In defence of WWW

[flashingnose]

I am a long time lurker and occasional poster but I have to stick my head above the parapet and say that I am truly gutted that wickedwaterwitch has been hounded off of MN. I've been a member for 2.5 years and time and again, I have seen her help numerous posters (myself included) and generally post in a generous, thoughtful and funny way.

Many posters have said "oh, we always have phases like this, it'll calm down again" but tbh, I wonder whether it will. The aggression with which many people are posting at the moment quite literally takes my breath away - for example, it used to be that swearing at someone on a thread was a last resort; now, it's normal and quite often, it's the first thing people contribute.

For me, I think Enid's right - it's time for a break. I really hope www returns - if she leaves for good like aloha, MN will be a poorer place.

Define old timers cod!

Careful: is this a clique I see before me?

Hope you don't stay away long www.

Shall we go and start another website ? What could we call it though ?

Clique Schmique !

I'm not sure what's gone on but it saddens me to think we may have WWW

*that should say may have lost.

it seems to have reached the situation where the scared children are on the stairs listening to their parents yelling at each other in the living room..

There just seems to be one thing after another. I sorry WWW has felt she had to go. Has StG gone too,that is very .

No STG is still around. Well, she was posting this morning (under her Halloween name)

No, StG has not gone. She said she was having a break from MN but I have seen her post since.

MN always has one of these explosions after a while, it's been happening ever since I started on MN. You get people flouncing off, then threads are started begging them to come back on! The only person who didn't ever come back on was Aloha. The rest have either come back out of curiosity or slinked off quietly.

I've been called all sorts on MN and I think it's fair to say that there are a number of people who probably don't think a lot of me! but this is only a website after all, I don't take any of it personally! If people don't like what I have to say then they don't have to read it!

MN hasn't changed, it's just gotten bigger. I think that's a good thing, newbies liven it up a bit! It would be a boring place if we all agreed wouldn't it? And parenthood is a sensitive topic so feelings are bound to run high and tempers will flare. If you don't like this then I suggest you check out www.happylittlebunnieshoppingthroughthefields.com

Think I will get shot down for this one, but.....

IT IS ONLY AN INTERNET FORUM.

I have used MN intermittently over 2 years or so, and I have been given so much help and advice by so many MNers, and would like to think that I have been constructive as well on the threads I post on. However, someone with a funny name disagreeing with me, even in an aggressive manner doesn´t affect me in the slightest because it´s not real life. I´m sure some people in real life that swear and shout and scream will irritate or upset us, but what´s the point in getting upset about it? If you enjoy MN, then use it and take away from it what you want, and put in what you feel is appropriate. What "appropriate" is will vary from person to person, but at the end of the day, the internet is open and for the most part unregulated. If people choose to use it, they must also be aware that there are billions of other people some of them very different from themselves, with very different ideas who are using it also.....

Ooh Rhubarb, x posted!! Glad it´s not just me then.....

I'm still here, just not posting quite as much as I normally do. Within the week I will probably be back to full speed, can't bloody keep away.

Have emailed WWW, really hope she changes her mind and stays.

Enjoy this one Rhubarb because I won't admit it again: I actually thought that was a genuine website! and I decided I would check it out.

I think the current antagonsim is quite different from what has been a natrual cycle before and I don't think it's because the site is bigger..

choclatequeen

For a lot of SAHMs or even working mums this is REAL LIFE

They have no other outlet for them, they make friends, chat and feel like humans again

DONT PLAY DOWN SOMETHING THATS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM

I really hope that WWW didn't go partly because of my argument with Cam on her 'dumbing down' thread. It was a situation that I felt strongly about, but I wish I just hadn't bothered. I would be very sad if WWW had left because of it.

Anyway, I am spending way too much time on here, and have also been thinking for a while about taking a break. I keep looking on active convo's though!

and a lot of people use this site to get support - and as much as this is on the internet, the people posting are real people (which I sometimes think people forget)

there's no need to be as aggressive as some have been in the last couple of months - it's just not necessary. Debates can be had and people can have differing opinions without people losing their rag but recently, it's been a bit like a witch hunt.

Dumbledoresgirl -

WB I see where you are coming from and yes people can be very rude to each other on here, but I'm afraid that really is life. Other than start a new thread topic for polite people only there isn't a right lot you can do about it. Mumsnet is a great source of support most of the time, but things do flare up and you need to know how to switch off I think. www does know that and I do hope she comes back, but I don't agree with people saying that MN is worse than it was, it isn't.

I know its real life I just dont like it when people say "its only the internet get over it"

a lot of people rely on this place.

not me though oh no im sane enough without relying on a bunch of hairy knuckled truckers to talk to

They will be missed, diversity is why MN exists

I suppose it depoends what threads you read and subjective perception then rhubarb on my mumsnettometer the mercury is recording unprecedented levels since records began