Is Mumsnet racist, sexist, ableist, homophones, islamophobic, transphobic, misogynist, anti-semitic, ageist, childish?

[ShowerMusings]

I see people constantly complaining on different corners of mn how terrible it is and I can't figure out why they can't make threads upon threads making their cases known. I also wonder why people stay where they hate. Makes me wonder if complaining just feels good?

I know I've left mumsnet many times once I couldn't handle it and after a few months or years, I've come back with fresh eyes and peace of mind till the next time it gets too much again.

So my questions are:
● If you're having an awful time on mumsnet, what's stopping you from taking a break?

● Is mumsnet really that bad? Is it really more racist, sexist, anti-semitic, ableist, ageist, childist, misogynist, homophobic, islamophobic, transphobic, etc than it was a year or more ago or have they improved?

● Are mumsnet moderators really not trying? If not, what more can they do to improve?

These are genuine questions and I'd like to know the problems and solutions from anyone who wishes to contribute. We all could benefit from it.
Thanks.

(And no, I'm not permanently on anyone's side. I simply say what I see).

Because you don't need to be a Mum to enjoy discussion with others, mainly women, on pets, or news, or chat, or elderly parents, or work, or health, etc.

Thank you. I agree with your post too.

I don't think there will be pleasing everyone. It amazes me (well it really doesn't but I find it interesting) that on one thread, posters will be complaining about how mnhq are so, let's say, Liberal and woke...and on another thread posters are complaining that mnhq is largely right-wing and discriminatory.

Of course they aren't the same posters complaining but as a reader and poster, I wonder which it actually is. Perhaps I should have used an aibu poll.

But it’s called Mums …. Net as , for mums !

It's like fight club

No, I think mumsnet as a whole is less biased than the general populace, even before moderators remove truly problematic posts.

It's an intensely stupid place, compared with what it used to be. But that is true of public discussion as a whole. The internet has destroyed us. Destroyed our ability to form and express evidence-based opinions; and destroyed our ability to hear other people's opinions in a spirit of charity, rather than in the spirit of trying to distort their words in whatever hostile way is necessary in order to get a littel hit of smugness about Being Right On The Internet.
We are doomed.

Your mind blows easily! 😬

It's all of the above at times, because it's the internet and that's how the internet rolls.

Some of those biases are seen more than others, and all are inconsistently moderated.

What is childist?

I too have left munsnet a few times. When I joined over 20 years ago it was all nappy cream and Boden.
I got a right bashing on not employing men around vulnerable women and completely ignored when asking for advice on how to support a ftm relative.
I enjoy a long term thread which has been helpful to me. I tend to ask those ladies for advice more than chat.
I have been sensored once (it was about an attack and what my response would be). I have also managed to get a thread pulled when it became abusive to me and possibly outing.
Overall I find the forum useful but I now regularly change names as I have been stalked. I hate the advanced search button as it gets used by trolls and wish for an edit function!

I think that same as any community you get different beliefs and sometimes it is shocking. I don’t mix with people who are ableist or racism or sexist or homophobic etc (don’t come at me just because I miss some off) so it is a bit shocking when you see it on here.

I don’t think mumsnet do always react quickly enough but are people reporting it to them in a timely manner or do we sit and shout down the person for being so vile before reporting it? I know that I’ve been guilty of this sadly.
They can’t fix what they aren’t aware of.

I do often take a break because it gets a bit silly sometimes.

Btw whoever is saying about mumsnet being for mums, have a think about why others may want to be here.

Judging by the context I've seen, it's prejudice against children simply because they're children. Somewhere else, i see it written as 'childism' - a radical notion that kids need to be respected as their own person.

Never used it myself till today. Like I said, I added all the labels I've seen used on mn in order to be 'inclusive'.

Childist is similar to picking someone up on their spelling mistakes or grammar to make you feel better about yourself. Hth!

I’ll add dogist, HVist and MIList.

Yes indeed. Sorry dog lovers, MILs, etc.

No more than anywhere else on the Internet, I don't think. Individual posters, sure, but I'd say they were in the minority.

It does seem to have a high number of people who pick over obvious typos and make oh-so-hilarious jokes about them, though.

I find Mumsnet surprisingly transphobic. I actually do agree with many of the sentiments regarding female only spaces, but the fact that on Mumsnet the entire feminism board is anti-trans is kind of embarrassing and gives the forum a bad name. There are other aspects of feminism that could be discussed!

They can’t fix what they aren’t aware of.

Yes I agree @Arewehumanorarewecupboards

I also think they aren't obliged to accept a report if they don't think it should be deleted. What one person finds offensive, another person may not. Who should they (mnhq) listen to?

I find mumsnet to be, on the whole, refreshingly pro-women.

It’s mine of information and opinion on an almost-infinite range of topics.

Like any Internet forum, posters are probably inclined to be more extreme than they probably would IRL.

If anything it’s probably classist (the last frontier of allowable discrimination I would say).

There are some truly inspirational posters here.

There are two feminist boards: Sex and Gender, and Chat.

Just came here to post that 😅

@PollyPeep i agree.

Yep.

We do t talk about Mumsnet

First rule ...

Seriously tho I've been here since 2007 and I find it much more heavily moderated with more deletions

It's also so much bigger, it's less funny , more bitchy and less tolerant even tho it always had the vipers nest rep - I never saw that in the good ol days . I'm getting old tho .

Less homophone
More granaphome 😂😂

I like to argue with randomers for fun 😂