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MNHQ

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.

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MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 19/10/2012 16:49

@JaquelineHyde

I can't do anything other than click on the local links. Once on the page I can't see anything properly, add anything or search on anything.

I would happily add something if I could but I can't do anything or see anything.

Which Local are you looking in, JaquelineHyde?

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 19/10/2012 18:01

@upinthehills

The only thing in the Edinburgh "what's on" section is actually in Glasgow - the Central Hotel is on Gordon St which is most definitely not in Edinburgh!

Oh dear. Do report it and we'll get it moved/deleted/whatever.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 19/10/2012 18:10

@whattodoo

Ooh, lovely! Trouble is, I already spend far too much time on MN. I can see myself getting sucked into Local and the more it gets populated by 'stuff' and talk I'll never have time to do RL things. Is there a local representative for each 'local' who sort of monitors/co-ordinates what's being put on, or can we all just put our own stuff on? Will there be facility to review classes/high st etc? (Sorry if these have already been answered)

Ha, that's the idea! Grin

And yes, we have/will have Local Editors who will load stuff up. But we REALLY want you folks to add stuff, too please - the more the merrier!

And yes to reviewing too. Enjoy!

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 20/10/2012 10:50

@seabuckthorn

Winchester please Helen

OK. Try just typing in local.mumsnet.com/hampshire (no www)

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 20/10/2012 10:51

@JaquelineHyde

I'm clicking the link at the top of the page in the blue bar and the link in the OP neither is working.

Sorry I am going to give up trying very soon and not bother with it at all.

OK, sounds like you're looking for a Local Talk board, rather than the Local site itself (which is listings and much more - with Talk to come).

Which geographical area are you after?

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 10:51

@JaquelineHyde

I'm clicking the link at the top of the page in the blue bar and the link in the OP neither is working.

Sorry I am going to give up trying very soon and not bother with it at all.

What browser/device are you looking on? The Local link on the blue bar of Mumsnet is working for me.

Failing that you can just type in the url (no www) local.mumsnet.com/county/city

If the county or city is two words, there's a hyphen between. So for example Brighton & Hove will be local.mumsnet.com/brighton-hove

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 15:56

@BrianCoxIsEatingBrains

apologies if this has been asked, I have skim read and couldn't see it.

I have add a local park to my town (Warrington) and written a review with a bit of detail in it. The problem is, the review only shows the first paragraph - it cuts off after the start of the second.

Is this because it is moderated, so will not show fully until it has been approved?

Or is it a glitch?

Thanks

Brian (or Bert as I'm known on Local Grin)

Hi Bert Grin
Tee is right, it's a glitch. You'll get 900 characters to play with and it should tell you if you go over. This will be fixed as soon as Tech's woken up

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 16:00

@smokinaces

It's too hard to navigate on a phone. It asked me if I wanted the mobile site twice, I said yes both times but it still didn't work.

The mobile version will be working very soon. We're just going to open a fresh packet of biscuits and then we'll get back to it

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 16:03

@suburbandream

According to Mumsnet Local, there is nothing to do in Bromley. But I knew that already Wink

If you added one thing, there'd be something for the next person to find? It's a bit like playing My Granny Went to Market only you don't have to remember anything.

SuburbanDream went to Bromley and she added a?

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 16:07

@JaquelineHyde

I am on internet explorer and can't understand why I can't use any of the click through links on MN to get to MN local!

I can open a new window and type in the url and that brings something up but still the text is all overlapping and anything I can click on either goes to a new page and just has the word fail in the left hand corner or just doesn't do anything.

Sorry MN but this is a big fat fail from me and I will no longer be using Mumsnet Local Angry

Sorry you're having problems JaquelineHyde, I thought we'd sorted the Internet Explorer problem. I'll get back onto it. Don't say we've lost you forever Sad

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 16:11

@ZombTEE

Drunk again, is he, Emma?

Grin

It's all the gin you've been sending us. What's a boy (and girl) to do? don't answer that

MNHQ

OliviaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 21:08

Yay BRIAN

MNHQ

OliviaMumsnet · 20/10/2012 23:01

Hey Electric dreams (i will be singing Phil Oakley all night now)
Thanks for your feedback - we will have a look at this.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:17

@swampster

Still waiting for a bit more than: "This feature is coming soon".

I'm in Lambeth, south London but that is still so general. I'd prefer something a bit more specific - Brixton, Herne Hill... There's a load of the South Bank in Lambeth but it isn't that local to me, it is a proper day out!

Lambeth has a Local Editor, so if you click on Baby & Toddler Groups from the Lambeth Homepage, you'll see each listing has an area label in the top right hand corner. So if, say, you live in Brixton, you can scan down and just look at the Brixton listings. When there are a few more listings on all the sites, you'll be able to filter these listings so all you see are the listings for your immediate area.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:18

@BrianCoxIsEatingBrains

I am making it my mission to add stuff. There is nothing worse than stumbling across something on Google, thinking it is exactly what you were looking for and then realising there is actually no content.

