Does Mumsnet sometimes make you feel you are at one extreme of the spectrum when perhaps you are somewhere in the middle?

[FrannyandZooey]

It does me. On here I feel like one of the lentilliest lentil weavers, and then when I meet a real one I feel like the eco-tourist I really am (i.e someone just playing at being green instead of really devoting their life to it).

I also feel on here that I am seen on here as being on the "completely obsessive" end of the scale about sun exposure, but talking to friends last night I realised I am actually in the relaxed area. Wow, some people are really bothered about sun cream. I mean really really bothered.

Is MN an accurate cross section of real life or are we just a bunch of oddballs?

I only feel "extreme" when I'm on MN and people jump on me (or make shocked faces at me) for what I think or do! I don't feel particularly extreme, I don't feel particularly lentil-weaverish - until I come onto MN and find that other people find my way of living and my way of parenting to be odd. In RL I don't discuss things the way I do here, debates like the ones here are far more likely to attract extremes of opinion than chatting in the playground - where no-one would think of bringing up reusable sanpro or breast v bottle as a topic of conversation.

Plus it's more likely that people say what they really feel here - there's less chance of a smack in the mouth so people are freer with their opinions than they would be in RL, so those extreme opinions are heard more.

Nah, I say fuck far more in RL, I think.

I just say it a lot on here too

For me, one of the great things about MN is that there is always someone more extreme than youself!

I am more honest in stating my views and less leary of controversial topics on MN than I am in RL.

But I am more diplomatic in the tone in which I phrase my views on MN because it is almost guaranteed that someone will not agree with me. That is why I am here - to find out the great variety of views, lifestyles and practices that other people lead which I would not necessarily have an opportunity to experience in my RL bubble of a world.

I think I'm more middle-of-the-road on MN than people would consider me in RL. On MN its normal to bring a breast pump to work. In RL people either tell me I'm wonderful to do it or completely mad!

I feel odd for only having two children.

And being happy w/that.

Also I think I come across as a food snob.

In RL, I've always just loved preparing and eating food.

Just roasted some yummy yellow squash for the dd's tea.

I'm as liberal in RL as I am on MN. Always have been.

Message withdrawn

i get really bothered about things in rl and rant for ages to anyone who listens. on mn i'm more middle of the road, and find it quite hard to get the point across in writing iykwim!

Actually sometimes I feel the opposite.

I BF DS until he was over 12 months and suppose I know quite a lot about BF and how it all works - mostly gleaned from MN or references posted by other MNers - and in the MN community I feel like I am just one of the crowd in this respect - but then in RL I get quite shocked by conversations with other Mums - even ones who BF for some time - who evidently know nothing about BF and the benefits....and think I'm a bit weird / unusual for having BF for so long etc.

MN just reiterates the way I am in real life. I rarely pass comment on things I disagree with in RL, unless it affects me directly, or is something I can do something about. I have my opinions, but I don't get embroiled in things a lot of the time, either in RL or on here.

Life's tough enough, lol.

I have little time for judging other people (too many have judged me and mine, often without good reason or without knowing all the facts).

Ah, it wasn't meant to be particularly serious, hunker. Just me musing on things, really.

Agree with BoilingHot - feel utterly normal for still breastfeeding my 14 month (and am only really doing it because of what I've read on mn) but feel like a bit of a freak in RL. Having said, that, people do come out of the woodwork a bit when you mention that you still are. A bit. Really have to bite my tongue at some of the stuff people say about weaning - ooo, he was 1000 lbs at 2 weeks old so had to start, HV told me.

But other than that, am just as ranty in RL really. Patient partner bearing the brunt of it, usually.

Ditto MT
However I dp care about p&c parking......where I have to go anyway!
I don't look for approval from anyone; not in RL or MN. I am very interested in reading other points of view, however, I seldom get irrate enough (perhaps that should read brave enough!)to retaliate/give my point of view for fear of being shot down. (I guess thats what comes of being insecure as a person - NOT as a mum).

i perceive you as lentil - weaver type - nice though but very right -on!

I am much more outspoken on here than I am in real life

in real life I am often something of a wuss.

On here I definitely feel like Slack Parent, in RL I am far stricter about food/discipline etc than pretty much everyone I know. I like to think I'm reasonably moderate, flexible enough that the DCs don't realise how deprived they actually are In RL though people know me as a whole person, here I worry(?)/think that people probably just pick up the tattooed/pierced/McD/non organic/really can't be arsed bits and judge me evil, evil evil

Serenity I 'm like that too, although I don't do McDs and all the RL parents I know think I'm weird for it!
Have lots of friends who agree though.

I think Im actually more likely to express an extreme opinion in RL than I am here - but only because of being on here has it made me like that. (IYKWIM)

I have learned a great deal from MN, and hope to continue doing so.

I dont feel at any extreme end of the scale, although some might consider me breastfeeding mafiaette but I dont consider that being extreme. I have elements of all the MN "stereotypes" on here (good and bad ) so I'd have to say no, I dont.

Anyone else reading spectrum as "speculum"? No? Just me then...

I talk/lurk here on a regular basis. Sometimes
i'll post if I have a problem.

Most of the time I just search to see if someone
has the same prob as me. My prob will generally
come up, & i'll have have a sufficent reply!

I think if we were as honest in RL as we are all the time here we will be in constant war with people around us.

We tend to show more respect to other people choices in RL. Which is not that bad, as some people here (including me with regards to some issues) are quite dogmatic and authoritarian about their views and the way they present them to others. In real life you can also question the element of truth in what the person is saying because you can see the background but here... everybody can portray themselves in the personality and knowlegeability of their choosing even without a real experience of that. Thanks God it doesn't happen very often.

Guess I use mumsnet many times to let steam off, and tell about the things that I find ridiculous

I have never encountered so much overt snobbishness before - than I have on mumsnet.