Does anyone else think Mumsnet is a bit clichey?

[Sunlounger]

New to Mumsnet...been on it a few times, hardly anyone ever answers posts - and it seems like the same people 'chat' to each other, and it's really hard to get involved....

CT, 'show' or 'miscarriage' does it matter?? I'm trying to prove a point.

LeftOut - maybe changing your name frequently isn't such a good idea?? I do lose track of the name changes.

if you go into mumsnetter meet-ups, there are threads about meet ups in areas that mums live in. if theres a meet up in your area, you can go along and meet the other mums on here in your area. i went to my first on friday, and going for my second in 2 weeks time. itll be an opportunity for you to meet the other mums on here, and it'd probably be better talking offline than online

I've had each name for about 4 months and posted regularly under each name. I am sticking to one now.

OOh I don't like the 'show'....''miscarriage' thing coppertop, I'm off - sorry I got it wrong!!!

Leftout - I change my name when I start a thread about something quite personal, that Id rather not have other mums know it was me discussing it. A lot of other mums do that too, but if you want to talk generally, it'd be better sticking to the one name xx

Sorry, Sunlounger. I just meant that because the title said "show" that I thought they were talking about the show you get just before labour.

SL i totally felt like this at first...ran around killing threads dead and starting threads that nobody came on...was completely paranoid (and am still susceptible to a bout of paranoia now and again, but if you keep throwing yourself in, eventually you'll not only develop a thicker skin, but also begin to get to know other posters and them you...that's what i found anyway...

maisystar - i dont understand what you're talking about. what 25?? or am i just daft?? lol

I think it's easy to get self-pitying or paranoid about the 'nobody replies to me' thing. I recently posted about my friend who was depressed and after getting no replies was shameless about posting on it myself to bump it into active conversations and to ask specific people for help in order to get it going. Have you seen the number of a conversations every day? There are dozens and lots of people only ever look at the 25 on active conversations so if your post slips off that while the site is a bit slack and you don't go back to bump it up yourself it may well vanish into the ether. Also you may be posting very obscure stuff that nobody feels they can help with - I don't know. And you can post on other threads too. The weekends are quiet. Did you reply to the girl? I didn't see that thread at all. I think the titles of the threads are important too. There is a huge difference between a show and a miscarriage. One is perfectly normal, not alarming (I would think) and wouldn't cause someone to need a lot of emotional support. Also as a c-section person, I wouldn't read it as I never had one. If a thread read, "help me - I think I'm miscarrying" more people would probably answer, if they were online.

Thamks Aloha. You worded that far more clearly than I did.

oh i just worked out what maisystar is talking about now, sorry! do try to keep posting sunlounger and leftout. you just have to keep trying i found

Thnak you Maisy star, I am not as technicaaly inept as was previously thought and have got 50 active conversations!

On sat was out all day with dh and ds at NT house, on Sun was poking around posh people's garden at local open gardens even followed by wine in our garden with friends and kids. It was a lovely, sunny weekend and I imagine traffic on the site was v low.

And I post to anyone - even if we've just had a row on another thread.

Beanspout I thought wasjust me who had an ability to kill off threads. I think just joinin if people are chatting I just leave the thread unless have something totally revalationary to say

(intervening Bean) SL - please don't be offended by anything anyone has said. In this fast world of ours (MN included) the title of a thread CAN make a difference. Again, I only tend to Bean in if I think I have anything to say... which is fair enough?

gothicmama, never let the fact you have nothing important to say stop you joining in. Nobody else has such scruples

is very handy the 50 active ...thing!

sl and leftout, just keep posting, i once posted 4 times in the bar in about 20 mins and each post was totally ignored!!!! was gutted!

my big brother thread(under chat ) is being more or less being ignored too

Do you like Nigel Slater, sunlounger? You can join my clique if you do. Otherwise we'll never speak again, natch.

hey!! ive answered it maisystar!! lol. i didnt realise about the active conversations bit (thanks maisystar!) i just go into the discussions bit and just click on the topics that i usually go in and see whats happening

Oh I'm the ultimate thread-killer - just you watch me be the very last person to post on this thread!

I'm with aloha and can attest that though I've been here for 3 years, I, too, start threads which go unanswered. And sometimes other mumsnetters will seemingly talk "over" or "around" me, sort of ignoring my contribution while picking up on someone else's--but I don't take it personally. I've probably unknowingly done the same thing myself. And as an expat, even though I'm married to a European, I feel sometimes like there's a big British clique, and that I just don't "get" certain things, or I haven't learned the rules, or have to pretend to laugh off the occasional stinging comment about Americans. . .but that's true of my real life, too. So I guess you have to expect that mumsnet will mirror real life in some ways, but I honestly believe it's a lot less cliquey than real life.

No, it's not cliquey - I've been ignored before too! Don't take it personally.

ooooh, will have to go and have a look!!