How have MN threads changed over the years…?

[Conniebygaslight]

Despite being a mum of 4 young adult children I only stumbled MN last year when I typed a rather desperate question into Google. I work with young people and I’ve noticed a huge change in their issues over the years so I wondered what the original MNetters have noticed as a change in threads and responses about anything by anyone…is there a noticeable shift in attitudes?

Dating is weird. People actually have to have conversations about whether they're official, even when they've been together for months, as everyone seems to want to keep their options open. I guess online dating and apps has a lot to do with that.

Fewer people on TTC "busses" on the conception boards. It's all a bit more random than it used to be....

I've been on here for 20 years and yes it's vastly different but I hated the cliques, all that mnet royalty crap. I love that you can get help about practically anything, that hasn't changed and I still spend far too long on it!

Not been here quite so long as some of the 15 yearers. Id say more political, more offended and offensive, more extreme, less intelligent and less funny.

I miss random threads about odd stuff that were just funny. I liked the Halloween threads of scary stories and sometimes long running threads which were quite obviously creative writing, build you own story type things but were fun and interesting enough to keep everyone involved and nobody called troll...because who cares. It was fun and interesting and witty.

I agree with less intelligent and less funny.

Some posters have no reading comprehension now, posts that are clearly joking are taken literally and everyone gets offended more easily.

Threads would often make me howl with laughter and I haven't seen one of those in ages. There seems to be less wit and warmth nowadays and more uptight posters.

Not a good example but on the Christmas board there's a thread about what you eat for breakfast on Christmas Day and a poster that found it incomprehensible that some people have a bacon sandwich, then a Christmas dinner, then snacks and Baileys and said it was far too much salt and fat. Lighten up a bit, it's Christmas Day for crying out loud. If that's not what you eat, fine but the judgemental nature of some posts has definitely become worse.

One of my earliest memories of Mumsnet was the "Cutted up Pear" thread (think its in classics still?). I was pregnant with my eldest at the time and it was a "is this what my life will be?" Moment. And yes... we did have moments like that.

I think people would take it too seriously these days, and it would never take off. But it was a bright spot in my morning sickness!

@GameOfJones totally agree- many people are it seems complete funsponges these days.

So why not just report it if you think they are trolls?

Unless they're previously banned posters, what can MNHQ do about it?

They can't prove the posts are bullshit, even when you'd bet your house on the fact they are.