Things you find a bit odd about Mumsnet

[valerianroot]

Let me start by saying this is 100% lighthearted and fueled by being a bit bored in my last hour before weekend officially begins.

Anyway, I ventured onto the Royals board recently and found it a bit weird that people refer to Kate Middleton as Catherine. Now, I know that's her full first name (well I assume it is) but I've never heard anyone IRL refer to her as anything but Kate. Maybe I'm behind the times as my Royals knowledge isn't very up to date (as you'll notice by calling Kate Middleton.)

I'm sure I'll regret starting this but anyone else have anything?

@notacooldad

It always amuses me when there is a convo about a celebrity or celebrity couple and someone says "who?" I always want to ask if Google has closed for the evening.

Frankly the fundamental issue with most questions like that

The mil thing I find quite amusing. I love mine, we're close. She witnessed the birth of my son (My mum passed away 3 years before) and stayed with us for a few days and made sure we were all ok and stuff. we've gotten on well ever since. My dad on the other hand is a horrible manipulative arsehole who I've recently gone NC and have a mutual agreement with my MIL on the matter He's seen his grandchild twice on the space of 5 years. But that's other story

@sparklingbrook you're right! It does happen on the covid threads too

There are a few posters who appear on any threads which are critical of the govt and they fawn and brown nose Johnson and it's all quite nauseating.

When someone asks for advice about a relationship where the bloke hasn't been in touch for a week, didn't turn up for a date, suddenly stops calling or whatever. The OP is clearly quite upset and is feeling pretty rubbish. Yet so many responses always seem so blunt and harsh; "yeah, he's not interested in you!" Or "he's cheating. Sorry."
It just irks me as I think whilst it's probably true, why not say it a little more gently? You wouldn't just said Oh he's not into you, clearly! to a real life friend! I hope, lol. Maybe I'm just over sensitive but I always notice the super blunt responses and think they're unnecessary.

@furbabymama87

The vagina/ vulva thing. Everyone knows what's it's called. But the fact is, if you were to go round referring to it as your vulva that would make you look like a fucking weirdo. Also the sex/ gender thing. In real life no one's arsed what you call it.

@furbabymama87 Actually, if this site proves anything it's that most people didn't know it was a vulva, until reading it on here. Also I think calling it a vulva makes you less of a fucking weirdo than going around calling it a vagina. The more it's said in public, the more people will know. And the more common it will be.

[quote LadyWithLapdog]@LondonQueen that's rubbish talk[/quote]
@LadyWithLapdog Are you completely unaware of whats been happening over the last 5 years at least, or just in denial? Do you want links?

For me, it's the backward and old-fashioned comments against the edit function. If edit function attracts trolls, please explain how all DEBATING messageboards have had the edit function for at least a decade now? How do other real debate sites and political sites manage then?

The amount of posts that take up space on a 1000 thread limit to say
"*sorry, that should be ......."
when an edit function would mean less posts clarifying that take up a spot on the thread. I estimate at least 5 to 10% of posts are to fix typos. Now that is a large amount of posts that would free up more space on a thread, before it hits 1000. When every proper debate forum and message board has an edit function as the most basic of functions, it makes zero sense why Mumsnet is soooooo different from all the other real, proper message boards.

Add to that, the amount of people who write 'placemarking' or ' . ' with nothing else, as if they have never heard of the Watch This Thread function. Which too, takes up the post count.

And edit function, to bring Mumsnet into the 1990s/2000s, and using the Watch This Thread function instead of selfishly taking up a post by writing 'placemarking' or '.' would see less need for 2 or more follow on threads for the one topic.

People who dismiss things as impossible or unbelievable just because they have never personally experienced it. Especially when a dozen or more people in the thread have explained their experiences.

The one that always sticks out is a poster who said they’d never encountered any sexual harassment in the workplace and despite a thread-full of people detailing their experiences stated it was “very rare nowadays”.

Same when people categorically state what they’d have done differently to the OP in a really stressful or upsetting situation despite never having experienced it.

“Well I know that if my children, husband, parents, friends, dog, car and goldfish all died in an apocalypse I’d have done X, Y and Z so I’m not sure why you did A and B OP ”

Including on one thread where a regular poster actually told the OP she was grieving for her child “oddly”. And argued with several posters who told her that she didn’t “know 100%” how she’d react.

