AIBU to find MN intimidating?

[ICantThinkOfAUsernameH]

I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous - recently joined and have posted a few times but find it scary .
I thought I was well-educated albeit a young mum, but reading some threads makes me feel scared Apprehensive to post .
I'm being silly aren't I?! Or do I belong on a certain other site instead haha!

ICant, if you can't understand a thread, there's a possibility it might be a long-running thread (I've been on one that's being going 8 years) so that there's a long back story... whilst new people maybe made welcome (as in the conversation I've been in for that long), there are still bound to be references that just don't make any sense...

ICan you can always ask posters about a long-running thread if you really want to know, someone will more than likely fill you in.

You may notice posters using 'naice' instead of 'nice'. -its not a typo.

Ahh :)

I'm glad you mentioned the swearing ! I'm not very good at containing it

also if you see swear words - don't be offended generally it's just because we can, rather than us being fishwives….

also some people can use vair or vairy I think - which is very.

I do notice that some respected posters can tend to reply to their own group (a bit like that boarding school book they all go on about…! ) or they tend to notice them a bit more but you can edge your way in…

also don't take yourself seriously.

and also as Buffy says - people forget quickly - and if you really do fuck up and offend someone if you sincerely apologise (if you can't be bothered to name change) that is normally sufficient here. where NM you'd be banned…!

Welcome!

Remember that there's a lot more to Mn than AIBU. I can never understand why some posters just seem to live there - it's definitely not representative of the site.

BIWI you know what I actually find it quite boring sometimes AIBU the same stuff (wedding related) seems to go round and round like Groundhog Day.

at least in Chat you can light-heartedly take the piss and no-one jumps down your throat if they're having a bad day or have been on the gin early!

Most of AIBU is boring. But if you want guaranteed replies and a bunfight. AIBU is the place to be.

This is my second try of using Mumsnet. I tried once before when I was pregnant, and then miscarried, and couldn't bear to come back.

I then fell pregnant again and felt I wanted to be online where other pregnant women would understand what was happening. I joined the ante-natal group - which also turned into a Facebook group - and they have been fantastically supportive.

I find some parts of MN completly terrifying though - the feminism section for example.

I have learned a lot from some sections which I never post in because I don't want to intrude and have no personal experience of, but those posts have broadened my views on things - the adoption board is a good example of that.

I also frequently feel extremely thick compared to some of the other posters.

Mostly I like it here, although I dislike the pedants who pick on people for their spelling and grammar and think some people get a very hard time for no good reason but maybe I'm a soft touch.

AIBU can be a bit samey. There a certain button pressing topics and when they come up time and time again it's difficult to know whether it's someone trying to push buttons or someone new that really doesn't realise it will all blow up..

A brief list off the top of my head-

Cats pooing in peoples gardens (v popular ATM)
Anything to do with cycling.
Anything to do with Parent & child car parking spaces
Folding down or not of prams on buses
Most things to do with supermarket shopping especially use of trolleys/eating food before purchase.
Reclining seats on a flight
Dogs-mainly off lead ones.

Approach all of the above with caution.

And never start a thread about shoes on/shoes off indoors.

It will rage for days, weeks, months!

sparkling kids in pubs is a new one…

neighbours being PITA also seems to be a trend now
weddings…. but they're all a laugh really.
paying for children on flights - should DC have a free seat?!
seats for children on trains etc giving up seats for pregnant women on trains.

Oh yes, forgot that one Crystal. V important topic.

If you ever hear anyone refer to 'MN Bingo' it's because one of those topics have come up and the replies will be predictable to the point you can tick them off.
Or 'I'll just get some popcorn'

MN is obsessed with how often you shower/change your knickers/bedsheets /wash your towels.

So if you ever want to start a long thread , just ask one of those questions.

Stay at home parent v working parent

YY Super there has been a spate of kids in pubs and seats on trains too. Weddings are always good especially ones where there are poems requesting money.

And benefits.

And benefits.

Also come September within days anything to do with teachers and school dissatisfaction will start again.

Yeah, the beauty of being on MN is if you get into a hideous fight when drunk one evening, the next day you can name change and wipe the slate clean. This has only happened to me a dozen few times.

Agree with maryz post above about ratio of reading/posting/responses... but I couldn't hack the responsibility of having the same name for years like she has (IIRC)!

And don't forget to boast about how many meals a roast chicken does!

(Total failure if you can't make 1 x chook last a family of 4 for at least a week's worth of meals)