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Original poster

Has mumsnet changed a great deal?

57 replies

dontlikechange · 13/11/2004 20:43

I just wanted wanted views from people as to wether they think that mumsnet has changed.

I must admit that a while back I was hooked and spent hours daily on the site, I had another child and was unable to post of ages, now I have come back and its feels so cliquey. I started a post within the last week and it got 1 reply, yet the imho the cliquey group threads seem to get a lot more replies and it wasn't as if my thread was not interesting enough.

I started lurking again about a month or so ago and couldn't believe it had changed so much, people flouncing off in huffs etc etc.

I used to feel at home on mumsnet, it just seems to alien, perhaps I am showing my age, times change and my 'face' doesn't fit anymore.

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 13/11/2004 20:48

I've been here a couple of years and I don't think it has changed much really: I think all the rows and flounces and things go in cycles, like the lifecycle of a mailing list that someone (SueW I think) posted ages ago. I do think it's more popular now than it was a couple of years ago and because lots more people post some threads get lost in the morass of mumsnet. I think there are quite a lot of threads with titles like 'has mumsnet changed?' and this demonstrates to me that no, it hasn't much!

boudicca · 13/11/2004 20:50

like you I used to spend hours just lurking sometimes posting,been off for several weeks and there are lots of new names.I don't think it's cliquey in a bad way, just that people respond to names they know.I'd keep on posting if I were you,sometimes there's something good on the box, or even RL, and you may get overlooked.
I have just posted on the telly addicts thread and had to bump it - I really need the answer to my question

MistressMary · 13/11/2004 20:55

I think it happens and all forums not just here which I only have started posting on recently.
The clique thing is really just people getting to know others posting style and their personalities.
Just like out there in real world with some folk
naturally seeking others out and bonding with them as it's easier than starting fresh all the time.
As long as you get some help ,advice or someone to chat too I don't really stop to analyse how I seem to others or think how I fit in.
Just keep posting and reading as I need.

unicorn · 13/11/2004 20:55

Well I'm a fairly new Mntter.. 6 months or so.. but I would imagine that, yes it does change,but does so to suit the masses who frequent it.

Of course there will be cliques... anyone who has communicated with someone to another through their trialstribulationsand bar chat will feel they 'know' that person...

I think you take, and get what YOU want from Mumsnet.

fairyfly · 13/11/2004 20:55

It has a lot in my opinion

MilkyWay · 13/11/2004 20:56

I feel like a novice again as I changed my name recently and haven't had much time to post over the past few months. Only reason I'd say it has changed for me is that there's loads of names I don't recognise. I do feel a bit of an outsider these days but that's my lack of posting.

LIZS · 13/11/2004 21:02

Try not to take it too personally, I suspect we all feeel a bit like that from time to time. I think the number of responses depends on a number of things - like time of day, how busy the board is and whether it just falls out of the top 50 too quickly or it is a slow period where fewer peope are around and then it just drops off the list, whether the title catches the eye, similar topic having been done recently etc. There always phases of people flouncing, arguing and changing identities which may make it difficult to get back "in". The chat element I suspect, also makes it seem more cliquey than perhaps it used to because some conversations appear to continue from previous threads to which you may not have been party.

Davros · 13/11/2004 21:03

I've been around for about a year and a half and I don't think its changed that much BUT I only check the same sections, in all about 10, and ignore all the others. Maybe if other people also do that it looks cliquey as they only respond to certain topics whcih are often started or joined by the same people.

