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Coo-eeh! Come tell us what you think of the New (hopefully much better) Mumsnet Local

184 replies

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 12:07

Hello. We've been aware for a while now that MN Local isn't all it could be and we've been beavering away for several months now to make it much, much better.

And today's the Grand Unveiling of the all-new, all-singing, all-dancing (well, OK, not quite singing and dancing just yet) Mumsnet Local

We've reorganised the Local sites a bit (they were a bit random, geographically speaking, before). And, if you go to your nearest Mumsnet Local site, you'll see there's much more to it and it's much easier to find your way about. There are loads more categories for listings and space for reviews, and you'll find nearly new inside an expanded Classifieds section - which should make your Mumsnet Local an altogether more helpful place to hang out. Don't worry, we haven't lost the talk threads from old Local. They'll be reappearing in the new sites very soon.

Some Mumsnet Local sites are still a bit light on listings and info (we're working on that right now) but, if you'd like a look at what we're hoping all Mumsnet Locals will look like pretty darn soon, do have a butcher's at Bath. If you want to share something with other Mumsnetters on any of the sites, just click on Add a Listing (the pink button on the right just under the navigation bar).

Sites that are not far behind include Bedford, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Bolton & Bury, Manchester & Trafford, Bournemouth & Poole, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Exeter, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey, and in London? Barnet, Lambeth, Hackney, Haringey, Hillingdon, Islington, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Waltham Forest boroughs.

And we're hoping all the other Local sites, including those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be hot on their tails. We're looking to entice people to look after these sites, but more on that soon.

We've designed an easy-to-use Meet Ups page. If you want to volunteer to organise a regular meet-up in your area, just email [email protected] . There are more bits and pieces and snazzy new features to come, too. Once --Tech's had a bit of a lie down

We do hope you like what you see. Do let us know what you think - as ever, all feedback is most welcome.

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 20:46

@MmeLindor

Perth isn't working, btw. Coming up iwth 500 Servlet Exception

Try local.mumsnet.com/perth-kinross

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 20:49

@MmeLindor

Oh, it is a bit of a palavar, MNHQ - there is a limit to the amount of text. I am by nature a bit of a blether verbose. It is like posting a Twitter review.

There's a bit of a glitch on the word limit. It should allow more? Tech know about this

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 20:53

@HelenMumsnet

[quote BrainSurgeon] I've tried http//:local.mumsnet.com/surrey and berkshire - just get code on a white page

On mobile version or on the desktop version?[/quote]

It's a small thing but I think you've got the colon in the wrong place. Try local.mumsnet.com/surrey

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 20:56

@HelenMumsnet

[quote Pascha] I think this one is about the right size. Also one of these each?

Well that's Emma's. Where's mine?[/quote]

oh no, wasn't I supposed to eat three?

EmmaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 21:00

@HelenMumsnet

[quote ScarePhyllis] I hate to rain on everyone's virtual parade, but is this one of those things that's really only ever going to work for London like everything else ? Where there is enough density of MNers and small enough geographical areas that the listings can actually be useful?

I mean, one page for the whole of NI? Really?

What do you mean, ScarePhyllis? There are pages and pages in every Local. Have a look here

Although Northern Ireland is not working at the mo - see previous posts.[/quote]

I think you mean one site ? that's because the map for Northern Ireland is still broken. Will report to tech. There are actually 7 sites in Northern Ireland. They're just not showing on the map yet. Which county are you in?

OliviaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 22:22

@Jux

Devon can't get past the map. Sad

In what way Jux?

OliviaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 22:41

@CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz

How do you get to it on the App? When I click on 'Topics' and go to MN Local, it just takes me to the local talk boards?

Sorry, couthy.
Think they are fixing the local mobile ishooes.

OliviaMumsnet · 17/10/2012 22:59

@CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz

it is still too early for Halloween
But atm I imagine my brain tastes amazing, it feels a bit like chicken noodle soup tbh - lots going on in both sets of OliviaMumsnetTowers

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:19

Morning. Thanks for all the feedback.

We'll try to answer some of your Qs now...

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:22

@Wigeon

The links in the OP don't work for me - they just give an almost blank page, where some of the menu on the left looks like several bits are written over each other.

And when I try to access the Local pages direct from the homepage, I get an error message saying "Cannot continue. The Application is improperly formatted. Contact the application vendor for assistance" Confused.

I am just on a regular laptop using Internet Explorer.

Which Local are you after, Wigeon?

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:27

@CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz

How do you get to it on the App? When I click on 'Topics' and go to MN Local, it just takes me to the local talk boards?

It's not available on the App, we're afraid. The app is just a Mumsnet Talk app.

But we hope we can release a MN Local app one day.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:29

@Jux

When I get to the page with the map, I click on Devon and get a white bubble saying Devon, but that's all. I have tried all the links on that page and they all result in a box saying Coming soon. The search box remains blank and I can't type into it to tell it to look for Devon or Exeter.

