war topic

Mil threads are different because people are posting their own individual situations.

They aren't posting generally about the war in Ukraine. All of them are the same.

Also mil threads aren't full of

Mils will be the end of life as we know it
Planes will fall out of the sky
Mil threatened to nuke us
I am scared Mil will make my 16 year old join the army and go to war

And other such ridiculousness.

Yes, but they aren’t usually ‘somebody was saying on Facebook that my MIL is threatening a nuclear war’.

It's all relative. My MIL at her most formidable form can easily hold her own against Putin. Biden she'll have for breakfast.

We get a lot more than 5 a day about MiLs. Yet to see someone suggest an MiL topic.

Yes, but they aren’t usually ‘somebody was saying on Facebook that my MIL is threatening a nuclear war’.

This is the first time I've checked since Wednesday where there haven't been any related threads in Trending, so perhaps things are already calming down somewhat? There also seem to be fewer ridiculous "will we all be sending out children to die in a Ukrainian trench" threads (or maybe I've just hidden them all!) As I said yesterday I agree with waiting til the news is less completely dominated by the topic before making a decision, as there's no point making a separate board if it's going to be dead in two weeks anyway.

Threads about handbags go in style and beauty, it’s hardly like we have 5 threads a day in chat on handbags

We get a lot more than 5 a day about MiLs. Yet to see someone suggest an MiL topic.

Big news items will always generate threads. Mostly the numbers diminish quite rapidly and would leave a tumbleweed topic with people posting in AIBU "for traffic".

Wait a few weeks and then decide.

Threads about handbags go in style and beauty, it’s hardly like we have 5 threads a day in chat on handbags

And the benefit is that it’s much easier to find the threads.

Perhaps we could solve the perceived problems by having a Grief Vulture topic instead.

It’s not just grief vultures, it’s the number of new threads that seem to be about something somebody heard on Facebook about nuclear war.

Also ‘Am I being unreasonable’ will always sound a bit arsey.

Fine if you are talking about parking or a wedding, but there have been a few ‘AIBU not to care about Ukraine’ threads and the thread title is immediately combative.

Daft idea. It's more important than which handbag?

MNHQ please don't.

What are the actual metrics? Out of the hundreds of threads started here over the last week how many are about the Ukraine? And how many have been about cost of living/fuel prices or MiLs or wedding nonsense?

Its rarely worth moving/hiding stuff in a separate topic just because its in the news. At least give it a few weeks.

Perhaps we could solve the perceived problems by having a Grief Vulture topic instead.
All threads of competitive empathy and grief on any topic could be moved there. Threads remaining would be actually discussing the Ukraine rather than performative empathy and making other people's tragedy all about the grief vultures.

Agree it makes sense to be able to hide threads without opening them for any thread, then those who fear being triggered can avoid them.

Yet lots of conversations intersect.

Another good thing about a separate board is that if threads attract the people who are genuinely interested as opposed to just anyone who happens to stumble across them, it might help keep the non-daft ones on track. Someone started a (perfectly reasonable IMO) thread yesterday about how horrifying it was to think of civilians in Kyiv being handed guns and basically told 'good luck', but because she unthinkingly ended with "Anyone else?", the first 40 or so replies were all snarking about competitive virtue signalling and "no it's literally just you, you're soooooo special and empathic". After a "FFS I didn't mean it like that" response the OP understandably didn't bother coming back. That could actually have been an informative discussion if it hadn't descended into the usual AIBU/Chat drive-by sniping - obviously no guarantee the same thing wouldn't happen on a dedicated board, but I think it's less likely if people have to intentionally seek out the topic.

I agree we need a separate topic for Ukraine. MNHQ also need to be more watchful for the fearmongering threads that pop up.

Something like 'Ukraine Situation'? Or 'Russia-Ukraine Situation'?

There's already a Politics board btw.

I don’t mind what it’s called but would prefer a less emotive topic as I think we’re a bit heightened as it is and would like to see a few measured posts

Where would a post about Sweden joining NATO go?
Or worries about Finland and invasion?
Or talking about Putin?
Or discussing people in Russia ?

It's not to do with the Ukraine so where would it go?

Maybe a thread called European geopoliitcs?

I’d like a separate war topic. Sometimes I use mumsnet to help take my mind off things. At the moment half the threads in active are war related. I could hide them, but more would spring up in that time. I’ll be honest- it’s affecting my mental health (on top of other stuff I have going on).
I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand, but I’d prefer to keep up with current events when I feel able, rather than be bombarded at every turn. For instance, I prefer not to have the potential nuclear war in my head when going to bed as I know it’ll trigger insomnia/ nightmares. A quick read through at times of my choosing is manageable.

Maybe it wouldn't occur to people that Mumsnet would decide to create a separate War topic to discuss the invasion by Russia.

If people haven’t hidden the board they will be able to see the thread in active convos.

If the thread isn’t active they aren’t more likely to find it because it is on page 2 of AIBU with an obscure title.

It could be put in 'other stuff' with aibu. Brexit and preppers are in there, it could have a prime position as it is current like Brexit originally had, called Ukraine

Re topic being separate I’m more ok with it if it has a calmer name like ‘Ukraine’ as give it the war title and it will go nuttier.

Agree, there is no need for a general ‘war’ topic.

Re topic being separate I’m more ok with it if it has a calmer name like ‘Ukraine’ as give it the war title and it will go nuttier.

This is a woman who prior to this week couldn't have found Ukraine on a map showing only Ukraine with a big arrow pointing saying "this is Ukraine".

Or they're very young and didn't watch any of the nuclear war films at school. Someone asked if a nuclear bomb was dropped on London would it have any effect on Watford.

Social media will provide an interesting social study one day that's fo' sho'. Like Covid, the people telling other people off for being hysterical tend to be acting the most hysterically, the people who know less than nothing become experts and the people sitting in privilege at home take to Twitter to condemn the schedule interruption to show footage of Ukrainian children doing homework at railway stations as they try to flee, which mean Corrie starts half an hour later.