I just want the character limit thing to be sorted - hurry up Tech!! Wink

Thanks Bert,
The character limit is sorted now.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:30

@BrianCoxIsEatingBrains

Oh, I think Tech has sorted the character limit thing Grin

Next question please:

Do I have to delete (or get deleted) my previous reviews and re-review so the full spiel shows? Or can Tech twiddle things so it shows?

TIA.

I asked Tech about this. Unfortunately, your words haven't been saved anywhere. Blush. Because you've shown true pioneering spirit Bert, if you email the title of the review, what category it's in and your full review to [email protected], we'll make sure the full text goes in.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:33

@swampster

Ah - just clicked on 'Primary Schools in Lambeth' and I could happily add those in - but what's the point of that? Surely for accuracy you just suck those in from a directory somewhere?

You're right swampster, don't add school listings, we have a grand plan Wink

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:34

@swampster

OK, I really NEED to be able to edit listings I add - I make errors!

And the start date/end date thing is nonsense for ongoing things.

If you preview it first, you can change any errors before you post.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:39

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

I have a question :)

If you live in a city, is it acceptable to put in day trips that are outside city boundaries and in another area. Eg if you were on the Stirling site, could you put in Edinburgh zoo?

Or is tech going to do something really really clever whereby you can search by distance from current location and that will pull in results from other local areas?

It seems to me there is going to be an awful lot of crossover and duplication of areas.

Or or or, if you were adding something, perhaps you could have check boxes whereby you could choose to have that listing appear in other nearby local sites?

Stick to putting stuff within the specific local site for now, but this is something that has crossed our minds. You'll only be two clicks away from your neighbouring (or other favourite sites) once My Local Sites is working , so you'll be able to switch really easily between.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 10:41

@Viperidae

How can you all see this? When I click the link I get 2 sets of headings printed over each other on the left hand side and anything I click on gives me a pop-up that says "This feature is comin soon" and when I close that the screen goes blank with just the word "false" in the top left corner! Confused

What device and browser are you using Vip?

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 21/10/2012 15:59

@Viperidae

Using an HP laptop with some sort of Windows Internet Explorer thingy that has Google and stuff on. Can you tell I know a lot about computers?!

you need your own personal tech Grin
I've reported this to ours.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 22/10/2012 12:48

@InElectricDreams

Right, have just clicked on my area and got three local sites listed: Merseyside, Liverpool & Wirral and St Helens, Knowsley and Sefton. THIS MAKES NO SENSE. There will be massive overlap between Merseyside and Liverpool & Wirral, and probably with ST H K S, come to that. Why on earth have all three? Either go for a Merseyside area with broad coverage, or split into Liverpool on its own, Wirral, Sefton etc.

Plus the latter doesn't really make sense as it's specific local authority areas that often get linked together, but someone in St Helens might be geographically closer to an event/place in south Liverpool than they would to a Sefton one in, say, Southport.

I would be willing to add content (L&W is empty at the mo) but not while there are parallel sites running as with my luck, everyone else who comes along will use the one I don't, and I'm not loading it all in twice.

Having looked at other comments, I think people have very different expectations of what 'local' should be, having seen someone say they were looking at Brent but only wanted to know about specific bits of Brent(!) Personally I am happy with a broader approach and willing to travel across the Merseyside area. As it is, though, the areas in my neck of the woods don't make sense. MNHQ?

You're absolutely right Electric, Merseyside should not have appeared as a separate site ? that was an inputting error on our part. This has been fixed now. Once the My Local Sites function is up and running, you'll be able to switch easily between the two remaining sites.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 22/10/2012 14:03

@addictedisback

I'm confused and this is probably going to make no sence, so please bear with me.

I'm just looking at somerset local's page (not my local, but moving there soon so having a nosey Blush) and under 'somerset latest' on the right hand side of the screen (under the local talk button) there are lots of 'whats on' things liek zumba classes, jo jingles for children in need etc. but when I go to the whats on section and click all, nothng comes up? so I clicked back on the right to the zumba class and it said it was in local>somerset>services>fitness and wellbeing>other but when I clicked through thoes buttons, there was nothing there? on any of the sections.

Are you looking at local.mumsnet.com/somerset, addictedisback?

Doesn't sound like it, from your description...

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 22/10/2012 14:07

@kellestar

I've just added a few listings to Bath whats on, sales and they're not appearing.

I've also added listings for Somerset, Pregnacy and Post-natal, Antenatal Classes local.mumsnet.com/somerset/pregnancy-post-natal/show-all and they aren't appearing even on show all.

That's odd, kellestar. We'll let EmmaMumsnet know.

MNHQ

EmmaMumsnet · 22/10/2012 14:51

@kellestar

I've just added a few listings to Bath whats on, sales and they're not appearing.

I've also added listings for Somerset, Pregnacy and Post-natal, Antenatal Classes local.mumsnet.com/somerset/pregnancy-post-natal/show-all and they aren't appearing even on show all.

Tech says you may have previewed, but not posted. I'm pm-ing you with the links

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