Could it be because I'm using an iPad?

Jux, look to the right of the page and then up (you'll probably have to scroll). You should see a blue tab there for Devon.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:30

@purplepenguin86

It isn't working for me. It keeps trying to launch an application and then says the application is improperly formatted and to contact the application vendor. I'm on a PC.

How odd. What url are you typing in?

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:31

@Jux

Blush thank you, garlic. I am very embarrassed.

Olivia (and Tech), I'm terribly sorry. I just had to scroll up a bit and there was Devon, Exeter and Plymouth. All links worked. I went to Devon and then to Exeter, but gave Plymouth a miss as it's getting late.

It looks lovely and works well.

I would quite like to have a link that gives me the opportunity to go to any of those 3 Devon, Exeter or Plymouth, from any page within the local site, iyswim. But I am nitpicking.

Well done you lot!

Gah! Just seen that you'd alread found it. Ignore me!

Will pass on your suggestion re going to other sites, Jux.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:34

@HastaLanugo

It launched and I signed in, but once I was in my local area, everything I clicked came back with the "feature coming soon". I didn't click all the links just things I was interested in. No use to me for now. Sad

Try clicking on the blue/green tabs above the ones you clicked. LOADS of stuff there.

And the "features coming soon" really are coming soon. And will be fabbo.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:35

@TheSkiingGardener

I think it's luverly. Hope Techs head isn't hurting too much.

Off to add some content to Southampton....

Mwah! Thank you.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:37

@maryann970

No content :s

Layout is fab but alas is useless without content!

The idea, maryann970, is that folks add the content, if they'd like. We want MNer-generated content (cos you lot know all the best places and tell it like it is), rather than just bland listings pulled in from existing lists.

Do please add some if you've time. Would be much appreciated!

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:42

@JaquelineHyde

I can't get it to work.

When I click the link in the blue bar it brings up a tiny little box with a computer connecting the a world symbol and then that dissapears and another box tells me... 'Cannot continue. The application is improperly formatted. Contact the application vendor for assistance.

I'm on my laptop, so not accessing a mobile site if that makes any difference.

OK. Try going through the Mumsnet Local link in EmmaMumsnet's OP.

Does that work?

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:43

@JaquelineHyde

The link in your OP works but the page it takes me to is a mess. All the text is written over the top of other text down the left hand side and there is nothing else on the page accept for a Sage advert that appears to be working fine (opening when I roll over etc)

Ah - see you tried that! Which Local site is this, JaquelineHyde

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:44

@Iggly

I'm trying to add content to my local page.

However it's asking me for a date range for playgroups (which are indefinite so could finish at any time in the future) and also for parks. Now, my local park isn't planning to disappear any time soon, and even if it was I don't know anything about it.

So please, remove the date ranges or have the option to not fill it in as it is compulsory for everything I try and add!!!

Yes, we're aware of this one. On the case!

Thanks so much for adding stuff.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:44

@Bumpinthenight

Or delete multiple entries.I shouldn't be allowed on a computer!
Grin

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:45

@BrainSurgeon

Hi sorry I disappeared - how rude Blush

I am on a laptop so not the mobile site.
If I try the link to Local (right under the Mumsnet logo at the top of this page) I go to a white page with some code on it.

If I click on the link to the mumsnet local link in Emma's OP I get to a page proper with a few links on it, however top link called "Local" takes me back to the white code page though.....

The link with locations around London seems to work however none of those places is near me - I am between Egham and Bagshot, where should I go?

When you click on the link in Emma's OP, do you get to a page with a map on it?

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:48

@AnotherCerealNameChanger

Nothing seems to work for Norwich

Eek, really? Are you calling up local.mumsnet.com/norwich (no www at the beginning)

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:52

@dinkystinky

Looks v smart - but all the pages in MN Local for Brent for activities etc seem blank. Why is this? And how can I drill down to the area of Brent I'm interested in (which is Queens Park/Kensal Rise/Westminster borders)?

Hurray! Thank you.

And they're blank because we need folks like you to load up lots of great info for us. We reckon MNer listings would be much better than listings we could filch acquire from other lists - cos you lot definitely know what's good and what's not, local to you.

Re Brent: it could be that Brent doesn't have a Local Editor yet. Drilling down is definitely possible but it needs a Local Editor to get it going.

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:54

@exexpat

Even when I get into my local site (Bristol), via the map because the 'my local site' button doesn't work, I can't use it to get into local talk because neither of the supposed links work.

I know most of the rest of it will be content-free for the moment until we all have time to add some, but there are already lots of discussions going on in local chat, and now no way to access them unless they are already in 'threads I'm on'.

Think you needed a bit more testing before you launched this...

Hello. And yes, the Talk threads will be visible in a few days' time. Nothing that was in Talk before will be lost, though.

Because the Local sites are now separate from the main site, we have to migrate the Talk threads across the sites - and that takes a little while.

Hope you can bear with us.

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