to think that MN has been ruined by the Fail

[JigglyTuff]

It's become hun-tastic *

"Well, that's what men are like! I don't know why you can't just get right back to cooking and cleaning immediately after giving birth - it's what I did!"

"I would never leave my child alone, even for two minutes, until they were at least 16. Better safe than sorry!"

"She's a bitch" "Slapper"

"I don't care if he does have SN. Hit him back! That'll teach him!"

• not actual quotes

I used to come her for intelligent and witty conversation. It was fun, it was invigorating. It made me think and it made me smile.

But right now, my local town facebook page, where most posters find it hard to string more than three words together, seems fairly erudite in comparison.

What's happened?! :(

I agree with worra and think that the name changing button is overused especially when the OP changes her feckin name on the same thread

It's a sign of quiet desperation innit? If you have to pretend to be someone else to talk to and approve of yourself on t'internet, then you're more to be pitied than abhorred.

There is soooooo much of it going on though. But what people don't realise is it's almost always so obvious. 300 YABUs, OP getting humphy. Suddenly a brand new user joins the thread to say "I agree with OP, and you're all mean girlz"

at 13.44 here I use just a tablespoon of sugar not 100g

Enjoy!

Soupy I cannot tell you how many times I've had to remake your flapjack because the first batch doesn't make it into the oven

LOLOL. I usually manage to get a full tray into the oven and I absolutely don't pick a tray that all the mixture won't fit into...

Oh goodness I completely agree. There was a thread recently full of people congratulating themselves for nothing and no one else criticised it, they were just so proud of each other for losing weight in January. Made me sick. No one came to my rescue, so I've pretty much just founced off.

I leave the sugar out entirely now, BTW. It is unnecessary.

Sometimes I like to read the style boards and perhaps the OP has funds to buy an expensive item and asks for input. What I really dislike is when lots of other posters question the OP on spending that money on said item. 'Buy one from primark and give the rest to charity/mortgage/children/holiday' type responses. It's the OP's money, you don't know their particular circumstances yet you think those types of comments are helpful and appropriate. It annoys me.
Having said that I've has some great chats on here too.

Yes I think the DM has created a lot of interest from trolls. I clicked on three or four threads in quick succession yesterday and thought actually I don't believe a word of any of them. It did use to be like that.

There are frequent threads about this, the majority of which ignore the very real changes which have affected the site.
Gransnet sheared off a big demographic group by separating. Yes I know there is still crossover, but it is less.
There are more men on the site.
Depending on the period you started here and are comparing now to, posts now are probably much shorter. The use of phones and tablets makes sound bites much easier to post than erudite or comprehensive answers.
Also the poor search options on the mobile sites mean the same topics come up over and over, searching for previous answers is hard work, so it doesn't happen much.
However, whilst acknowledging this change, I shouldc probably admit I've been here quite a while ( cough) and find that actually people are less judgey now. There were some properly controling keyboard warriors on here years ago who would shut down whole threads because you weren't following the unwritten rules.
So I'm a bit confused as to when the golden age of it all being better in the past actually was.

If nothing else, I have got a good flapjack recipe from this thread. I'm especially pleased because I have a tin of condensed milk in the cupboard that I didn't know what to do with

well that's alright then

I'm much more reluctant to post, knowing that I could be cut & pasted into The Fail. I really don't like MN's association with it.

How can you not know what to do with a tin of condensed milk? You can eat it with a spoon if nothing else.

Something I wouldn't recommend is making chocolate tiffin then then putting on a layer of caramel topped with chocolate like you do with millionaires shortbread.... although it does use up stray biscuits and unused condensed milk so it's virtuously thrifty.

:o Soupy

My Mum says she ate condensed milk sandwiches in t'war.

I have now sent dp to the supermarket for condensed milk to try that low calorie recipe there for millionaires shortbread with condensed milk.

I am in Italy so he may be gone some time.

JigglyTuff I agree with you. I've been here nearly 9 years and things have changed a lot.

Some of it is simply down to size - MN was pretty cliquey when I first joined and as a newby I liked that it was growing because people would actually answer my posts! Or wouldn't roll their eyes and say "we've done this to death" (have you? I didn't know!).

I imagine some of the older posters felt the opposite and that newbies like me were spoiling it by covering old ground again or whatever.

But even though it was growing the overriding culture was still intelligent and witty. Cutting when necessary but not downright mean.

It's very different now. Much more judgemental. And the mindless bullying of OPs on AIBU is shocking sometimes. The constant exposure in the DM is surely changing things, it must be attracting DM readers here.

I dunno what you can do about it if anything? Perhaps it's just a feature of any large community on the Internet - it's constantly changing and growing, kind of like cities do?

Thank you Donkey for the link to the flashback recipee, I have a tin of condensed milk too.....

The first thread I remember reading on mn was about how it all used to be green fields around here and how it has changed. So in some ways the site is just the same.

Ffs! Flapjack fucking auto correct

MumsNet is not AIBU which does tend to attract twats. I've been on here for 8 years and there have always been posts saying that it's not what it used to be.
There will always be goody fuckers but, if you get off AIBU and look at the bereavement, miscarriage, infertility or mental health boards, you will see a completely different picture. I've seen numerous threads supporting women to recognise that they are in an abusive relationship and find the strength to leave. I've seen posters offering to order pizza for someone whose partner was withholding money from them. There is a thread which was supporting a much loved Mumsnetter with terminal cancer until she passed away a few days ago which is incredibly moving.
There are also some extremely intelligent and informative threads about politics- I have learned more from reading the referendum threads than I have from mainstream media in the last 20 years.

True dat Miss Hoolie. I definitely read the politics threads on here before turning elsewhere, because I know I'll get lefties and righties no holds barred telling it like it is (for them) equally and I don't have to scratch my chinny chin chin and think "Ah, Laura K and Nick Robinson....now, I wonder how they are going to slant this one?"

Too many troll threads in Relationships though. Full of 'you go girl' posts.

Thank you Vintage. That makes perfect sense and I do appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me.

665 I think your username may be my absolute favourite ever

Why thank you

Salaams that was supposed to be a