Also the fact that people are pedantic to the point of rudeness. We all know that what someone means of their post says they brought a house for 250k and the seller hid a dangerous boiler from them. The faux not understanding in a bid to embarrass the OP is so rude.

The obsession with JK Rowling

262 messages - mostly valid and different, but not greatly concerning, complaints - seems MN have pretty well got it right.

Dated app

Weird middle/upper class theme in all replies

All the abbreviations

Lack of support from other members, which given the nature of the site I find shocking

The ones who ask why did you have kids with him? Because it seemed like a good idea at the time, or the birth control failed and they didn’t want an abortion.

There’s no point sticking the boot in once someone has kids, you can’t return them.

I’m going to probably get flamed here but the incredibly polarised opinion on people who’ve had affairs. I’m not condoning it but there are lots of reasons why people end up doing this of course some of them are serial cheats but not all of them (speaking here as someone who has been cheated on btw).

On a lighter note also the not having a like button!

@YourenutsmiLord

262 messages - mostly valid and different, but not greatly concerning, complaints - seems MN have pretty well got it right.

Agreed. On the whole seems to be doing okay 👍

The first dates who pays posts.

MN is quite rightly about equality with men except when it comes to a first date where a man is considered a pig if he assumes he pays for the little lady but also a tight pig if he expects to go halves.

Seems some want equality until the reality of equality hits.

@Warpedfrailty

Any post about pubic hair removal. You will always get these three responses (without fail):

1. Ewww, does your BF / DP / DH like prepubescent girls?
2. You do know that pubic hair is there for a reason, don't you
3. You are influenced by porn you know, there is NO other reason you'd want to remove your pubic hair. No reason. None!

Every
Single
Time

I had all of mine lasered off... not sure where that leaves me in this situation 🤣

I think some of mine are cultural and locational. I spent months when I started reading this site wondering why everyone kept worrying about people having babies with men out of wedlock. Like it’s 1950. And I have lived in Uk and know that’s can’t be what it is so just couldn’t work it out. Then discovered it’s because there is no protection for anyone in de facto relationships/common law marriages there. To be honest I still don’t get it. Like, you’ve lived with a man for 10 years and stayed home to raise his babies but you don’t have any rights if he decides to kick you out of the family home because of a lack of a piece of paper? Why are people ok with this? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Also the strong presence of trans exclusionary radical feminists. Who also object to being called that. Even though that is their ideology. I wouldn’t even know it was a thing if JK Rowling didn’t exist. Seriously never spoken to one (that I know of) in real life.

The hatred people on MN have for perfectly ordinary, innocuous things that no one is bothered about IRL is weird.
Eg. Bows on babies, girls' clothes with unicorns on them, Pandora bracelets, Yankee candles, new build houses, hen dos, hot tubs, just to name a few.

Threads about dinners for kids where almost every 'normal' food is deemed unhealthy (shepherd's pie, sausage and mash, spaghetti etc). What are people feeding their kids?!

How every disagreement between a couple is somehow deemed abusive, usually on the man's part.

The hatred people on MN have for perfectly ordinary, innocuous things that no one is bothered about IRL is weird.
Eg. Bows on babies, girls' clothes with unicorns on them, Pandora bracelets, Yankee candles, new build houses, hen dos, hot tubs, just to name a few.

Can I add ensuite bathrooms and toilet brushes to the list? The average MN seems to earn into 6 figures and often with a partner who also does, so I imagine they live in large expensive houses....but everyone seems to hate ensuite bathrooms! It's just a bathroom...but slightly more convenient if you need a wee in the night!

@ButtOutBobsMum

The absolute frothing hatred of men. I really hope none of them have sons!

The only thing MN hates more than men, is stepmums.

The threads are so bizarre.
Stepmum’s need to treat SC absolutely equally to their own kids, even favour their SC. Until that involves having any input or expressing an opinion on the parenting/SC behaviour (you know, like they would with their own) then they are completely overstepping and need to stay in their lane.

there could be an edit function where people could see the revisions -- so basically you could click ("revisions to this post") and see what someone 'originally' wrote, and what they changed. so that removes the argument that trolls would abuse the system but not get caught.

I like MN simple cleanness in how it presents otherwise.

but everyone seems to hate ensuite bathrooms! It's just a bathroom...but slightly more convenient if you need a wee in the night!

I've got to say, I don't like them and to be honest, it's for a crazy reason.

It's the though of essentially having a bog in your bedroom, admittedly separated by a door. Just seems weird to me. I told you it was an odd reason.