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Original poster

There's a real problem on the SN boards

5 replies

GobbySadcase · 13/02/2014 00:34

For a long time now I've been really saddened that I've not been able to post on the SN boards.

I took a brief foray into there when I was a newb years and years ago now and got my head bitten off because I have my own way of doing things with my children. I thought it would be a supportive, empathetic, inclusive place to be.

It happened at a time I was particularly fragile, so I retreated to the main boards thinking it was just me.

Having got to know some other parents who also have children with disabilities I discovered this was not the case. At least five others have left for the exact same reason.

Tonight I responded to a post which stated that I was somehow failing my children. The thread had been moved from a main board, I repeat I do not routinely go to the SN board due to the way posters have behaved to me there on three occasions now. In return I got a personal attack. Someone else backed me, they got further personal attacks.

Neither me or the others who have been attacked retaliated. We stated our views calmly and logically and got MEGA CAPITALS in return.

It seems to be becoming more and more nasty and confrontational on there as time goes on. My concern is that a parent undergoing the diagnostic process or with a newly diagnosed child is vulnerable, and as even saying you want to explore all options is a heinous crime on there may get attacked at a time that really isn't good for them.

I even specifically tell parents I know in RL not to go there, and why.

Thing is, what can be done?

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MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 14/02/2014 10:34

Hello

Just bumbling on really to say we've seen this, but it seems mostly (we think) to be a conversation happening within the MNSN community, rather than something that demands MNHQ action. Do let us know if you think that's not the case.

Obviously one poster went a bit overboard yesterday and we've addressed that off-board. But in general, the feedback we hear about the SN boards is that they're mostly hugely useful and (perhaps, sometimes, gruffly) supportive. Of course, we're always happy to take a look at posts or threads that people think have got out of order. But we're heartened to see posts on here from relative newbies saying that they've found MNSN to be a real lifesaver.

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 14/02/2014 11:15

OK - well we're very happy to listen to suggestions about how the sub-topics could work better/be pruned. But obvs you'd need (as a group, really) to come to a consensus about what you think would work better?

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 14/02/2014 11:20

@coppertop

Would MNHQ be able to look at the stats for the SN boards, and then use them to see whether it would be worth keeping them?

Yes, we'll take a look and let you know which ones are busiest

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 14/02/2014 11:46

Ah right

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 14/02/2014 16:43

Thanks for all the suggestions.

As Pag says, there do seem to be (at least) two issues here: the tone of the boards, and to what extent posters find it welcoming or unwelcoming; and the way the board is arranged.

As we've said, from MNHQ's POV we're not aware of long-running problems with tone or unsupportiveness on MNSN. This isn't to say that anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong, just that it isn't on our list of boards that we were aware of being problematic yes we do have a bit of a list of those

FWIW, we agree wholeheartedly that the best way to deal with any tonal problems is for posters to self-police, and set the right tone, as much as they possibly can. And, of course, do please always report and get us to take a look if you think we need to.

The board's organisation is another thing altogether - do please continue to kick this around and we'll have a think about what seems to the best way forwards. One thing to consider is that we would really not like to lose the rather vast archive of older threads currently under other topic headings (and moving them into new topic headings would be an enormous task) - so rather than completely getting rid of old topics, it might be a question of adding a couple of more general topics, as suggested here, and making them more prominent in the topics list so that they're the first port of call for new posters?

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