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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Ahoy hoy mnhq - you aren't going to do anything about AIBU, are you?

244 replies

bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe · 24/10/2011 21:55

You are sticking your fingers in your ears and going la la la and pretending not to notice that aibu is just awful?

OP posts:
Maryz · 27/10/2011 15:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 27/10/2011 16:01
Grin
Maryz · 27/10/2011 16:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Maryz · 27/10/2011 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GetOrfMo1Land · 27/10/2011 16:03

Come on my topics cull thread in site stuff maryz and bibbity.

Let's get rid of arcane topics like World Cup 2010, Credit Crunch and School Holidays. Start a revolution.

JaneBirkin · 27/10/2011 16:43

Helen, sorry to get all serious but would you take a look at my question further down? (or up if you're on 'new')

How is aibu adding anything to this site's ethos? How is it helpful to people especially new posters?

It's harsh, really harsh. I avoid it and I'm helpful. I'm not helping people as much as I could be, because they are posting there. There are loads of us doing the same.
I just don't get how it makes parents' lives easier.

Maryz · 27/10/2011 16:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Slubberdegullion · 27/10/2011 17:51

Hello HelenMN

You'd never get rid of camping would you? Would you?

Camping never did any harm to anyone ever.

You know in those Pokemon films that at the end they always find the magical stone or waterfall or unicorn/rhino hybrid that all the energy of goodness and light and smiling laughing children running just running with the tangly hair comes out of. That's the camping topic that is.
Get rid of camping and all of mn will slowly die and get eaten up by cartoon Japanese death wraiths.

Just so you know.

BecauseImAWerewolefIt · 27/10/2011 18:54

ROCK
|
|
BearMNHQBear
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HARD PLACE

GetOrfMo1Land · 27/10/2011 18:58

Haha at the use of that bastarding bear.

I feel another thread in site stuff coming on....

Fiercelydoesit · 27/10/2011 22:42

Aibu clearly needs a couple of new emoticons. Maybe some handbags to indicate when the gloves are off and a pit of snakes when the vipers are writhing. Still love it though, but maybe there should be some Aibu bouncers on the door to keep out the quiche postings.

ellisbell · 28/10/2011 09:37

There could be a simple rule that if a topic doesn't get ....number of posts or .... new threads in a month it is merged with something else.

Personally I rarely go in AIBU, so I'm not going to help moderate it. As most sensible people will keep away it's always going to have a lower standard of moderation. But as the AIBU attitudes spill over into the rest of the site it becomes a place you don't want to visit. So it loses the highly informed debate that made mumsnet a site that was influential because of its knowledge and reasoning ability and becomes a place where its influence, if any, is mob culture.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 28/10/2011 11:18

@JaneBirkin

Helen, sorry to get all serious but would you take a look at my question further down? (or up if you're on 'new')

How is aibu adding anything to this site's ethos? How is it helpful to people especially new posters?

It's harsh, really harsh. I avoid it and I'm helpful. I'm not helping people as much as I could be, because they are posting there. There are loads of us doing the same.
I just don't get how it makes parents' lives easier.

There is a value in honest advice and opinion, I think, and AIBU does tend to encourage that so it's not without merit in theory. It is also pretty entertaining and fun at times (Not talking about the harsh stuff) and as you know we only started it because it reflected the volume of threads that began with AIBU - so it's a mirror on what was already happening. People do genuinely want validation of their feelings and emotions and/or to be told they're mistaken.

But we do agree that it's a fine balance and it's probably swung too far and that we at MNHQ need to be a bit more pro-active in discouraging the harshness.

We will look at intervening earlier and more often on AIBU threads - pulling folks up more when they are rude or unkind. (Any help you can give us on reporting things is much appreciated - special thanks to Bibbity for the sterling job she's been doing already on this front Thanks)

We will continue to move threads in which the OP is looking for support more than honest advice. We are also looking to bring in a newbies welcome area and/or giving clearer advice on newbies on where to post.

Do let us know if you have any other suggestions and many thanks for the input.

JaneBirkin · 28/10/2011 11:41

Thankyou very much. I think that's a helpful response and I'm really glad that you agree it's gone too far. Something that started off as a bit of a laugh has become something of a monster I think and I know you didn't intend that.

I hope the measures you're suggesting will really make a difference, I really hope that.

Thankyou for listening to us.

FellatioNelson · 30/10/2011 04:51

WWYD is very very under-used. So many threads that could/should be WWYD are posted somehwere else. I don't understand people's reluctance to use it. But I've posted stuff on there before and then gone 'Nah. Wos the point? No bugger will read it here.' Grin And then dumped it in Chat instead.

GalloweesG · 30/10/2011 09:14

I don't often start a thread but when I have its generally in Chat because I know it will disappear eventually.

The mobile site and the app are making the subjects almost irrelevant, if there isn't a tab for the subject you're unlikely to go there. I only ever really look at Threads I'm on and Active with an occasional glance in Discussions of the day.

MrsStephenFry · 30/10/2011 09:22

Just commented on three non aibu qs all in the top third of pg one of aibu. Lazy fuckers cant be arsed to use proper topics.

MrsStephenFry · 30/10/2011 09:23

Just commented on three non aibu qs all in the top third of pg one of aibu. Lazy fuckers cant be arsed to use proper topics.

GalloweesG · 30/10/2011 09:26

You're not Lazy MrsStephenFry you posted twice :)

Finding subjects is far more difficult on a phone or iPad. The mobile site isn't encouraging the correct use of topics. I don't think it's necessarrily laziness but unless you're on a pc it's trickier to navigate.

MrsStephenFry · 30/10/2011 09:32

Im not on a pc and im partially sightrd, i manage!

GalloweesG · 30/10/2011 09:35

Congratulations

Maryz · 30/10/2011 10:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trills · 30/10/2011 10:03

It's a bit late for Christmas threads.

RustyBear · 30/10/2011 10:31

MNHQ have moved a couple of threads out of AIBU to the Christmas topic. Trouble is, they haven't changed the titles, which both start 'to ask you x/ to do y' so now they just look silly without the implied AIBU at the beginning.

MNHQ
OliviaMumsnet · 30/10/2011 10:35

@RustyBear

MNHQ have moved a couple of threads out of AIBU to the Christmas topic. Trouble is, they haven't changed the titles, which both start 'to ask you x/ to do y' so now they just look silly without the implied AIBU at the beginning.

True but don't most people put AIBU mentally in front of any question beginning with the word "to.....?"
Or is that just me?!