WideWebWitch · 13/11/2004 21:04
paolosgirl · 13/11/2004 21:09

I think it has. You know that as soon as certain names post, there will be lots more replies and in-jokes. I tend to leave the thread as soon as the old chestnuts appear. I've also been quite surprised at the rudeness of some of the posts. I'm all for a balanced debate, but sometimes I think it can get a bit personal. That said, I love MN, and enjoy the variety of the threads.

tiptop · 13/11/2004 21:10

dontlikechange - Hi! I know what you mean. I think I've found that you get to know people a little and then perhaps you don't see them for ages. For example, I chatted to unicorn on the Alton Towers thread (Hi, unicorn - I hope you had a good time! ) and boudicca on the life coaching thread (Hi, boudicca - long time, no see!) Lots of others have never heard of me and I've started threads recently and had no reply or just one reply, but that's fine. Other MNers might not be interested, might be busy, or else not know anything about the subject matter. I hated it a while ago when there was some unpleasantness, but I just kept my head down and spent more time doing RL things, instead. Please keep posting!

Davros · 13/11/2004 21:12

I'm afraid I no longer post on threads that are about something that has been done to death before during my time. I often don't open threads that don't have a clear title saying what its actually about, only if I've got time.

Original poster
dontlikechange · 13/11/2004 21:19

Thanks all.

I guess I may have been over sensitive, there seems to be a lot more threads, I used to look daily and keep up with them all.

I just posted on a couple of threads and when I came back it was way down with 1 replies, so I knew lots of people were around and chose not to respond.

Thanks all, I will keep posting.

OP posts:
Socci · 13/11/2004 21:30

Message withdrawn

Twiglett · 13/11/2004 21:38

When I had to change my name people just ignored me in my new persona

MilkyWay · 13/11/2004 21:39

Might change mine back Twiglett - don't like this one as much as the last.

WideWebWitch · 13/11/2004 21:40

Gosh, is that really true twiglett? That's sad. I do reply to people I 'know' (either just from remembering things about them on here or because I've met them IRL), but I'll also reply to anyone if I have time/think I can help, even if I've never 'spoken' to them on here before. I don't always notice who it is before I go to reply either. I'm not here as much atm though.

Twiglett · 13/11/2004 21:43

I suppose it could just have been my perception of course .. so difficult to tell with the written word ... but yes I think it is true www

pace has increased .. I access through active conversations and they drop off so quickly I think I miss important ones (which never used to happen)

JanH · 13/11/2004 21:44

Socci, Meanbean has a new name. She's a Roman Emperor who played the fiddle

WideWebWitch · 13/11/2004 21:48

Janh, I googled that and got Nero and then the penny dropped, aaah, that explains a lot!

handlemecarefully · 13/11/2004 21:51

There do appear to be some mumsnetters who are more 'popular' - but does it really matter in the scale of things ? It doesn't bother me, and yet I am fairly low profile and not in any 'clique'

I think people are allowed to like each other and appear friendly with a few other mnetters - they may be long term mnetters who have 'known' each other for ages.

Having said all this - I am sorry that you feel this way and I really hope it doesn't put you off posting

WestCountryLass · 13/11/2004 21:54

I am quite the newbie and don't post that much but one thing that makes me laugh is the 'that question has been asked before, here is a link to the previous conversation' replies. OK, I can understand that if the post is a repeat of something topical but when the poster is jsut asking for peoples opinions/advice then why link to a pervious thread on the subject? There are new members, people might not have replied to the previous thread and the conversation might go off on a different tangent and it jsut seems off.

WideWebWitch · 13/11/2004 21:57

Westcountrylass, but I do that (post links to old threads) not to say 'you shouldn't have asked, we've done this before, bog off', but to say 'hey, there was some great stuff that helped me here' - I don't mean to stop the thread dead, I'm just trying to be helpful. It hadn't occurred to me that it might be interpreted any other way. Hmm.

JanH · 13/11/2004 21:59

Oh dear, I've got my emperors confused, haven't I, www? (It's a long time since I, Claudius was on!)

JanH · 13/11/2004 22:02

Westcountrylass, me too - same as www I mean - when people are looking for opinions I assume they want lots!

Also, when someone has posted on a subject once before, they might not realise when they see the new thread that it's a different one, and might not bother to post even if what they have to say would be helpful. So by linking to the old one you get the lot.