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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wonder why so many MNetters dont understand MN can be used by people outside England.

97 replies

BooCanary · 19/08/2013 09:42

What with being on the world wide web and all!

So why are there constantly puzzled responses to anything that doesn't fit with the 'norm'.

Posts in 'Education' during August are often met with - 'why wait til the middle of the summer holidays to ask about this OP?' 'Don't email the school in August, noone will be there OP!'
HELLO! There are places in the world ( inc Scotland) where there is school in August.

If someone posts on a Sunday night about just speaking to a teacher about something, there's always a few 'it's Sunday OP, are you making this up, trip trap'.
HELLO! People in the world are in different timezones to the UK. It does not make them trolls!

OP posts:

LRDPomogiMnyeSRabotoi · 19/08/2013 09:44

Cos it is the norm?

I think everyone has cottoned onto the world wide webness of the web, but the majority of people on here are from the UK, is all.

mrslyman · 19/08/2013 09:49

Well it's a UK based forum, so the vast majority of people posting are in the UK. If you're asking for advice regarding health or education issues for example, then it would generally be helpful in the OP to mention that you're not in the UK otherwise people are going to give loads of useless advice.

Original poster

BooCanary · 19/08/2013 09:54

Firstly, Scotland is in the UK.
Secondly, I know its a UK based forum, but if I see a post from someone who mentions, for example that they have just had dinner and the DCs have gone out to play, and I notice that the time is 11 at night, I would just think that poster was overseas. Whereas you always get people posting 'why are you eating so late, and what kind of irresponsible person let's their DCs out so late!'

OP posts:

Iamsparklyknickers · 19/08/2013 09:56

It's an England based website the articles, user base and links are predominately English focused - people presume. It's not hard to set them straight.

Tbh it's a bit of a rant about nothing - if I'm on a predominately American forum (which there are a lot of) it's never once occurred to me to be offended about people getting their wires crossed or misunderstanding me - takes two seconds to let them know I'm in Britain.

YABU. Really not worth getting your knickers in a twist imo.

StuntGirl · 19/08/2013 09:56

I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of posters are from England.

LRDPomogiMnyeSRabotoi · 19/08/2013 10:00

Yes, Scotland is in the UK. Where I am fairly sure nighttime happens at almost the same time as in England.

NurseRatchet · 19/08/2013 10:04

Well surely the OP could mention that in their post, if they are overseas. It is irritating for people to give advice then three pages in OP announces she can't do that or it is irrelevant as she is in Dubai/Sydney/Kazakhstan!

kim147 · 19/08/2013 10:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lavenderbongo · 19/08/2013 10:07

Im in nz and I use it.

Iamsparklyknickers · 19/08/2013 10:07

Just to add - from my extensive research (procrastinating ) Americans seem to have no problem stating which state/timezone they're in - they know things are different even in the same country. They don't expect the other FM's to be psychic when they're talking about regional variations.

insancerre · 19/08/2013 10:09

cos they don't understand how the interweb works
DH, a fairly intelligent person normally, asked me if he could watch itv player on his ipad if he went on a business trip to germany or would he just get german internet

mrslyman · 19/08/2013 10:12

Well yes Scotland is in the UK, but your OP was ranting on about the rest of the world so that's what I was replying about, not the Scotland bit.

But my point remains, if the advice you're seeking will vary according to your location, then mention your location in the OP, you can't expect the people giving you advice to drag it out of you.

Trills · 19/08/2013 10:13

I don't think they don't understand but in a mainly UK-based (and within that mainly England-based) community people will assume that you are in England unless you state otherwise.

Similarly, people will assume that you are a woman and a mother unless you state otherwise. It's not that people don't understand that childless women or men can join MN, it's just that on average that's the case.

HoneyDragon · 19/08/2013 10:14

Weird. Because nearly every school related op I have read this week, someone asks if the op is in Scotland.

People ask, I think as they ate trying establish whether the op is talking about a current issue or something that happened a while ago.

mrslyman · 19/08/2013 10:14

insancerre he probably wouldn't be able to watch it as tv channels often restrict who can view their programmes to those based in the country they are. They can tell by your IP address.

HoneyDragon · 19/08/2013 10:14

Oh, and please do report any troll hunting.

PenelopeLane · 19/08/2013 10:15

As a non-UK poster who notices other non-UK posters - especially those who are active when most people in the UK are asleep - I do think that the number of posters from other countries is higher than many on here seem to think. In fact, I'd be really interested in seeing the stats ..

Tee2072 · 19/08/2013 10:18

Northern Ireland is also in the UK. Just for the record.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 19/08/2013 10:20

Foot in each camp. I think there are a lot of overseas posters but I also think its helpful to point out you're overseas if asking about issues for which there are protocols in the uk. iI live overseas but would assume someone on this site was in the uk unless they stated otherwise.

Birdsgottafly · 19/08/2013 10:27

Outside the UK?

When I first joined MN, very few people seemed to realise that there was life outside of London.

Even now, when discussing immigration, housing and employment there is a big lack of recognition that there are massive differences to what happens and what is needed depending on what region you live in.

Many on here don't have family in all parts of the UK, or globally, many don't seem to travel much, either.

There is a long way to go before a global perspective can be considered.

rollmeover · 19/08/2013 10:31

I'm Scottish, and whilst I suspect that a significant minority of posters are non-English I don't expect the English posters (the majority) to have to have to qualify their posts.

It pisses the off when the BBC doesn't explicitly refer to which part of the UK they are referring to and I think it's lazy when people speak about England when they mean the UK but I can't get upset about posters on mumsnet thinking you are English when you are talking about a subject matter that will have different outcomes based on where you are in the UK (eg schooling questions on August or divorce/matrimonial homes issues on the relationships board).

so I get where you are coming from but think yabu sorry.

SavoyCabbage · 19/08/2013 10:32

It can be annoying as you might be talking about buying a bike for example and say "this afternoon I saw....." and you get people saying that its only 10am.

Sometimes you don't want to be banging on about where you live. You just want to talk to people in an ordinary way.

HoneyDragon · 19/08/2013 10:33

Tee

But you are one of those incomprehensible foreigners wherever you are

mrsjay · 19/08/2013 10:36

would hazard a guess that the vast majority of posters are from England.

really

OP you are right but sometimes people dont think and cant see out of their own country , I was confused until a poster pointed out it was Monday where she lived but I wouldnt assume everybody was from london England only

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 19/08/2013 10:41

It is ridiculous to expect overseas posters to mention the fact they are overseas in every post.

They will just become that mad person who won't stop going on about San Francisco (or wherever). It also risks outing yourself.

If they are specifically asking for advice about a health or education then yes they ought to mention their location because it's RELEVANT. But it usually isn't relevant and yes, other posters often make fools of themselves troll hunting because they can't entertain the concept that lots of people post here who aren't exactly like them.

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