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MNHQ

Mumsnet local sites - have you checked out yours yet? What do you think?

175 replies

JustineMumsnet · 19/04/2013 11:07

Hi all,
It's been a wee while since we our launched our new, improved Mumsnet local sites. Some of you will have already found yours and are hopefully finding it useful, others have yet have that particular pleasure - if so please do have a butchers now.

Aside from listings, local Talk and information there many Local Ambassadors organising regular group meet-ups, so do have a look to see if there's an active group Meet-up near you and join up to get news of the latest get togethers.

Most of all we'd like to know what you think of it so far. Nb it's still a work in progress

OP posts:
MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 13:11

Jilted
I know it seems a bit confusing to begin with, but the idea of the categories is that you can search for something specific.

It really annoys me when I am looking for something and I have to look through weeks and weeks of listings, often advertising the same play or event.

If you are looking for language lessons, you can search for language lessons. If you want a recommendation for a local vet, you can find one.

MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 13:30

Exexpat
As we have said, the best way to get more on the local sites is to use it. If everyone says, 'oh, there is nothing there', then it will never get better.

The listings will come. I have spent hours contacting companies and asking them to put on listings, and slowly but surely they are doing so. I am also adding listings myself.

You do know that anyone can add a listing? You as a MNetter can recommend a great place that you have visited by adding a review on the site (click that you are a MNetter and would like to share this business), which we can then add details to later.

ConfusedPixie · 21/04/2013 14:37

I think that the meet ups section on mine is too complicated. There's a section for every part of Brighton and Hove, 27 in total! I would technically belong to the 'Woodingdean' section but would much rather hop on a bus for 20 minutes and meet in the town centre as the 'areas' aren't too alive really. i thought about using it for the most recent meetup but decided to just use the normal meet ups part of the forum to prevent confusion.

I would prefer on the childcare section to have my advert listed under both nannies and babysitters as opposed to two separate adverts and I have seen other ads (not childcare related) repeated into different sections. Like at the moment, of the six latest ads, two are the farmers market and two are the utility warehouse. It'd probably be easier to have the option to choose two or three sections for it to appear in.

People are posting in my local section, but not often.

ConfusedPixie · 21/04/2013 14:47

By the sections I meant to say that it makes more sense in a bigger city, or with less sections, but there are so many sections on there that it seems too complicated. Maybe a mini map with grouped sections such as central, east (Kemp town/Hanover/Elm Grove/etc) further east (woodingdean/rottingdean/saltdean), north east (bevendean, moulscoombe), etc would make it a bit easier.

MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 14:49

Confused
I believe the function to post in different topics is coming.

We had the same issue in Dundee with meetups and have recently changed it so that we have Dundee Centre, Dundee West and Dundee Broughty Ferry.

It really is a case of finding out what works and what doesn't and changing what doesn't. To be fair to MNHQ, they are working hard to get things right.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/04/2013 15:01

Mnw netmums does that anyway. You can look at antenatal classes or whatever you are looking for in your ears plus there is a what's on month by month section for ad hoc stuff. I wanted to upload our school pamper evening, couldn't find a section to put it in and then it wouldn't upload. Know its not me being think as I used to upload things to the old Mn local.

ConfusedPixie · 21/04/2013 15:15

Mme: That's good to know RE posting in different topics :)

I know they are, but they can't know what's not working without it being brought up Wink I think that solution would work down here too. We may be a city but we're not a big one, it doesn't take long to get from the outside to the centre and whilst there are areas that have parks to play in and things not all of the areas have that. There are things to work on but I like the new local as a whole much more than the old local, it's just the kinks that need working out :)

MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 18:23

Jilted
I would put that in Things To Do - Whats On - Other Local Events

but if you are unsure, or if it isn't working then do give your LE a shout, or MNHQ.

There have been issues at times with uploading listings, when they were doing something to the site.

Confused
yes, that was the same here. In the suburbs there are hardly any cafes (or none that you would want to go and meet in anyway) so we would meet in town.

I am organising a Dundee Wide meet up rather than individual ones, to begin with.

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 20:34

@K8Middleton

Emma they are not suitable for What's On because they are not events. I have posted some examples of what I mean up thread.

Ah, ok, I see. I'll have a word with Community and see why they were zapped. Thanks for giving the details, it's really helpful to have those examples.

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 20:34

@JiltedJohnsJulie

I've tried to upload events a couple of times. Found it difficult to match the event with a description, find netmums idea of just listing events by month and then having things like playgroups separately far easier.

Both times uploading the event hasn't worked and now I've just given up.

What happened when you tried to upload the event Jilted?

Goldrill · 21/04/2013 20:35

Has Cumbria got an editor? I've checked the facebook page but there's not a lot n that either.

It's a grand idea but I'm not sure there are enough of us up here to make it work!

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 20:36

@wonderstuff

How do I change my nname on the local site?

I am a Local Ambassador in Hampshire and the Hampshire site is quiet. I think that threads showing up on the main site would be good - than used to happen, and would occasionally spark a flurry of interest in the local talk boards.

