Page 3 | to think the 'Mumsnet Swears By' email I just recieved....

AtYourCervix · 2011-06-15T18:42:59+00:00

is a little bit of shite and just yet more crap unsolicited advertising cluttering up my inbox. Sorry.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 16/06/2011 11:53

[addled]

Gah, Aitch I know you luurve me.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 16/06/2011 11:54

A hg without a u is far sperior.

[troo fact]

PaperView · 16/06/2011 11:56

I didn't want it either and yes i deleted it and yes i have subscribed too ()

I don't to be sent an "Aitch thinks is is great - buy it" email thanks. And that is not a knock to Aitch before anyone picks up the flamethrowers. I just don't get why one person gets to spam peoples inboxes with their opinion is all.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:06

Hello all
No there's no advertising revenue involved now or for the foreseeable future (though we wouldn't want to rule it out forever if it seemed to fit).

The idea behind it (like everything!) is to create something useful to folks. Once it's got going a bit we'd like try to negotiate a discount on the recommended products for mnetters and take an affiliate fee on any sales (like the discount partners) which doesn't make us loadsamoney tbh but which feels like a win, win. Obviously it's not for everyone - some folks are just not interested in buying stuff . Hence the unsubscribe option.

Thanks so much for the feedback re look/title etc - we are certainly looking to tweak and improve over the coming weeks.

AitchTwoOh · 16/06/2011 12:07

NormanTheForeman · 16/06/2011 12:09

I think if we are going to have a "Mumsnet Swears By", it shouldn't be restricted to Style and Beauty. We could have recommended food products, household items, baby equipment, even Playmobil!

AitchTwoOh · 16/06/2011 12:13

yes yes yes exactly norm, that is The Plan (would have thought the advent calendar, for example, would be a shoo-in).

have been trying to buttonhole you anyway btw, have you ever seen Mr Magorium's Toy Emporium? not a perfect film, but enjoyable and has dustin hoffman, natalie portman and ANIMATED PLAYMOBIL WORKMEN in it. (for about eight seconds, but am sure i saw YOU there).

Threadworm8 · 16/06/2011 12:13

But the foremost motivation is a business one, yes? It is developed as a potential source of profit that is also a servce to users? Rather than as a service to users which is incidentally potentially slightly profitable?

I'm not being negative about it at all -- it is set up in a civilized way that spares the most spam-averse among us from getting it. I just kind of cringe a little bit at the thought of the revenue raising being presented as kind of a serendipitous afterthought to the provision of a service we never knew we needed.

LoonyRationalist · 16/06/2011 12:17

I liked it, although a little style & beauty heavy maybe. I,wouldn't buy anything recommended this week. I want one more geared towards oven pride & pyramid tents :)

StealthPolarBear · 16/06/2011 12:17

Woo hoo well done Rusty's DD :o

StealthPolarBear · 16/06/2011 12:18

If there's an oven pride one I am first in line to comment. I ahve pictures and everythign

StealthPolarBear · 16/06/2011 12:19

and I wouldn't mind if my typos were corrected

I honestly don't see it as much different to a thread I started called "recommend your best buys for under a fiver"

but then I am fairly spam immune

NormanTheForeman · 16/06/2011 12:20

I've never seen Mr Magorium, Aitch - maybe I should watch it. We are definitely getting the Christmas in the Post Office advent calendar this year..... and the room set with a Christmas tree that actually lights up (I think it would look lovely outside my portakabin....)

PaperView · 16/06/2011 12:20

It wouldn't be a 'MN swears by' though would it? It would be Mumsnet is paid to get people to buy from us.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:21

@Threadworm8

But the foremost motivation is a business one, yes? It is developed as a potential source of profit that is also a servce to users? Rather than as a service to users which is incidentally potentially slightly profitable?

I'm not being negative about it at all -- it is set up in a civilized way that spares the most spam-averse among us from getting it. I just kind of cringe a little bit at the thought of the revenue raising being presented as kind of a serendipitous afterthought to the provision of a service we never knew we needed.

Well in so far as wanting users to find MN useful/likeable is a business one, then yes. Eg the Talk round up was not done for revenue reasons but we think it's worth doing because it's a jolly old thing. Which if you think about it, is probably good for business but it doesn't create a lot of revenue. More so now but not for a long time and we didn't start it to make a buck.

You see it's all so complicated this business thing. Broadly speaking, do we want to make money? Answer yes - we want to pay our staff, pay our bills and even make a profit . Are there lots of things we wouldn't do for cash? Yes. Do other things matter like being useful, liked, admired? Yes. Are the two connected? Yes. Is that why we wouldn't do those things we wouldn't do for cash? Not always - sometimes we just think they're naff.

Clear as mud see.

StealthPolarBear · 16/06/2011 12:22

MN corruptly recommends...

AitchTwoOh · 16/06/2011 12:22

there was no tent consensus last week, loony, believe me i checked. not even a teeny-weeny Cobb thread.

you know i'm not avoiding your question, don't you? it's not my place to answer, i think, so am presuming that you meant it for Justine.

i have never used the partnerships discount scheme thing, though, now that i come to think of it. must have a look to see who's on there. (which will no doubt feature in the future, regardless of the fact that i have never bought myselfanything from there in my life)

AitchTwoOh · 16/06/2011 12:24

whoops, mahoosive x-post.

solareclipse · 16/06/2011 12:25

Well, I've always found that clothes recommended by say 2 or 3 MNers really do cut the mustard - because that covers stuff like washes well, hangs right, feels comfortable, norks don't fall out of it, baby sick does come out of it.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:27

@PaperView

It wouldn't be a 'MN swears by' though would it? It would be Mumsnet is paid to get people to buy from us.

Except that the stuff we swear by is what you swear by on the boards - nothing to do with being paid. And you don't have to receive it - just unsubscribe if you don't likey!

exhausted2011 · 16/06/2011 12:28

well I think if you like S & B, you will like the email
Personally, I come out in hives if I ever stray that way into Style and Beauty!!

I echo NormantheForeman

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:29

@StealthPolarBear

MN corruptly recommends...

Why is it corrupt? I can see if we recommended stuff because we'd been approached by companies, that would be corrupt. But we would NEVER do that. We are merely packaging MNetter recommendations/consensus into a mail in the hope that it's useful
(Sorry for shouting but I'm getting all hot and bovvered)

PaperView · 16/06/2011 12:33

I did Justine :) and also [sorry]

Just because a few people 'swear by' a dress/highchair/babygro doesn't MN does though. It's like that bloody all over again

ChaosTrulyReigns · 16/06/2011 12:36

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:39

@PaperView

I did Justine :) and also [sorry]

Just because a few people 'swear by' a dress/highchair/babygro doesn't MN does though. It's like that bloody all over again

Well that's one reason why we have Aitch involved to make sure the advice stands up [no pressure, Aitch!]. Basically it will only be as useful as the advice/recommendations. So time will tell. But I think there's a hell of a lot of good buying advice to be got from Mn - in our census out of interest 8/10 respondents said that they routinely consulted mnet before making a major purchase - I know i would too.