AIBU to think that MN are letting us down?

[MsHarry]

I have really enjoyed MN in the past, both for advice and sometimes for a laugh or a debate. I don't use other social media and feel I can express myself more freely amongst mostly other women and within the relative anonymity that a username provides. However in recent months i have seen thread after thread appear in the Daily Fail and now The Mirror and a live conversation on ITV's Loose Women!! Some of the subject matter is sensitive and could give OPs away. I know it's a public forum but sharing on here is not the same as publishing in a newspaper or an interview on TV . AIBU to expect a forum like MN, that used to feel pro women, to do more about this?

What do you suggest MN do about it? It's information in the public domain and as users of this website it's our own personal responsibility to use it appropriately. I'd understand your POV more if MN was one of those forums where you have to be logged in before you can even read any posts but MN is clearly open and out there.

Keep this phrase in mind MsHarry: If you are not paying for a product, you are the product.

I have been staggered by the amount of people who had no clue that FB, Google etc were collecting and selling their data. The hassle I've had over the years from people for not joining FB has been tedious - digs about tin foil hats and needing to 'seek help' were not infrequent.

Can anyone remember the thread a while ago where a lawyer talked through the copyright/privacy issues in incredible detail in a long thread of posts? I can’t remember enough about it to search effectively.

I totally get that the forum is public, I just thought that there would be some kind of law preventing threads being lifted and printed elsewhere and somewhere with a much wider reach.

Yes, everything posted on here and obviously on the internet as a whole is in the public domain and open for everyone to see.

I imagine the person who originally posted it wasn't stupid enough to think it was private in some way, I imagine she knew she was posting on a public forum.

However, I doubt she thought for a moment it was going to be picked up by a television programme and details of her life were going to be chewed over on national television like a piece of village gossip.

It's not MN's fault though surely.

Hehe!

Yes pigs that's what I mean. MN yes, live national TV, NO!!!!!!

You can't assume complete privacy on a public forum such as Mumsnet. Nor can you assume that there is any copyright over what you post.

You can post something on here from your sofa in the UK and it can immediately be read by people all over the world. News hacks included.

To assume otherwise is naïve at best.

I don't think you 'get' the meaning of public.

Would you stand on a platform in a sandwich board with your name, address, dob and phone number on it in the middle of the street giving your opinions and still expect privacy?

Of course you wouldn't.

Not sure what you expect Mumsnet HQ to do - it's a public forum, anyone can view, post or link to anything, how would they stop content being used elsewhere?

It's frustrating (I had a sensitive thread published in the tabloids which was utterly mortifying so I completely get it) but I'm really not sure what could be done to prevent it.

As PPs have said, if you value your privacy just don't put anything too outing anywhere on the internet that anyone can read. Personally I now name change fairly regularly and am mindful of what I'm putting out there.

Good analogy Weezol.

But I haven't done that Weezol have I? I totally get public. I may have been naive but I am really surprised that MN don't act. Do you not think they will be adversely affected by a backlash?

I'm constantly surprised by the people who post saying this is a "safe space" whilst conversely knowing mumsnet has millions of members, it's a mammoth site, and anyone can read the posts. They know how easy it was for them to sign up. There was no confidentiality requirements, no vetting, yet for some reason they think that something like that exists

It's a publicly open, huge, on line forum. It's not a closed, copy righted, safe space. There is no pretence it is. So whilst I'm not surprised some interesting subjects are picked up and discussed in the wider media, I am surprised that some folks think it's some form of closed off private forum. It's really illogical.

I really don't think the fact you made erroneous assumptions can be blamed on the website itself.

QED.

If you walk down the street in a dress made of crisp packets then the papers can print “Woman walks down the street in dress made of crisp packets - this is what she looks like, was it a good idea?”

If a thing happens in public and is interesting then news media can and will report it.

I don't know what you think MN could reasonably do even if they did want to act, except maybe have a banner warning reminding people that anything they post here is in the public domain and can be read by anybody.

I think individuals bear some responsibility for the decision to post online on a public site. I find it very odd that the Daily Heil pick up so many threads (and often really tedious or non-controversial ones) but I accept that that's a possible consequence of posting on MN.

I know it's public, I know it's global but I am genuinely surprise content can be reprinted elsewhere.

I am genuinely surprise content can be reprinted elsewhere.

But why?

Copyright?

Why would you think mumsnet was copy righting peoples posts?

You have to register copyright, it's not just automatic.

Ok thanks for taking the piss. I'm no legal expert, but you get what I mean I'm sure. I didn't think MN would allow their content to be reprinted elsewhere so blatantly. Basically providing tabloids with content, are they really allowing that for no benefit?

Every bloody week there are these theads (or at least it feels like it). No wonder teenagers struggle at times to keep things private on the internet when plenty of grownups don't have a clue.

And you can only copyright your own stuff.

Mumsnet don't own the content, only the platform it is hosted on.