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Original poster

Mumsnet needing us to pay.

17 replies

HappydaysArehere · 09/04/2020 06:19

Please can someone explain what this is all about?
I don’t wish to sign up for the premium.
I have enough bills to pay and would forsake mumsnet if I was required to pay. Surely the adverts pay for the running. Please explain.

OP posts:

ludicrouslemons · 09/04/2020 06:23

Read the thread

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.

Ad revenue is bombing, basically.

DebbieFiderer · 09/04/2020 07:16

I've paid. I see it on the same principle as other things I have continued paying for - my job is secure, no change in our household income, but the same us not true for a lot of people and I am happy to help by continuing to pay out. True, this is s new cost, not a continuing one, but it's not a huge amount of money for me, and I have been using MN for 13 years now and would hate to see it disappear. And it loads so much more quickly now without the ads!! 😁

alltripe · 09/04/2020 07:21

Justine has explained on the thread

Bouncingbomb · 09/04/2020 07:26

I wouldn’t pay even if it became a paid for site. Look at the accounts at Companies House if you are undecided.

PleasantVille · 09/04/2020 09:00

There are at least 2 really long threads discussing this, you'll find all the info from yesterday on those

Original poster

HappydaysArehere · 09/04/2020 10:33

Wish I had seen those threads. Now I see the explanation I will probably pay up at least until things improve. My only concern now is the security of the site as I remember a couple of hackings.

OP posts:

AvalancheKit · 09/04/2020 10:39

@Bouncingbomb

^^ This. Mumsnet is a very valuable brand. They should be floating for investment and thus giving up some ownership to investors. Not begging for cash. Mumsnet is far from a charity.

Lefkosia · 09/04/2020 10:43

Justine said there will continue to be a free site, that the benefit currently of subscribing is fewer (not no) ads, but they will add more features, and the premium was always planned they have just brought the launch forward.

They are using a 3rd party for payments, mumsnet will appear on your bank statements and some mumsnet staff (not all) will have the ability to see that you are a paid member

Bouncingbomb · 09/04/2020 11:04

AvalancheKit, absolutely.

I am staggered that folk aren't looking behind the scenes. As posted on the other thread.

The shareholders fund stood at almost £8.5 million at the 2018 financial year end. Net profits for the last three years as filed are more than £6 million.

My local food bank and animal rescue centre are really struggling right now. With the greatest respect Mumsnet is not.

I guess it depends how you view it.

mindproject · 09/04/2020 11:11

If ad avenue is bombing, why is Mumsnet plagued with adds. 0

I wouldn't pay for Mumsnet anyway. It's not a place where you can really state your opinions. If you say anything vaguely controversial you get loads of abuse or your post gets deleted or you get banned. There is a little point in having conversations if you don't have freedom of speech.

In other words, it's not worth paying for.

mindproject · 09/04/2020 11:12

*revenue

mencken · 09/04/2020 11:30

apparently there's more to MN than the chat room, but all I ever see are the usual boring SEO articles, ads and sponsored surveys or tests of the useless crap that only women would want. (Ref the smoothie thing)

the chat boards are depressing enough at times. I really need to cure my addiction and having to pay would certainly do that.

MrsCastiel · 09/04/2020 11:43

Spend your money how you wish.

For me and my money, it comes down to this:

I'll compare it to Disney+, because it's the same price.

For a fiver, mumsnet offers fewer ads and the promise of better things to come.

For that same fiver, Disney+ offers hours of films and shows and entertains the whole family.

Then there are countless charities on their knees right now. A fiver a month would mean the world to them.

So, in deciding where to spend my fiver a month, a chat forum with a decent turnover crying poverty isn't top of my list.

Elouera · 09/04/2020 11:46

Wouldn't an add blocker prevent most adverts anyway?

PheasantPlucker1 · 09/04/2020 11:47

Mumsnet staff have tweeted members ip adresses in the past

Be very careful about giving then your bank details too.

MrsCastiel · 09/04/2020 11:50

@Elouera yes, I use one and it's fine. No lag in loading the pages at all.

FrogFairy · 09/04/2020 13:19

I wouldn’t pay. I earn less than 10k per annum so I have to be careful with my spending. I don’t have Sky TV, Netflix etc. Don’t drink or smoke. Or have holidays.

I prefer to spend my money keeping a roof over my head, food on the table and help out my son (at uni) My one luxury is internet which is a lifeline for me, paying to visit any site would not be for me.

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