended, why didn't that happen instead of all users?

I don't agree with having a go at Julie. But I think Hq need to work out how to support their staff. Last time she made a mistake she dropped Rowan in a huge bunfight, where people were told they were being awful, and some were.

This time, she has again demonstrated a tendency to not think about what she posts, cause upset and then edit later.

The editing doesn't magic the original statement away.

As for those people commenting on all the terrible "joke" posts. Well, I posted on a few others and read more and they are all still here. So how offensive were they all?

Those annoyed that they had to wade through them to find genuine posts. Do you not mean, it took you a whole minute longer last night to find something that suited?

MNHQ posted only this afternoon to say that their policy did not mean they would delete on the basis someone was offended, even deeply.

My main concern is that there was unreasonableness from both users and Hq last night. But only one had the power to fuck up the site for EVERYONE, and they also have the power to self edit their posts. Again, the ability for HQ to edit is normally an important tool. But last/night this morning is want used to edit but to change statements.

Also, one HQer has backed the rest in a corner. They can exactly apologise can they or people will fuss over decisions even more.

It's a real shame. For all of us.

Poor Julie, even with SAS combat training I don't fancy keeping you lot in line.

MNHQ, I don't expect you to post on here an explanation of what happened. And I don't think you should be saying the wrong decision was made last night. A decision was made, whether you think it's right or wrong is something you discuss over gin tea and biscuits in the office. I hope you support Julie in the decision she made last night and not let the users here publicly flog her.

Poor Julie a lot of people bullying her because the site when down for a couple of hours then moaning waaa I have no life I cant cope without mn for 5 seconds

So sorry - Murder.

Murer I take your point that not everyone is the same but really, what is goingto happen if someone needs to wait half an hour before they can talk online?

Is anyone going to top themselves over MN being down?

If so I'm not sure if MN is the answer they need.

Also what MrsCB just said.

Tbh I'm not sure if I agree on the needing support on NYE thing. I think it is when more people feel entitled to, or expect, more support.

Not necessarily that they need it.

Ok, found this thread and am calming down. Was it really all one one persons shoulders last night? I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy.

Btw I was locked out til gone 8am, so more than a couple of hours.

"No one NEEDS to stay awake till midnight and kiss someone/talk to someone/ etc."

Some people do need that, just because you don't doesn't mean others are the same, and NYE is well known to be one of those times when people need more emotional support.

But even if the site had gone off-line there'd still be the same outcome, people without a place to post or get support for that half hour.

I disagree. The joke threads that I saw were harmless (I accept that some may not have been) and were very much in the spirit of mumsnet humour. There was plenty to read if you weren't interested in them and plenty of people were posting happily elsewhere with nothing to do with the jokes. Suspending posting at midnight on NYE was a monumental cockup.