Anyone else think it's bizarre to have a Middle East forum

[MsAmerica]

when there is no forum for, for instance, international politics?

Some people use MN as a temporary escape from day-to-day life. Not engaging with something on Mn chat isn’t necessarily the same as hiding from reality.

For example, I rarely engage on anything SEN related as MN is my 10 minutes away from constant battles over my child’s health and education. I don’t want to be reading the shitty attitudes some people have in my only breaks in the day. That’s not hiding from reality, it’s having a break.

A friend who was on here has family caught up in the ME. She no longer uses MN because of some of the threads and the fact they were everywhere. People are allowed to not want to talk about serious stuff on a forum.

It would just drive some people off the forum if they had no choice. Forcing people to engage could also drive them to the opposite viewpoint than that being forced upon them. If people are interested then they will engage, you can't compel them!

@ARichtGoodDram and @Kalevala, you're both right. Like I said, I'm not saying I'm right about the topics, just noticing a tendency in myself to be a bit of a hectoring ogre (I'm really not all like that, it's just an unbecoming, self-righteous minor personality trait). I absolutely get the 'escape' thing, Dram, I can barely look at my own FB feed as it's full of SEN groups related to my DC and at the moment it's just too intense.

Just because people don't want to post about something on mumsnet doesn't mean they don't care. It's about like the posts I see on social media that say things like 'if you don't share this post containing graphic images of dead children to everyone yoy know, then you don't care about children".

Yes, @YeahComeOnThen, but I would venture to say that "the main boards were full of threads re the situation" because the boards aren't well classified and there is no international politics board. And, on top of the confusing overlap (News? Politics?) none are visible on the main page with the thread list.

Probs just cos it’s of internet right now?

I totally agree. Many care but social media isn't necessarily the best place. The comment implying that if you don't post you don't care is typical of the threads there.

The threads on the Middle East section are very polarised and it is assumed by many that you are a 'genocide supporterif and 'happy for children to die' if you feel Israel have the right to defend itself. The fact that you are hoping for a solution for all and do care is ignored if you don't condemn Israel every post you make.

@MsAmerica

oh let's not go there! It's a organisers nightmare. Trouble is, when they reorganise it, everyone gets in a tizzy. They can't win.

however they're fairly willing to change or add things when asked.

so, no, I don't think it's bizarre at all.

Accept it if you can but email them if you can think of a better way to do things.

I think it's good to be able to hide topics.

I hide FWR because I have a personal connection to the topic and find the content there upsetting.
Other posters hide Christmas because they can't stand reading about it all year round.
etc.

If I had a personal connection to the situation in the Middle East, e.g. if I had relatives in Israel, I would want the option to hide the conflict in the Middle East topic.

Email them?

I sent them a multi-page memo, @YeahComeOnThen! The forum thought I was crazy. Which may be true.

The only thing that changed since my memo was the switch to the little symbols to italics and such.