To be irritated by the UK-centric assumptions on here

[saraclara]

Many posters here seem blissfully ignorant of the fact that the internet is a worldwide thing. Yes, this site is based in the UK, but that should be as far as it goes. Clearly there's somewhat of a UK focus which is fine up to a point. But...

Every second thread seems to end up with someone in the covid police trying to threadjack it because a hapless poster from a country that's not in lockdown, posts about being on holiday/vacation or visiting relatives, or doing something else that's not allowed here at the moment. Why do the threadjackers assume that everyone on here is British?

Seriously, the insularity here is really weird. I've not seen it on any other forum. I belong to two based in the US, but no-one assumes that posters on them must all be American.

MN is a UK site, no it's an English site, no it's a London site err when actually it's a North London (NW5) site so the rest of you can do one! Ner 👅

@PickAChew

I remember when someone on a US based site tried to have a go at me for refusing to describe a black brit as African American. If MN is insular, we're hardly unique.

I remember someone calling Mel B "African American." They got the arse when it was pointed out that she's mixed race and from Leeds.

OP, I agree with most of your points, especially with regard to the twattery from the Covid Police.

Some people also just don't understand that there is a whole big world out there, not just the one they can see from their own windows. So a poster in say, the Scottish Highlands might comment that the rain or snow is making life very difficult for them and might get an incredulous response from someone the other end of the UK with totally different weather accusing them of making it up or being melodramatic.

It isn't the only site capable of being insular and making assumptions though. I think that American sites very often make a clear assumption that everyone reading the site is American. So many Americans never leave the US and so have little concept of life outside it.

In my experience, Americans always assume everyone is American. Nice to have a UK bias on MN for once tbh! It is part of the reason I like it.

It's a UK based site. If you want people to know you are not from the uk then say so. We are not mind readers.

*Americans on FB groups, forums, Youtube comments etc.

Now if it were called Momsnet you might be on to something OP.

Yes, I too would assume that it were specifically geared towards Brummie mothers

So many Americans never leave the US and so have little concept of life outside it.

To be fair, Americans don't have to travel to other countries to experience a different culture. I can do it just by crossing the state line.

As for Momsnet and UK regional usage, some people in the US, mainly in the Northeast, say "mum" or "mummy." so maybe someone from Boston might wander onto MN thinking it's for New Englanders.

Can't see the problem. It's a UK-based site so up to those based outside to identify themselves where necessary. Pointless for me to bang on about my veggie patch in the Gardening section without saying I live in Melbourne. I notice Scots and Welsh posters will identify for property/education matters, and that makes sense too.

The classic problematic one is where someone starts a thread about a relationship in trouble matter in AIBU, and it's always put in AIBU, without saying they live outside the UK. Well-intentioned posters pile in with thoughtful advice (LTB), only to have their efforts rendered null by the different laws in that country.

Many of the topics have a British centric focus like the TV section, equally the competitions are based around prizes that have a British appeal, if it's a money prize it references Stirling. I have been on here for about 14 years and it has always had the basis. Maybe it is as much to do with the owners of the site.

@Marzipan12

It's a UK based site. If you want people to know you are not from the uk then say so. We are not mind readers.

That is a very good example of othering. "if you're not like us you're wrong". Very ignorant.

If you can't see the problem, even when it has been explained many times, then you have a comprehension problem. You might as well say, well only 15 percent of posters are black so it doesn't matter, I'm going to assume everyone is white and if black people don't like it well they have a problem.
Or, "I am comfortable with the status quo so I don't care that you're not".

It is very revealing of a closed mind and an insular attitude.

@NailsNeedDoing

It’s a British site. I think the onus is on people who aren’t British to point that out when they’re posting. Or they don’t get to complain when people don’t understand.

Yes, I agree with this. And I'm non-British and have never lived in the UK. I would always mention it if I thought it might be even tangentially relevant, because it is very much a UK site.

