One more point: just for us all to bear in mind. We all disguise who we are, but this is an open forum. Last week Women's Aid tweeted out a shocking but important blog from a women called Mandy Thomas who was written an amazing book about her successful escape from a highly abusive relationship. This tweet linked back to Mumsnet. (a different thread from this one). It struck me that I felt uncomforrtable about this as although I wanted as many people as possible to read the blog, I didn't want the fact that Mumsnet talks about abusive relationships broadcast too far and wide, for obvious reasons.
I did in fact write to WA about this, and they in fact got back to me this evening so say that they had passed on my email to Mumsnet. I'm sure it's appropriate to post their response below, so here it is:
"I hope you are well. Your email was passed along to me – I am the media officer at Women’s Aid.
Unfortunately, we can’t not tweet the link to the blog post by Mandy on Mumsnet because that is where it is published, and it is not anywhere else. However, we discussed your concerns with Mumsnet and they asked me to pass along the below message:
“In terms of concerns about safety, we always advise posters to remember that it's an open forum, to bear in mind that anyone could be reading it, and not to give more of themselves than they're comfortable with. While Mumsnet is a place where women give and receive invaluable support, ultimately it's not a secure site as anyone can read it, so we can't guarantee users' security, and they need to bear that in mind when they use it.”
I hope that is ok – let me know if any other queries.
Best wishes,
Alice".
I understand the point being made, but it did make me feel uneasy, and I thought it best to share with all. Hope this is useful, rather than just tricky for all.
Sending big hugs to all of you. None of us are ever alone. x :)