to be annoyed by people who say they've not been on a thread because real life got in the way.

[puffling]

Fair enough if it's a thread say about liking onions, but if It's thread about serious issues it belittles them a bit and makes the OP seem as if they think their life is the be all and end all.

I agree, what is this real life your talking about?

YOU'RE - doh

i can see your point but to the majority of posters reading a thread, it isn't their real life. their real life is when they turn around from the computer. i know it can seem to be belittling the OP but people cannot stop their lives for a thread about someone they might never hear from again/meet/know/be able to help.

YABU, it doesn't matter.

I don't really agree - to me it would read as 'I wanted you to know I saw your post and wanted to reply then but the DC threw up/MIL came round/had to get to the Post Office to pay bills before 2pm'

I think YAB a little U. Surely they are just saying that they have been busy and have not had a chance to get on MN? Or am I not clear on the issue. It would be great to be able to sit on the pc all day but some times you things happen and a couple of days are entirely taken up with watching both 'dirty sexy money' box sets looking after sick kids (for example).

huh - this is a joke thread right????

why apologise? surely everyone understands this is the tinterweb and we don't have to reply?

Bloody hell - this is all optional. We didn't sign anything compelling us to participate. Sometimes my RL is such that all I have the energy for is lurking - I can't be arsed to comment/post/become involved. Admittedly, I wouldn't bother to post that on a thread though, so maybe you have a point .

real life got in the way implies that the distressed poster in the relationships section does not have a real life.Clearly the person with the 'real life' doesn't intend to offend, I just don't like the terminology.

FITG -you're right it doesn't matter particularly, just something that very mildly irritated me for a moment.

omg you ARE for real!

Hassled - I wasn't talking about participating. I'm not interested in whether or not someone repsonds to a thread, I just don't like the term 'real life got in the way.'

but it is easier to say real life got in the way than it is to explain MIL came over/dcs got sick/dog broke out to an OP who is really looking for support rather than wanting to know your reasons for not hanging around.

i think you are taking it a bit too personally.

No, it doesn't! Why on earth would you read such an innocent comment as something so belittling and patronising?

well I'm sure I've had it said on 100's of threads that I've started........some of them at the very worst periods of my life.......

I can honestly say,hand on heart that is had never once crossed my mind to be upset/offended/whatever about the term........

Don't know Valpolicella? As I said before, It's not that I think anyone is actually belittling nyone, just don't like the sound of it myself.

ooooooo actually this thread has reminded me, talking about real life getting in the way, had an email sent to me on FB earlier today and I said I'd reply later.............whoops real life got in the way better go and reply properly to it

Off you toddle to RL Tocc...

But why not Puffing? What's wrong with it? It is basically shorthand for, I saew this but couldn't reply then

What's wrong with saying that? I appreciate you don't like it but so many other people/posters (myself included) see it as 'Oh they read it and thought about it till they could post. And then came back to do so'

Quite flattered, I would be...

It's good that others aren't bothered by it. It answered my question 'Am I being unreasonable...?' and it seems that the view is that I am, so so be it.

actually I've toddled off to FB and am umming and ahhing as I'm responding as I didn't actually think about what she'd asked me earlier at all so am having to do all the thinking now LOL

Tis late to be responding (and thinking) Tocc

Sod that this time of night

no I have thought (a little with lots of written, ermmmms, in it) and responded as I said I would

FFS. YABU (& oversensitive).

You mean there's a life outside of mumsnet, OP?

This is news to me!

How does it imply that the poster does not have a real life?

YABOS, for sure. Just because you interpret it that way, does not mean everyone else does. It just means that they got a bit busy and had to step away from the laptop. No implication that the poster themselves has no real life...