"That is a very good example of othering. "if you're not like us you're wrong". Very ignorant."

Don't be silly. I wouldn't go on a Chinese site and berate people for not knowing I'm not Chinese.

So a poster in say, the Scottish Highlands might comment that the rain or snow is making life very difficult for them and might get an incredulous response from someone the other end of the UK with totally different weather accusing them of making it up or being melodramatic. @Topseyt

Like the poster who thought the Scottish school terms should be changed because of the weather where she was... Not realising that A) the weather is very different and B) if millions of Scottish children were suffering horrendously in school it wouldn't take a random English woman on Mumsnet to suggest it before anyone thought of it

It's not about perception it is about fact changing mine- the fact is the topic references, including TV, medical care in the pregnancy, childbirth and health topics, the competition references the prizes being relevant to a British audience etc. The fact is these things make it a UK site.

I find your attitude totally American

This has always been a UK site, with (originally) predominantly UK users. The fact that it has grown larger than that doesn't mean that the British users have to somehow apologise for that. Users from all over the world are very welcome, and I have never been anybody from outwith the UK be made unwelcome. However, it is natural to assume UK as the default.

In fact, the default is very much England, as opposed to the UK. I am in NI so, if relevant, I will point this out, for example, at the moment, differing coronavirus regulations.

It's just how it is. It's a UK site with predominantly UK users 🤷‍♀️

If posters don't mention where they're from and it's relevant to the thread. I.e housing, school, marriage, laws etc, then that's their choice. Many will assume their location and give advice that would be relevant to the majority of posters, especially if a location hasn't been mentioned.

They're not being closed minded or insular, they're giving advice that would be relevant to the majority of posters. Of course information that would be relevant to someone who lives in London won't help if the OP actually lives in Australia, but the OP can choose to state their location to get more helpful and accurate advice.

Just had a quick look at product reviews section and there is a thread about Lloyds pharmacy are these an international pharmacy. A competition to win £1000 Amazon voucher. The Higher education section again refers to pretty much all UK universities, colleges. Education refers to the UK qualification systems, UK boarding schools, private school entrance exams etc. Etc etc.

OP you mention that it’s available online if you google pretty much any parenting question. I‘be recently moved to Scandinavia and I need to go back over 3 pages on google to get my first mumsnet hit if I google breastfeeding advice, it was a top hit in the U.K.

I'm also pretty horrified at somebody abroad referring to people being compliant with lockdown rules in the UK as the 'Covid police'

Nobody is calling those compliant with lockdown rules, the 'Covid police'. That's reserved for the people who completely ignore the subject of the OP in order to reprimand the OP for perceived breaking of lockdown rules (usually when the OP HASN'T broken any rules, because they're somewhere where, say, visiting your parents is okay.

To all those posters who've assumed I'm American, I'm not. I'm even English! AND I live in the SouthEast!

One day I'll make it to London or the Home Counties and be prime MN.

Are you manufacturing offence as a form of entertainment?

@FourTeaFallOut

Are you manufacturing offence as a form of entertainment?

Where did I say I was offended? I've no reason to be offended. I just think it's unreasonable for people to make assumptions (usually when they want to criticise a poster) that are unreasonable.

This site can be visited from anywhere in the world, and will be attractive to those from any English speaking nation (so those who've gone on about Belgian or German sites are on the completely wrong track) or the many who speak English as a second (or other) language.

So while I'm not remotely offended about any of this (given I'm a white, middle class English person living in the SouthEast) I do think it's unreasonable not to consider that others might not be English.

I think it's fine. There's no problem assuming someone is from the UK. I mean, every site on the internet is accessible from anywhere. I'd have no complaints if I were on a site situated in a different country and where the majority of users were from that country if I needed to explain that I was from elsewhere when the occasion arose.

And I'll add, I doubt any single one of them would be so uptight as to apologise that they had made the assumption in the first place.