To not understand WhatsApp group chats?

[reallifeboogie]

I've just read a thread where it seems the OP is in a WhatsApp group for the road she lives on. I don't understand why that would ever be needed?

What group chats are you a part of?
I've very reluctantly been added to one for my job which is very rarely used for work related stuff and most days every one writes good morning have a good shift. Wtf. I don't want 15 people messaging every single day. But I can't not be in the group because I will miss the very occasional important stuff.

Street one-lost cats, parcels, reccs for work people. Couple with small groups of friends, random ones for arranging stuff with more than one person, one for me to ask if anyone available to dog sit for me.
Useful but they are all on mute so I don't get notifications.

A few for uni friends, some groups of friends I have regular dinners with, immediate family, broader family, DH’s family, various school ones (class/house/PTA), a few fundraising ones, a few with different builders in re a house project, fantasy football friends etc. No one does pointless good morning messages. I love WhatsApp.

Our street WhatsApp is like neighbourhood watch. We use it to ask for visible parcels and bins to be moved when we’re on holiday and delivery people have overlooked instructions or the bin men have arrived later than our departure.
The street WhatsApp for an AC is used to organise impromptu social activity - a great community device.
Other groups I belong to are with friends and family.

I have a few, mostly family groups but I have a couple of work ones on there too, predominantly for arranging socials outside of work but we also chat about work related topics.

During the lockdowns we made a neighbourhood group and did daily photography challenges. It was really nice and it gave us all something to look forward and built some community spirit during a tough time.

TBH these days it's the way we communicate with friends about social stuff. I have loads of different WA groups - some just 2 people, some up to 8 people

Mine are mostly hobby groups. One is a charity I volunteer with.

Family - husband, sons & daughters -in-law; same without my husband; just daughters-in-law; siblings and partners; husband, kids, in-laws, exes who are step-parents and their partners;

Few friends’ groups, some overseas

Gym, two mainly social groups, and one other sports-related group

Couple of other activity related.

So about 15, I think. My very small cul-de-sac doesn’t have one, thankfully.

I have one for family, one for work as we are directors, means we all get the message at once. One for staff, but more chit chat and can any one cover a shift etc. That's more for them but we are in it as well. I have one for our road, which is more for a neighbourhood match thing. 4 class whatsapp groups. A few friendship whatsapp groups too.

They are useful. They can be muted if you don't want to be distracted. You can dip in and out.

But our street one is rarely used. More for big issues or worries.

How can you not understand what a street WhatsApp group could be useful for?

Even if you're really antisocial you must know the ease of being able to communicate something to a group of people without having to speak to each person individually.

Neighbours, co workers, friends etc, it's perfectly obvious how that would be useful

Obviously the converse is not that all groups are useful

This 👌👌

I was about to write this exact post.

We set up street WhatsApp gps in covid (beween 10-15 houses in each) and one representative from each street group was in a group where the admin was the Parish Council chair. It's still really handy for disseminating information thoughout the village, or parts thereof.

Last week a cat went missing on a street near us, so it was easy to share with relevant neighbour groups to look out for it.
There was a power cut a couple of weeks ago - 1 person up the road reported it/got the info from National Grid, and within minutes the whole village had the update (without loads of people calling NG themselves).
When someone needed a certain kind of screwdriver, they could check with neighbours if anyone had one they could borrow.
When the lady down the road was 100, we all arranged to go and sing happy birthday to her (she's not in the group, but her next door neighbour conveys useful info to her)
And so on! It is far and away the best thing to come out of Covid.

I have one with my mum and aunt, various with different friends about different things, one with my step kids, one with the whole family...I agree a street one seems annoying and unnecessary but some people do love a gossip. I think as long as you like the people you're talking to then they're great.

Im on loads of different ones for chatting to various groups of friends. There’s not much to understand really, it’s just for fun!

I'm in 2, one for a fitness class and one for work. The work one is only used a few times a year when we meet face to face. I wouldn't want to have one on my personal phone with lots of work chat, I'd find it quite intrusive I think. Different if it was on my work phone.

We don't have a street one - we do a have a village fb page which I much prefer rather than every Tom Dick and Harry having my phone number. As far as I'm aware there isn't a school one, no one has mentioned one.

Friends and family tend to use messenger, not WA.

Our street one is awesome. Organising fun things like an Easter Egg hunt, locating cats, offering freebies (my glut of cucumbers have gone to a good home), searching for local teen babysitters, working out the foxes' habits.
Also have one for our local community garden group.
I live in central London, it's nice to feel connected.

As others have said already, the street WhatsApp group is both useful and nice. E.g. does anyone have any (whatever) I can borrow, would anyone like a jar of this plum jam I made, would anyone like to take this wardrobe that I no longer need, but also - did anyone see anything last night when my bike/van was stolen, or does anyone have any CCTV?

I'm on:

• one for just DS/DH/me -handy for "missed my train" or "can someone get the washing in" type messages
• one for DS/DD/DH/me -used to be used as above, still is during uni hols, otherwise for random "have you seen this meme/news story" type messages to check DD still alive without nagging her to get in touch!
• one with DSis/DM - sharing bits of news, checking up on DM, making arrangements
• one for a church group - reminders of what's happening, prayer requests
• one for a toddler group I volunteer at - used for "sorry, running late", "has anyone got a toy sheep for the story?", "any ideas for a craft we can do that relates to rainbows?" etc

DH is on our street one, which is perfect - we get to find out about useful things (eg dodgy characters trying car doors, items people are giving away, roadworks), help each other (starting during Covid, eg helping with shopping for vulnerable/infected, but now more likely to be "has anyone got a drill I can borrow?", "can anyone recommend a plumber?", "anyone seen my parcel?"), arrange street parties. But as I'm not on it, I don't get bothered by the inane chatter that also sometimes goes on.

I refused to be on WhatsApp at all pre-Covid but it was very useful for keeping in touch with church group during lockdown so I caved in and am glad I did.

Work
Local mates to see who’s going out
Girls I go away with

We set up small groups when we’re going out somewhere to save sending same message a dozen times but then delete after the event

I have:

Uni friends
’School mum’ friends
Friends from a hobby
Group of DHs friends and wives/partners (set up a few years ago to arrange a holiday we all went on together, kept going just to stay in touch/chat)
DD2s football team
DSs class (reception)
DD1s friends’ parents (organise parties etc)
In laws
My maternal family (mum/aunt/cousins) to arrange theatre trips/meals out etc

I am very mood dependant on group chats.
However I am part of loads.

4 family chats
2 work collegue ones
Several friend chats (different groups of friends)
And a baby group chat that started as a thread on here, long may it last.

Oh I have loads, but not one for the street. I don’t have any neighbours phone numbers.

Generally I think they are great, some of the family ones are a great way to be in touch but not too intense and I like waking up to amusing conversations in some of the friendship ones (people all spread over the world so usually someone awake).

I'm in a family one, a work one and 2 different friends ones.
I do tend to mute the work one when I'm on holiday or RDO

I'm in a local one. It's useful for things like road closures or asking for recommendations for a local plumber etc.

Apart from that, I'm in a family one, several different friend groups, and several relating to my DC's sports clubs.

Family
In laws
School
Friend groups x2
A few small ones with a few family members who we tend to see together, so the main chat isn't spammed with time/place chat if the 3 of us are meeting up

I love our street WhatsApp group.

We use it to introduce new neighbours. Post warnings about anything dodgy caught on Ring doorbells. Ask for recommendations for clearing guttering, windows etc.

We also have a street book club. 😊