Is Mumsnet an English forum?

[Purpleturtle43]

Seems like pretty much every poster and responder assumes everyone on here is from England.

When asking questions regarding schools, health care, tenancy etc surely it would be useful to say what country you live in since the rules and laws are different all over the UK/world.

Is this a bash the English thread?

🙄

Mumsnet OFFICE is based in London.

Mumsnet online is available to a worldwide audience.

Facebook's main office is based in California.

Facebook online is available to a worldwide audience

Sorry but this is nonsense. Most people don't go and live abroad, let alone in multiple countries, and they never have. You'd find the same in any small city in any country, unless it's a country where the people have a strong incentive to seek opportunities overseas. I was no fan of Brexit, but let's not pretend the average Brit, just ten years ago, was moving from one country to the next. And I don't see why Hong Kong and Indonesia would be especially difficult for Brits to emigrate to, compared to EU citizens.

Back to the OP... I don't even understand the premise of the question, really. It's a website founded in England by two Englishwomen. As it's a free website, anyone can join. What more do you need to know? Obviously if most users are English, that is the default whether you like it or not. When I've used American forums in the past (by which I mean started by Americans and mostly used by Americans), I haven't expected other users to magically know that I'm not from America.

That maybe so but they aren't default, I have Danish family and heritage from a couple of generations back, I don't know anybody who frequents Mumsnet, of course they do but they aren't the default audience.

What about them? Channel isle and IOM are not in the United kingdom.

So what? It’s an English site.

I sort of assume English, although I’m Scottish, as statistically more likely. Mumsnet is predominantly UK users and the majority will be English. If I ask or offer advice and it’s relevant I mention I’m Scottish so I studied Scot’s law for example.

How long have you been on here as I have nearly been on here for 20 years and the legacy of Mumsnet being very British still lives on I think. It totally is influenced the narrative in a way that isn't relatable to Facebook where that is influenced by the individual.

Most people dont go and live abroad? Are you serious? Do you really have that little experience of the world? Your post is just showing me how truly isolated some people in the UK really are.

I've lived in loads of different countries in the last 10 years. This year I decided to come and work in the UK.

Last year I as working in Germany.
I'll give you a snapshot of some of my colleagues in Germany

One lady was from the Netherlands. She had moved to Germany for workm before Gemrany she had worked in Ireland for two years.
One man I worked with was from belgium. He had worked in spain and portugal and he was now working in Germany.
One man I worked with was from paris - he moved to germany for work. He had previously worked in Switzerland.
Another lady was from Norway. She had worked in Sweden and France and was now living and working in Germany.

"I mentioned that in the last ten years, I had lived and worked in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy , France, Germany and Portugal."

That you have lived in so many different countries sounds great (I've only ever lived in the UK and one other country).
.

"It made me realise how difficult it is for people in the UK to live in other countries. And how that can lead to an isolated way of living."

But I would question you about this.

"Not one of them had ever lived or worked outside of the UK. They had always lived in the UK"

The same applies to most countries in the world. You mentioned the countries that you have lived and worked in during the past. Can I ask, just how many Germans, French, Italians etc have lived outside of their own countries?

I suspect that the number is no higher than the UK.

I don't know about Hong Kong but I would think the proportion of Hong Kongers who live abroad is much higher than for many other countries. But, even so, a very large percentage of Hong Kongers will likewise never have worked or lived abroad.

If you genuinely believe that most of the world's citizens go and live abroad, I don't think we can have a sensible conversation.

And yes, I have lived abroad, and even shock have colleagues from abroad and/or who have worked in other countries. I would be barking mad if I thought that was evidence of typical global migration patterns.

So, if as you say, the UK is so isolated after Brexit: then you can fully understand why this site assumes the poster to be English, or if not totally ‘ignorant’ based somewhere in the UK?

My joking from earlier aside - it’s not just the legal/school posts that are an issue, I do often see Scottish/Irish/Welsh posters in the Baby Name board that are looking for help with Scottish/Irish/Welsh names.

A lot of “I’ve never heard of that name!” “I don’t know how to pronounce that name!” “It sounds like [insert word] to me!” “They’ll have to spell it out all their life!” “How about [boring English name]? Much nicer!” the follows and it is actually rude.

As a PP said, a lot of cultural differences too that people totally ignore.

Definitely more people move around in the EU and live in other countries, then people in the UK do.

Because people in the EU have more freedom of movement. Thats a fact. I'm not saying that Brexit is right or wrong, but we can all agree that Brexit has limited the freedom of movement of people in the UK. That was part of the deal.

That is what people agreed to as terms of Brexit.

When I was working in Germany, all of my colleagues had lived and worked abroad.

In my workplace in the UK, none of my colleagues have lived or worked abroad.

It is a more isolated culture here.

It’s uk based. I wouldn’t go on an American based or French based forum and expect them to explain that they’re in the USA/France for the benefit of the few who aren’t. If you don’t like the UK-centric references then don’t use a UK forum.

You haven't said what 'small city' you moved to but being in the south east and originally a Londoner, this isn't my or my DH'S or friends experience. I grew up in West and South London and even then it was very, very, multicultural. Most of out friends have worked in Hong Kong and returned. I have Danish family and visit their quite a bit, in fact everybody I know travels for work including DH and this Island outlook is not something we can relate to at all, it wasn't a feature of youth even, let alone now!

I think you are vastly overestimating how much UK citizens lived abroad before Brexit.

Whoops I'm just under 12 miles. It comes up as local on Facebook buy and sell sites and on Google chip shops near you etc. I have a brilliant view on a lovely day. I'm also close to Isle of Man too

But what about the British Isles? The UK is not whole…

and tbf the mix of puppies, prozac and prosecco is going to influence your chill factor.

I’m Welsh and assume that most people here are English and there’s not as many people here from countries outside of the UK. It’s not ignorant it’s just because MN is a British made forum and England has the most people living there. Even people living abroad tend to be ex pats from the UK. As someone pointed out unless it’s a question asking legal advice I don’t think it matters, if it’s a should I LTB thread then the same advice would stand no matter where you are from.

Well that would make sense seeing as c80% of the UK population is in England.

But why?

I am not in the UK at all, but understanding that majority are people from England and therefore it becomes the default region unless stated otherwise took me five minutes.

You seem personally offended by the very existence of implicit/default option.

I would love it to list your country then it would disclose where those who whinge about Brexit are actually living.

There are parts of England for which Ocado recommendations are useless too!