to think that MN comments are not a fair barometer of public opinion?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

.. and that they are often rather biased? MN staff have been invited onto various news programmes over the NOTW scandal and other current affairs issues, and are presumably there because they represent a body of opinion that's seen as 'the average woman in the street'. Whereas my experience of MN is that there are certain prevailing views, admittedly expressed very forcefully, and that comments against those prevailing views are treated as heresy. I suspect that, on occasion, the 'heretics' may even be in the majority but are discouraged from speaking out for fear of a flaming (rather like the one I expect I'll get now :) )

Is it fair, therefore, for MN to assume the role of 'mouthpiece of the nation's mothers'?

in real life i dont know anyone who is remotely like your average anti fruit shot, liberal lovie MN poster. No one in my life gets upset if their mil folds their pants or gives the grandchildren the odd tube of smarties. They dont rant about their husbands for working rather than doing their share of the child care or housework. They dont spend vast amounts the their time worrying about off the cuff remarks made by people they are very unlikely to meet again or a friend who is just making converation.
MN is a bubble of people with too much time on their hands and extreme views who would probably be a lot happyier if they switched off their computer every now and again and chilled out a bit.

There are lots of examples in fact where reading these boards somebody could feel they are totally out of step with the norm only to discover that, in the whole population, they are firmly in the majority.

absolutely, i often know i am in the majority view but laugh to myself how insular and deluded some posters are in here :)

MN is a bubble of people with too much time on their hands and extreme views who would probably be a lot happyier if they switched off their computer every now and again and chilled out a bit.

agree with that completely

MN does not represent people in RL at all

but it's interesting

and the forcefulness of some opinion are hysterical

I think that the MN viewpoint is a well played brand identity by some savvy people - good advertising isn't it

I would be horrified if some of the views on MN were seen to represent the majority

but I can understand why MN has the reputation it has when I read some posts on here

there are alot of mn people in real life though, they just don't shout about their views

MN is the best site I've come across for talk boards. Most of the others I've looked at are just the same old nutters banging on about the same old obsessions.

For example, I like politics and I went to look at the Guido Fawkes web site 'order order'. The comments there are rarely of any note or interest - just a lot of middle aged fruit loops offering their mental thoughts on rubbish or just total vile filth. There's no actual debate or argument on a position. It's the same with a lot of the media talk boards.

MN can only represent the poeple who use it, of course.

It has status because Cameron knows it exists and tries to use it to bolster his 'Call me Dave' creds.

I think you're right linerunner MN is not bound by one political view or angle. I thought it would be more left leaning than it is and I often see right-wing posts here that get support.

The Guardian CiF has got a lot of very bonkers extremists from both ends of the spectrum, especially since the paywalls went up on the Times. I still really like it, but MN is more relevant for me now, as I'm a mum, so I can find mum advice and chat politics too.

Oh, and I flipping love the feminism section here. It's a real eye opener and always interesting to read and contribute too. I got very bored of flippin' Bidisha at the graun.

If Mumsnet was a women it would most likely be Harriet Harman. Probably.

or

Morticia Adams.

Ooh maurice with these thoughts you are tempting us....

If MN was a woman it would most likely be Joanna Lumley.

"I have never seen anyone from MNHQ make such an absurd claim."

In fairness, I don't think they ever have made that claim. But that is how they are effectively treated by newsrooms and discussion programmes looking for an easy short-cut to finding out the views of mothers. I think the WI used to fill the 'mouthpiece of the nation's mothers' in the past.

And I know that the MNHQ people are probably quite careful to qualify any statements they make. But still you get threads here 'I can't believe anyone voted Tory!'... because, if your only frame of reference is an MN message board you really will have been surprised at the outcome of the election.

BTW. The 'nasty rag' I bought this morning was condemned by all sections of society, myself included. But, there again, 5m copies of the last edition of the NOTW will probably sell today... that's 1 in 12 of the population handing over £1. Statistically therefore, there will be more people than just me on MN buying it, but precious few admitting it... QED.

Oh J-Lum. Much better Line Runner. Much rather be her than HH

Just to point out Cog

At the last election - more people didn't vote Tory than did. So given that, I am still fairly surprised at the outcome of the election.

Didn't you see the pre-election polls catgirl1976?

Sure - but I am an eternal optimist maurice.......always hope things might turn out ok however bleak they seem

If Mumsnet were a woman she'd be Shirley Williams in a posh frock with sensible shoes.

Yanbu, agreed.

And even if we are, then at least 99% of mumsnet members have not commented on the notw threads.

I don't think mn represent themselves as being the voice of any group of people.

But I think it is reasonable that they are asked what their sense is of the broad mood of those posting on any particular issue.

Of course there is a bias - only those posting rather than the millions lurking get counted.
But tbh I would rather that Justine were giving a sense of what mumsnet posters were saying than that Paul dace were asked what his readers felt.

I think mn can be pretty sheep like. And I think " aibu to think David Cameron drinks the blood of the poor and then dances on their graves" style postings -which are all over the site- are fucking childish. They make me embarrassed that any adult thinks that that constitutes political discussion.
But in general terms I think it is quite good that mumsnet and net mums get asked to describe the mood of their members.

But nobody's "only frame of reference is an MN message board", because everybody has a RL. (Even me, and I'm housebound and go weeks without talking to more than three people.)

So MN is always in addition to, not instead of. And that can only be good.

I think in RL people are more likely to surround themselves with a bubble of People Like Them, because education => job => income => housing location. Exactly as catgirl described.