Mumsnet is becoming a politics whore?

[Swedes2Turnips0]

Surely we should be observing and commenting on the forthcoming election as and when we want to? And criticising and/or applauding government policy as and when we see fit? And definitely not performing like seals for Newsnight or for anyone else.

I can't even be bothered to look up the spelling of vaccuum -- it would be quite reassuring for someone to refer me to pedants' corner.

AIBU?

i think that is a really strange sad remark colditz why dont you care who runs the country and why a water bill? what about other utilities, dont they count?

dont really know what this is about (but doesnt stop me posting) i guess the politicos see this as the modern hustings

I feel exactly the same, Deadworm. I already feel quite weary.

Mumsnet political webchats are publicity for the political party concerned. That's all.

I'd really like us to invite Kevin Spacey for a webchat. Or Sting even.

I'd prefer to see parties invigorated, their members given power, their role in parliament strengthened against the executive. An active party membership is the real source of authentic participation. MN-as-focus-group is one of the things that gets pulled into the vacuum left by the decline of party politics.

My earliest political enthusiasm was for the 1979 restructuring of Labour Party internal democracy by Benn. I wish that could be reachieved.

Politicians are interested in what parents think. Just to win votes? - yeah sure, that's democracy... Fear of MNers views influencing decision makers and you may as well fear democracy itself. And the internet for oiling its wheels.

JRofHighbury - there is a difference between listening to what people have to say in order to win votes and listening to what people have to say in order to influence policy. We all have constituency MPs you know -- most of them are extremely good listeners. Proper representative democracy seems to be getting entirely lost in favour of an XFactor-style talent show.

I have not read the NEWNIGHT thread yet as I am dashing out but am getting increasigly concerned that MN is in danger of being hijacked by policy analysts and journalists. Over the last year we have seen entire threads copied and reprinted in newspaper columns. I (and others) are also somewhat concerned about how the MN poll profiled us as users and and how that data might be used in future. MNHQ need to reasure us on that. It would be very valuable for a political party or polling organisation to be able to monitor the posts and responses of a targeted and profiled focus group. MNHQ need to reassure us on that issue and that individual posters data and the things they are writing are not in some way being profiled or scrutinised by third parties.

The Obhama campaign has been extensively studied by political parties here and the internet and in particular opinion forming forums like this are going to be targeted in the upcoming election campaign.

MNHQ are doing a great job in furthering the interest of parents and making MN more visible in the media but need to be careful they do not turn over the MN community to exploitation. Neither do I want MN to take on a particular politcal view that in effect appears to be suportive of any given political party.

MN is a hugley valuable resource to me as a parent and part of that is the willingness of others to post freely and often about personal issues. That involves a lot of trust that should not be inadvertently be betrayed.

I am sure MNHQ has and will continue do the right thing. I of course recognise the owners of MN need to make a living and have a right to market the site and sell it as an advertising space but care needs to be taken.

Agree with Deadworm and Swedes. Yet again.

I am weary of being a commodity to be marketed to, prodded, quizzed, poked and queried.

I did not participate in the MN census (its none of your chuffing business, was my gut reaction), nor the webchats, nor really the political threads.

I do question exactly what the political researchers hope to glean from putting this site under the spotlight like this? We are a hugely disparate group. You might say that the only thing we have in common is that we are mums. But then we know thats not true also, don't we?

I am sure I'll be sick to the back teeth of it all by the Election.

just ignore it, like i do. i don't bother with the online chat things as they are just wanky.

Well said Abetadad.

LOL this is an online chat.MN is chat forum.so is that wanky too?

my point, AuraOfDora, is that I struggle to pay my utilities bills and I always will, regardless of who is in power. I have more pressing issues regarding my immediate situation than which public school educated white man is running the country this time!

There but handful of political threads on MN. But how many hundreds of style and beauty/relationships et etc. Nobody blinks an eye when we are asked our opinions about boden coats or bedttime rituals or whatever, but blimey, someone in politics wants to know our opinion (as individuals grouped by a parenting forum) about what they do, the things they do in our name? And suddenly that's all against the MN ethos? And we are being whores?

What on earth does that mean? Women are whores who are interested in politics and want to discuss it online?

I can see no whoring going on, either on the part of MN or Mnetters. Yes, MN is a parenting forum, so might quite reasonably be expected to have political views relating to parenting amongst other things. Ooh, political parties want to gauge mood of parents, so they ask us? Is that whoring? or is it going straight to the horses mouth for information rather than yet another bloody think tank or Mori Poll?

How on earth MN could be hijacked it is beyond me. Trolling political researchers? They don't need to troll, all they need to do is ask for our opinion and we will probably give it.

And if people really don't like the political threads they can always hide them.

Oh, and its not like any of them get an easy time on here, is it?

totally agree MD....

MN has got more political since i joined 2 years ago ....a good thing imo...i'm not really into style & beauty....(which you would understand if you ever met me)

Yes, though clearly there are some who think god forbid that women should engage with the pressing issues of the day...and that others take the wide variety of opinions expressed seriously...

I dislike intensely the media scrutiny that comes with being flavour of the month, as we are atm. I get no frisson of pleasure from seeing Mumsnet all over the news. And I fear a proliferation of sneering articles like Mr Tweedie's this morning.

If Lenin or MadameD, both posters who I like and admire tremendously, can explain to me (bearing in mind my very average intellect) why it is a good thing to be all over the news media like a rash, then I am quite prepared to listen ...

I know the thread title is about political whoring, not media whoring, but the two go hand in hand - do they not?

Yes, bibs, I agree with Lenin. And while I agree with you the flavour of the month thing is a bit silly, once the media have got over their excitement of a new toy to play with, MN can settle down into being part of the landscape where a variety of views on various topics will get serious attention, and so is worthy of mentioning from time to time.

But after DC's performance, I can't think many more politicos are going to submit themselves to an MN grilling. Perhaps if the format changes, but if he thought he was going to be welcomed with flowers and curtsies simply because GB got a hard time, then he seriously misjudged his audience.

That's what I love about MN, and makes it such a valuable resource in so many ways...we give credit where credits due, and sharp slaps over the knuckes for those who treat us like saps, regardless of their political persuasion.

Right. Thanks both.

Off for a quick gander at the webchat now.

Lenin - "I honestly think that anything, almost anything, that gets people talking, interested and participating in influencing decision-makers is a good thing." What? Like Biscuitgate being the BIG story and Gordon Brown being painted as a ditherer because of it. Even though he was NEVER asked the biscuit Question during his visit?

Totally agree with MD.

Abetadad, this is a public forum and MNHQ don't owe us trust or dicretion. If you have something very personal to discuss then either disguise the details or your username.

I think it's great that politicos are listening on the internet - it's no different to chatting to us in RL knocking door to door.

I think we all know not to say anything on a public forum that we don't want made public.

If they want to quote MorrisZapp as having bumsex on a Friday whilst tippling vodka in a fruit shoot then they're welcome to it - it ain't my real name.

If they don't owe us trust and discretion then they wont have a forum.

It works both ways.