To think MN is fucking lovely, actually (NOT just thread-about-thread)

[LoudRowdyDuck]

I know there's a whiny thread too, but I've been meaning to post this for ages. So:

I think MN is lovely.

I've been on here about a year (and namechanged about a month ago). People on here constantly give good advice, cheer me up, walk me through all the stuff I don't know how to tackle and distract me from all the stuff I don't want to tackle. People are intelligent and funny and frequently make me cackle like a demented crone.

It is excellent.

DH refers to MN as 'the hive mind' for the number of times I've posted a bizarre query and had dozens of solutions posted back in minutes.

So, it's nearly Christmas (don't flame me for saying so!), and I want to say thank you all.*

• You bunch of cunts. There, I knew you needed some proper MN tough love in there!

Nah you're all bastards.

My Dad died last year and a whole bunch of lovely people on the bereavement topic help me through the shitty days.

I had a miscarriage and lots of lovely folk helped me. One mumsnetter who I had never met posted me lovely things in the post.

Mnetters give gifts at Christmas to people less fortunate then them.

There are some twats yes, but they lovely folk more than make up for it.

Couldn't agree more, OP.

I second that! I've found that since joining MN I've become much more tolerant of other people's views, methods and opinions and have found myself considering situations from angles that would have never occurred to me before. I've also been relieved and reassured that my children are normal and everyone else is in the same boat! Plus have had many proper belly laughs along the way. In short, I think it has made me a better person and a more relaxed parent.

Yaay MN!

I think so funky.

I do like the hive mind effect - it's terrifying on the apprentice threads to see how fast people get to the correct hunch over who'll go.

I'm always amazed how warm and friendly a bunch of strangers can be - I've posted at stupid o'clock when I've been upset and still had someone there to pick me up and make me grin.

I have also learned more imaginative terms for women's bits than I knew possible.

Hive mind! Excellent.
My DH calls it The Nest of Experts.

Agree with pjmama. Plus I learn new things and now mooncup!

yanbu. I heart MN. There are many lovely people here.

And people don't use txt spk.

I have learnt so many news things on MN! And have had lots of help and support. And got into loads of fights too :)

You're all a bunch of fucking cunts - but I loves ya anyway

I like it here, we may not always agree, but most people give great replies to threads

That woman who started the other thread saying nasty things is a twat

immature to name call i know but she asked for it!

I love it too. And I Mooncup now. And the first thought I had when my MIL was being arsey earlier when I refused to jump through her hoops was not, 'I'm calling my pal/Mum for a moan', but 'I wonder what they would say on AIBU?'! In fact, off to post there now...

wukter - Nest of Experts sounds good too!

Do you think there are men all over the country experiencing this strange cycle where their wives become suddenly very knowledgeable about all sorts of random details from car problems to tenancy law, then start saying 'M-a friend told me' about everything ... before finally and shamefully admitting their MN addiction?

I have loved learning that it's ok to do all sorts of things that my parents/parents' generation would think terrible - I don't have children yet, but I'm a lot less terrified of being a bad mother. I'll just post 'AIBU to be a crap mum' a lot.

I agree.
Not always, and it does have it downsides, but as a whole, I love it.
It's been here for me for the last three years, and given me far more than I could ever give back.

Whilst we are on the subject of DH/DPs views. We caought a bit of Miranda the other night and DP said - she looks like a Mumsnetter. I was like this . He disappeared rapidly as he realised I was about to painfully explore his glib statement

I like the idea of a Hive Mind - the sum total being greater than the component parts - makes me feel a lot smarter!

I agree. Fair enough there are some times where people get an idea (sometimes a wrong one) and run with it, and it all gets a bit out of hand. But there is a HELL of a lot of wisdom on here too. I feel like I've learnt so much, and become more tolerant and understanding of the issues other people are dealing with, too.

I've laughed til I'm all achey, and I've been nearly in tears of sadness at some threads, and frustration at others.

It was also amazing to meet some other MNers at the feminist conference this autumn - they are not scary at all maryz .

Maud bless us, every one.

MN is a proper community. It doesn't matter what you post about, someone will know the answer and try to help you. I love it here. Think I may have been assimilated too though, as my 3 year old DD asks me if I'm going to play on Mumsnet every time I go near the laptop!

Awww ... I wish I'd been able to go to that conference, elephants.

I am still a little scared of the feminism topic, but only because it's full of immensely knowledgeable people and nutter misogynists.

Bless your DD, karma, I like it!

I stumbled across MN about 9 months ago. Since then I managed to get answers to the random questions I couldn't ask in RL, have had support from loads of lovely parents as my DS has developed allergies.

I've learnt loads about being a parent, which has helped my relationship with DS, as a lone parent it had become a bit stuck.

I 'spoken' about things I'd never talk about in RL, Ive cried, laughed, been completely ed.

Best of all I've met some great new friends via MN local.

So, OK, it does get a er little heated on here at times, but surely better words on a screen than parents in soft play areas yelling at each other.

I love MN and most MNers. You all give me faith in the goodness of people.

I have had so much help, advice, support and love from so many people on here. It's been a spectacularly shitty year for me and MNers have been there in my hour(s) of need.

Thank you everyone who has supported me this year, you have sometimes saved me from spiralling into deep dark holes of despair. I hope that I have given back too.

I hate these idiots who post what a nest of vipers we are when they have contributed jackshit.

What I love about MN is that it is the only place I can think of where (mainly) women talk to each other openly about every blimming thing, they support each other and argue with each other, and advise each other, and cheer each other up tirelessly. It's like the nunnery/girls' boarding school/horde of sisters and aunts I never had.

I've been known to say that MN is the most feminist thing I can think of, for this reason.

LRD - I'm not scared of a load of clevers they should be cowering at my dumbfounding stupidity native wit and commonsense.

karma, you have to make like Mummy Pig and pretend to do "some very important work" on the computer