to think that the average debating ability of Mumsnetters has dropped considerably over the past year?

[colditz]

I was browsing through some old threads earlier, and the general standard of debate has dropped. People here used to be able to follow a thread and give a pertinent response, backed up with careful research. Lately the response is likely to be completely unrelated to the original point, and passive-aggressive to boot.

perhaps people over personalise mn.folk come,folk go.no individual or group are so pivotal that the brand cant survive their departure

all the huffing and puffing about dm and bombastic "i'm offsky statements" proved that whether or not one name changes mn chunters on and as the brand grows so does the volume of posters

Just started a thread about my cat shitting under my kitchen table to punish me for going out in the day, and the second reply ws a shoeing.

That's what I mean. It seems we, collectively, have lost the ability to debate without getting angry, sarcastic, snarky or PA.

There's a fair few hugs and "ahhh poor you" and still fair fair few "Well you deserve it for being an abusive mother/pet owner/carrot peeler" but not a huge amount of constructive criticism. Which I used to quite like.

OK - ASBOy story.

Took DS (nearly 6) to dentist on Friday afternoon - 2.30 naturally. He had his checkup, then me. While I'm having my scrape and polish (erk) he's talking about the flat screen display, then moves onto the controls on the chair (which some insane dental nurse gave him a guided tour to last visit). He remembers all the buttons, starts fiddling with the taps etc. Dentist and nurse are saying 'yes, that does that' and he's fiddling and pointing more.

Then he opens something which I'm guessing leads to the drain to the little spitty-sink thing, as the dentist says 'ah yes, best not open that as it'll smell. But we'll be emptying it after you leave as you're our last patients today. At which point DS says 'but what if someone comes in early in the morning and switches off the alarm really quickly and then wees in it?'

How are you supposed to convey the correct 'I have no idea why he said that and he is not in the habit of breaking, entering and defecating' expression when you have a small chisel being applied to the back of your front teeth?

It's been a bit tame recently, for sure. Even the baby name threads (always good for a larf IMO) have given up with names like Bear and Cloud.

I'm not sure about subdividing MN into nuts and sluts and Style and Beauty. What about cross-over MNers?

But you know, the Wankers are still around, Xenia livens up every education thread, some good stuff still going on.

nah I think it's better than it has been for a while tbh

though I only click on stuff I'm interested in (i.e. mainly harder topics like health rather than soft topics like feelings stuff!)

But you can do both surely?
You can have a natter about what your favourite sandwich filling is and then on another thread debate the likelihood that Tony Blair will become EU President.
I've not gone on the Shiney thread, just this one this evening. I just fancied a different MN experience tonight (maaaan).

Later on I may press my face up against the window pane to see if I can understand anything the Wankers say

Oops, took a fag break and now see that Aitch doesn't want to hear about dentists. Sorry.

It shows that he has an intelligent problem solving personality[snurk]

ROFL perardua.

people might be personalising exactly the right amount for them, sm, it just might not be the same amount as you. might be an idea for the mn brand to try to cater for us all, now that i think of it.

quattro is xenia still around? i adore here.

and verity, blimey, that's amazing and brilliant, thank you for passing that on, really kind of you.

any kind of thing, someone's christmas party photos for one. i might hide more, that's a good idea. BUT THEN I WILL MISS THINGS, which i hate.

(That was the idea of DS being problem solving rather than root-cause btw)

Mumsnet has changed... you know, I'm actually glad, because I thought it was me...

bibbety... I agree, there does seem to be some 'support' which isn't actually helpful to the OP in the long-run, but I am thinking in particular about all the people reading the thread (ie lurking) who may be helped by a sharing of the situation. Can't think of any concrete examples [teething baby] but I know there are threads I've read where the advice within has actually really helped me personally.

Lizzylou... I'm sure not even all the Wankers understand anything everything the Wankers say

I lurk on the wankers threads in a not-quite-worthy sort of way...

me too, hooch. and no. you need fifteen degrees and navel fluff.

What's the wankers thread?

aaaaaall of my favourite posters are on there, i just can't understand what they're saying.