To think this website only represents at best 30% of the country.

[morry1000]

This site seems to be representative of a small proportion of society. The views seem to be that if you have not been in higher education you are a failure. The fact that less than 30% of the population have a degree shows how divisive some of the posts on here are.

The way many posters talk down to people less fortunate than them particularly in (Education) this is a game of Top Trumps . The equivalent of someone boasting about living in a 5 bedroom house only that is a Oxbridge Degree on this site . These same people look down and make nasty comments to people who despite having a inferior education have in many cases achieved more than them. On this site on many occasions certain posters use intellectual snobbery to put people down who may have achieved at least equally to them.

I've been using this site for 3 years and I really haven't noticed that. Unless you're talking about the Education topic or something?

Either way, this is the internet and people can claim to have or to be anything they want.

I take it all with a pinch of salt.

Like Worra, I take mumsnet with a pinch of salt.

We can write any old rubbish on here.

Sorry I've never seen that as such. Certainly a few snipes at grammatical errors, but thats a bit different to what you're describing I think?

Anyway I'd say it's less than 30% - AFAIK we're mostly women, mostly 30-45 ish maybe? Obviously regular internet users, and thats without going into whether you like MN in first place...

Whats wrong with this site representing small proportion of the country?

I haven't noticed that in the year or so I've been on here. I think it seems pretty supportive on here.

Are you on MN in a parallel world, OP?

I don't have a degree and I've certainly never been spoken down to or made to feel inferior on here.

What a strange OP...

I've never noticed this ever - I'd also be critical of someone's argument if they had to back up what they were saying with "And anyway I went to Oxbridge so I must be right so there"

I haven't noticed the attitude you mention.

There is some one upmanship going in Education imo.

But why should this website be representative of anything?

I'm another who thinks the OP must be reading a different site.

Nope - can't say that I recognise this sort of poster.

Also, being called MN, there is already a gender bias and can be seen to be limiting membership to those with (intention of having) children.

I also think that it is a oretty robust, forthright membership and usually posters are put to rights for biased opinions.

And which publication do you write for?

Dear op

you are talking out of your arse, if your own inferiority complex dictates that you feel "less than" becuase somone starts an oxbridge thread or a " what can i buy in london with £750k it doesn't get much" thread then it is your own outlook on life that needs changing.

I have JUST posted on a thread about overcrowding in a council house

this is more about you than anything else, get over it

Mumsnet is full of people who use Mumsnet, and that is generally about as far as you can get with the generalisations tbh.

Ah, OP, do you post anywhere other than the Edcation boards???

Because on Education, people are going to talk about, um, education (probably).

It might help if you branch out a little more. There's more to MN than Education, you know.

Wait. So OP is basing their opinion of 100% of MN users on one tiny weeny section of the whole forum? That seems a little bit silly.

I'm not sure how you can say that of a forum where you can start a thread about ANY topic, including homelessness, poverty etc. & find more than one person with personal experience of the problem.

I do find some posters to be a bit stuck up, yes. But they are not representative of MN as a whole.

That's an interesting thought.
My belief is that a MN has a diverse group of members. Of course the vast majority appear to be women & many are child centred but I've read threads on a wide variety of topics from posters from all walks of life.
I disagree.

I've been here for a few years now and I've never seen any of what the OP refers to. You get the occasional poster making snidey comments to others, boasting about their lack of achievement, but they are few and far between. You also get posters who haven't done so well making snidey comments to those who have.

Its like real life really. Most people are fairly pleasant and doing the best they can to get along with their own life, some people are itching for a fight, and some people are so lacking in confidence that they feel better when they are trying to put others down. I ignore what I don't like.

Boasting about their lack of achievement? where did that come from? I meant boasting about their success, although frankly its not something I've seen very often.

Online communities are fascinating. Each one develops its own cultural norms. MN is no different from any other (honest!). Lots of things here that I never encounter IRL; I find most of it funny. A few MN obsessions make me bristle & I start muttering FFS a bit excessively when I'm over-exposed. I've been on here almost 12 yrs so I can remember a lot of changes, too; the place does evolve. I could cite examples of very strongly held past views no longer stated; and new views that are suddenly very strongly held that would have been shunned in past.

I'm sure many a sociology thesis has been written on all this stuff.

A very wise MNer declared maybe 8 yrs ago something along lines of "Over my dead body will I ever run my life according to what MN says." Doesn't mean you can't be open-minded, or enjoy cyber-people-watching.

This website represents far less than 30% of the country.

I havent noticed that. There are people from all walks of life, with all sorts of different levels of education.
I dont have a degree. I dont feel I have ever been talked down to.
brush that chip off your shoulder and dive into the more fun threads. Mn is whatever you want it to be.
there is no MN View. We are a load of individuals, not one giant brain connected via the internet.

Can anyone link to the Mumsnet survey?

It was to show the general demographic of the site. Quite interesting.

Fwiw Op I think you've made a bit of a generalisation. There's all sorts on here.

I, for one, have no degree. ( I don't agree with degrees for certain subjects, especially my trade which is silversmithing. A classroom education in this is a waste of money and time.)