To ask is there an alternative to mumsnet out there for people who...

[Somethingisntactuallyanything]

Do not think smearing a soiled nappy on a car is a good idea, or mixing cat poo with milk and pouring it into airvents to get rid of problem parkers, etc etc. It's all gone a bit bizarre round here, and I used to read mn for sane, diverse, funny, wise intelligent opinion. Now my eyes bulge at the majority of posts / advice - people are aggressive and humourless far more often than wise, funny or kind. I'm hoping responses to this thread won't attract too many of those...

Has penis beaker ruined it for us long term posters?

If anyone can direct me to where all the old posters have gone I'd love to know

I've been on MN under various guises since the start of 2008. OP has a valid point. I wouldn't come here to just read things but for specific advice it's unbeaten. I don't find quite a few things funny, but I'm like that in real life too. [grumpy] [bah humbug] and if anyone calls me a special snowflake I'll flounce permanently

I wholeheartedly agree with Stratter5. It's not the same on here anymore, and it hasn't been since pb.

The sense of humour has gone, lighthearted, hun and hubby has taken over. I remember seeing threads that would pull you in and make you laugh because they were witty, now someone will be offended and pull a thread down, and instead of telling them to fuck off and hide the thread, they bring their po faced buddies and boom another thread ruined.

Swearing isn't a problem per se. Its when its in every other line and seems to be the most used adjective. Basically, i don't mind swearing but I don't want to start to struggle to construct a sentence in my head without it swearing because in RL it usually is not appropriate.

I would definitely post in maryz reformatted site to suit each occasion as it arises.

Yes to banning 'yabu' and also to 'vile' - such a disgruntled word!

it has lost its wit and edge and become more mainstream perhaps

if a post was started about the celebration of the use of the word cunt you would still have those saying yay it's great others it's vulgar, only those desperate to be seems as edgy use it ..... Much like the original thread I saw

I think mn is less political but that is a shift in society (would have been great in the 80's) election time (and more so in 2010) politics is at the forefront of many people thoughts so more threads also mm is dominated by labour/those on the left so they do often drown out others I rather than drown out a debate to take place

I would leave MN if they stopped us changing usernames. A lot of my stuff would out me and I want to remain anonymous, so use different usernames for different problems, so friends that know about one wouldn't automatically be able to find out about other problems

I've been here about 8 years now, and of course it has changed as it's got bigger - it was inevitable.

Not all for the worse mind - the royalty thing was much more prevalent when I first came here and certain posters would look down their noses at posters for being "newbies", or simply not respond to them, and that has changed with the numbers on the site growing.

But OP you're right, of course you are, that there is a difference in tone on the site.

There are also many more right-wing posters than there used to be, and much more general unkindness and ignorant daily-mail-like attitudes and opinions.

Some types of genuinely witty threads that happened a few years ago are impossible now.

It's still a great place for all sorts of reasons, but Somethingisntactuallyanything if you find an alternative site I'd love to give it a go - I need to expand my website viewing - currently it's 90% mumsnet and facebook!

"it has lost its wit and edge and become more mainstream perhaps"

That's it in a nutshell.

Thank you house, I will have a nose around there, most kind

I'm not sure if mn is majority left wing anymore- perhaps more people posting about politics are left wing, but it seems there is an undercurrent of right wing ideology in a lot of threads

Wonder if Moldies are recruiting,

If I'm completely honest, MN has shifted my political views from Tory to Labour. It's like having the scales ripped from your eyes, having been brought up in an unquestioningly Tory family.

It's not just politics; I've definitely got more of a sense of 'self', I'm not so afraid of speaking my mind now, I know I'm not wrong anymore because my views have been confirmed here.

I wish I'd found MN 10 or so years ago. I think my life would have been very different had I done so.

MN fatigue.
Yes, that's me diagnosed then!

Sorry I'm x posting all through this! Agree about the writing of posts and thinking Fuck it, it will be wilfully misinterpreted- is reason being drowned out? So in which case if the prevalent voice on aibu is the frankly bizarre one, how can it be any good to see if your being unreasonable?! I'm with maryz and others about getting rid of it

Genuine question: what happened with penis beaker that apparently changed MN so much? In what way was it pivotal? Why don't we like that thread? I honestly don't get why the 'old skool' MNers hate it so much, i have read a bit of it and thought it was funny

I was probably here for equal amounts of time before PB and since and I can't say that I notice much difference apart from the prevalence of this type of thread?

Stratter, I've always been left wing but I guess similarly in some ways I grew up in an unquestioned dysfunctional household- mn really had helped me realise it and make sense of it, and I'm definitely a better parent for it, I'd say

I think the turning point was Friday night is bum sex night (paraphrasing)

if you want a forum with interesting people who talk about interesting things, then youve got to accept that we will be complete cunts and irritate the fuck out of you at times

you cant have it both ways

Oh good lord what on earth was that one?!

Maryz I love the 30 minute time out idea

Also, a temporary flounce topic for those who want to flounce (but not really)

"If I'm completely honest, MN has shifted my political views from Tory to Labour."

That comment has made my day!

Do you mind if I ask, what kind of posts changed your views? Was it posts about political issues or more just getting to know people in different situations, or something else?

Ricki Lake You Go Girl it's not just me who's chanting go ricki go ricki now, is it...?

Bramleuse - but that's exactly what I don't want to expect- why do people behave like complete cunts just because it's online? I think that is fundamentally wrong

There are many ex bounty people on here

Link a dm right wing (obviously) story you will soon see how left wing it is. Doesn't that relflect society though surely better to debate than just shut down an argument you might change another Tory voter into a Labour voter well once we rid ourselves of the useless leader we have at the moment (sorry that's a whole different debate)