I have been over to the Hampshire site and there is a lot more there than there was a month ago, it is moving in the right direction but I think it's a bit, no ones going there because there isn't anything going on, not much going on because no ones going there... Slow burn but I think it will be fabulous.

If you pm me with what you want your local nickname changed to and I can get tech to do it.

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 20:57

@newmum2Jack

Hi, I'm a new mum, my son is 7 weeks old and was wondering where I can meet new mums in my area. I have to start getting out, I cannot watch anymore Jeremy Kyle!?! Can anyone help?

Hi newmum, welcome! If you pm me with where you are, I can point you in the right direction?

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 21:05

@exexpat

I can't say I've been finding local at all useful, I'm afraid.

You have to click through way too many pages to get to any actual listings, and then there are hardly any there, and most of them are out of date (the Bristol what's on listings still have loads of Christmas and Easter events).

There are no dates on the classified ads, so you can't tell if a 'for sale' ad is new or has been there for months - maybe they should expire after a week unless the poster chooses to renew?

The local talk board is mainly used for discussion of schools and places to live, as ever, which is fine but of limited interest. We used to run our local MN book group via local talk but were put off when you had the stupid rule about having to have separate names, and we haven't felt inspired to move back since that was abolished.

Basically it all looks very shiny and pretty but is far too complicated - it feels like users have to make a major investment of time and effort to find things, only to discover there is nothing there after all. I'd find it more useful if there were fewer pictures so that more of the actual links and information were on the home page (ie less need to click through loads of layers).

We now have the number of listings in each category (shown in brackets) next to each category title so it's really easy to see at a glance where the content is.

I've just been to the Bristol what's on page and tidied that up ? some listers had put the wrong end date on. If people put the right end date on, the listings disappear automatically.

That's a good point about classifieds. They do come off after a fixed period but maybe we need to say that somewhere!

You no longer have to change nicknames when you go on Local, so do bring the Bristol Book club back. If you've already created a local nickname and want it to be the same as your main site nickname, just pm me and I can get that done. Smile

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 21:07

@ConfusedPixie

I think that the meet ups section on mine is too complicated. There's a section for every part of Brighton and Hove, 27 in total! I would technically belong to the 'Woodingdean' section but would much rather hop on a bus for 20 minutes and meet in the town centre as the 'areas' aren't too alive really. i thought about using it for the most recent meetup but decided to just use the normal meet ups part of the forum to prevent confusion.

I would prefer on the childcare section to have my advert listed under both nannies and babysitters as opposed to two separate adverts and I have seen other ads (not childcare related) repeated into different sections. Like at the moment, of the six latest ads, two are the farmers market and two are the utility warehouse. It'd probably be easier to have the option to choose two or three sections for it to appear in.

People are posting in my local section, but not often.

We agree with you Confused, and we'll sort out the Meet-ups pages for Brighton asap.

AS Mme has said, we're working on being able to put listings in several topics.

MNHQ
EmmaMumsnet · 21/04/2013 21:11

@Goldrill

Has Cumbria got an editor? I've checked the facebook page but there's not a lot n that either.

It's a grand idea but I'm not sure there are enough of us up here to make it work!

We haven't got an Editor for Cumbria yet, so pm me if you're interested?

ConfusedPixie · 21/04/2013 22:20

Thanks Emma! :) I'm just glad to see that you aren't going to let MN local die out!

Portofino · 21/04/2013 22:20

We need our Brussels site back. I had been busy populating with info. It hadn't really taken off, but we have a very active FB group - 50 odd members. So I had hopes...

OhHullitsOnlyMeYoni · 21/04/2013 22:32

I've popped over there tonight to have a look. I think it is a great idea, so hope it takes off more! One thing I have noticed is under the Primary Schools header - all schools are listed simply as 'Kent' which is a bit frustrating. Can that be changed to a town or village instead?
It is a shame there isn't more info on the Classes and Things To Do sections but I understand that you can't put things in that you don't know about!

Off to have another poke about :)

MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 22:43

Porto
I wondered about a Living Overseas Local - it would be great to have a place for some of the more popular expat cities such as Geneva, Brussels, Singapore, New York...

the ones that people are always asking about.

Could it be put together in a Living Overseas Local, with sections for each area - it would be a lot smaller, but you could approach people such as moving companies, and relocation companies for ads.

You could also have great local tips for visitors.

Portofino · 21/04/2013 22:51

Mme, there used to be a Brussels local page. It vanished with the changes. As Tsarina, my feathers were ruffled. Agree with you that MN should not forget the very large number of us that are not in the uk.

MmeLindor · 21/04/2013 22:56

Yes, and the advice and support on Overseas Board is so very valuable.

ChocsAwayInMyGob · 22/04/2013 09:15

There is no local editor in my area. I would like to be one. I have emailed twice but had no reply. How do I do this MNHQ?

MmeLindor · 22/04/2013 09:38

ChocsAway
If you PM Emma, she will help you out there.

Tee2072 · 22/04/2013 11:01

Glad to see so many people are having a look!

Don't forget our Twitter Chat tomorrow, 8-9 #MNLocal. You can 'meet' your LE and also some local businesses!

::shameless advert alert::

Grin