To think MN is getting meaner?

[BananaPuddingCream]

Sorry I know this is probably going to piss some people off. I know it’s a forum, where you can share opinions. But the tone and lack of empathy of some posts is just horrid. AIBU?

Here is the bingo card for this thread:

• people agreeing with you
• people complaining there’s been too many threads like this
• the bashing of ‘the be kind brigade’
• the belief that ‘no-nonsense’ advice is better than advice dressed up in niceties
• ‘it’s the internet. What do you expect?’
• ‘Scroll past if you don’t like it, OP’
• Some version of ‘women don’t owe you nice’.

FWIW, I align with the first bullet point.

Have you tried any of the other boards? Aibu has always been the same

@Didimum you forgot

It's always been robust

AIBU can be a cesspool

Yes it's vicious and blunt but some people come in here for that.
People normally stick up for people though if it's un called for
I feel if you weave through the pointless mean posts there's still a lot of very good support and guidance available
But yes people do seem to get pleasure out of picking peoples posts to bits 😂😂😂😂

Most people are peri/menopausal.

Honestly? Some posters bring it on themselves.

I think it's been like this for years, wouldn't say that it's got worse recently.

And your point is?

I’ve been here for over 20years, it was much kinder in the good old days. We all knew each other back then. Some of us met up and had tea and cake. It was so lovely, back then.

*none of that is true for me, but someone usually says it..

Don’t forget someone saying they prefer dogs to people.

Yep they hide behinde people won't always agree with you. Never said people should agree. Said no need to be so unkind.

Its not just on aibu.

Its very sad that so many people can't put their point across without being nasty.

I thought this today when I was reading a thread where the OP was speculating/asking for thoughts on a particular situation that no-one on here could possibly give an answer to. (It was sort of a rhetorical question using a specific example.) The OP had deffo jumped to some conclusions but it was overall fairly benign. I thought the responses were pretty brutal, to be honest, as well as repetitive.

I think there's definitely a trend now for responders being "deliberately robust" 😁

That's not edgy enough now. You have to say that you don't care if the human race goes extinct to be a proper Mumsnet misanthrope.

I think there is a lot more skim reading of posts and knee jerk responses, along with outright comprehension issues, than there used to be.

I’ve been on MN a long time, it was indeed robust when I first joined. However responses were more intelligent, thoughtful and funny than they generally are now.

Yanbu. Aibu has always been a bit mean, but that's kind of expected. But some of the other parts are getting a bit nasty and unhelpful at times.

I just think that there are many bitter, unhappy people who hide behind their keyboard!
I have noticed that there are many posters who pile on any OP who are not great with articulation / vocabulary etc …very sad that people think it is ok too belittle others!

Hmmmmm 👀 yeah, I'm in that camp

Did you also read the recent thread about population decreasing being a bad thing?

I was absolutely staggered by the number of posters responding that is a good thing the human race could die out, as though a species going through an extinction event does so without enormous amounts of pain and suffering. I found it really unsettling to read.

I agree @BananaPuddingCream and it's not just AIBU anymore it's every board.

100% this been on the receiving end, a good few times.

Yanbu. I've been for around 15 years and while aibu has always been robust and has always been described as a nest of vipers its seems worse now.
Maybe it's just there's less light relief, kindness and wit to balance the shittyness.

Posters have been saying this for longer than I should remember. It's been decades (or at least years 😂) of people being meaner.

It's YABU. It can be brutal.

Agree with this, opinions don't seem to be a perspective anymore but just an opportunity to pile on and abuse someone online because they can.
I pity them tbh.

Hi @BananaPuddingCream
I am in the agree camp. Not all threads attract mean responses but there are some (minority) of people who respond to a thread to goad the OP. It is equivalent of someone farting and leaving the room - they do it because they can and no perceived consequence to them. Some threads are sensitive subjects. OPs may seek reassurance and get blasted by someone hiding by their keypad. That is not cool.

My "advice" to mumsnetters that fall into that camp is go find another website to troll.