to feel a bit defensive of this site?

[Fatmomma99]

I'm quite new (although been posting quite a lot! I'm quite enthusiastic about this site).

I've seen posts saying this site is fake, and that there are vipers on here (esp on weekend nights).

But I REALLY like AIBU. I really, really do.

I first looked as a bit of work-skive, but I'm totally hooked. What I really love is that people post questions they want answers to and they GET answers.
And the majority of those are supportive, but also honest.

I REALLY like that people don't necessarily agree with OP, but give their opinions and reasons.

There ARE a few trolls, I've seen those, and they can be nasty.

And some might be fakes, and have to accept that.

And people are also very judgey, but (as they often admit) they don't know all the facts and they go on what they know.

I've been on the wrong side of that when I posted a post about a work situation that a colleague (who was a new friend) informed me about and people came back to say "new friend is shit stirring - you should dump her!" and I was really taken aback when I saw it, because she is lovely and I would be horrified to dump her because she is so nice. But they were going on the information I had given them.

And, basically, what I see on this site is women given honest comment, and mostly done in a supportive way.

AIBU to think that is ACE?

I think this site is TOP!

I like mn

At a time of need when I couldn't think rationally the people here got me seeing sense.

I don't often post, but read a lot, and in doing so I've learnt so much. Yes there are probably fake people here, but that's the Internet for you. What is has taught me is to think before I judge, I don't know of persons situation and now I bear that it mind

thanks fatmomma your name is rather wonderful too! and would suit me very well

Margaret's fab isn't she!

I really hate that the media lazily portray Mumsnet as vapid women talking about baby poo and which buggy to buy. I am continually amazed by the professionalism, erudition, intellectualism and sheer articulacy of the people who use this site. And there is so much traffic that no matter what you ask there will be numerous helpful replies within minutes. The parenting aspects are incidental.

However I must admit that I'm not really "out" in RL about the extent of my MN habit.

Yes, you get a mixture of people. A lot of threads are helpful eg a good few of us lawyers answer legal questions and I am sure that is the case in loads of other areas too.

It does annoy me how quickly people rush to tell a woman to leave her husband just because he's done a few things wrong (when probably the women is equally as much to blame anyway).

Yes, the media just loves us don't they? its like the new insult for women, like when they spit out their crap about feminists. And not just the media, a lot of more male orientated sites and comments. Years ago it would have been "burn the witch!" - now they can have a dig at mnetters and feminists.

I can't believe how addicted I am to this site!

I've never done anything like this before.

Margaret Atwood once retweeted me < buffs nails on collar >

I like MN too. I have mostly stayed away from the Election threads which was a sensible move, I believe.

It'll be ok again in a week or two until the next drama comes along. Much like life really

I like MN, have been on for donkeys but it is a bit up its own arse sometimes. It's a website that provides brilliant support to a lot of people going through some horrible times. I've had some lovely support here but it can take itself a little too seriously. It's not the be all and end all of parenting website. It can be a very judgemental place, I know a couple of people I've recommended it to, who have had a look (not in AIBU) but in other topics and have went "nah couldn't be arsed with all that self important shite" I tend not to recommend it now. It's also very anglo centric.

I'm not surprised anyFucker. You've got it together

not always, tb

It's also very anglo centric.

Well, it's supposed to be, although there are lots of people living elsewhere and you may not even realise it.

I meant school holiday threads etc seem to be geared towards England and Wales even those generated by MN such as primary school application dates, school holiday date threads, the use of Reception, Year one etc.

so what ?

the majority of posters are from England and Wales

the majority tends to rule on boards like this, and MN is great in that it allows you to make your own minority threads/topics if you so wish

get over it

MN is a lot more than the sum of it's total iyswim.

There's a Scotsnet board here if anyone starts feeling it's too Anglocentric. (I realise this isn't helpful if you're in Wales/NI/overseas.)

Would love to hear more about how MA retweeted you, AnyFucker.

My 'journey' (as they say on X Factor) is that a parent I was supporting through work told me she was doing a parenting course on NetMUms. And I took it upon myself to look up her course, and LOVED Netmums. But then I got disillusioned.

They have a spot called something like "the serious stuff", which I was drawn to because of my day job, and I read some of the threads and thought several times that they didn't seem quite real. It was as if someone (possibly working for Netmums) had posted some things that people could potentially be inspired by or relate to or be drawn to post to.
Nothing wrong with that, perhaps
And they were great threads that might have helped people.

But they didn't come across to me as 'real'.

Then I found Mumsnet and AIBU.

I'm sure there will be fake posts, but nothing has come across to me as fake. I really, really love it.

And I think you're mostly fab.

And I worry about how much work time I spend looking at it (and hope work can't track what I do and sack me!)

G'night. x

83% of people in Britain are in England. Despite that lots of Scots post here and most voted to stay in the UK.

Fatmomma99, do you ever look at any of the other topics? AIBU is really not representative of MN as a whole. At times it can be the very worst Topic.

Honestly? I find this site to be quite accurately described on the outside, just full of middle class, Waitrose shopping, 'dear' everything from husband to neighborhood cat, clucking hens. Like a giant version of Loose Women. I mainly joined for the pregnancy forum, which I do find supportive. AIBU is awful though, so much jumping to conclusions, drip feeding information, eye rolling silliness. I know, I shouldn't be here really, it's just I find the place to be the 'best of the worst'.

FM, I don't remember the exact topic, but it was something feminism-related. She is a well known feminist as reflected in her writing

unfortunately I cannot retrieve it as I deleted my Twitter account due to malicious targeting of it

Thanks for that GB. How nice of you to stick around.

I've never even been past a Waitrose, let alone inside one

I shop at Asda.

I was speaking as a whole - a generalisation, Worra, I don't expect everyone here shops posh. But when you pop in, see a thread bemoaning the inability to find a 'decent' hotel for 5k, I personally go 'jeez, I'm not on level with these people'. The OP asked, I just gave my opinion. I had an idea of this forum before I fell pregnant, looked around before joining. Mostly, not much I've seen has changed my opinion.

You have to take a lot of it with a pinch of salt. I laugh at the holiday threads and the competitive either vv cheap holidaying or the how much?!! holidays.

You have to do a lot of topic hiding and customise MN to get the most interesting bits. AIBU is not the best place to look.