Why are ageist posts not in the line up of isms that mnhq will delete?

[Slubberdegullion]

Hello mnhq,

Genuine question. I reported some posts last night for ageism and just came to see if they had been deleted and they haven't. The thread has died so I thought that's maybe why, but when I went to check in Talk Guidelines I see that ageism isn't in there.


"we'll remove posts we consider to contain personal attacks, to break the law and/or to be obscene, racist, sexist, disablist or homophobic, once they are brought to our attention"

I just wondered why it's not there?

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I don't care for it in any context, but I was referring to other people calling older people "an old bag." It's offensive, yes.

[Ubik1]

Are you seriously going to object to someone referring to themselves as an 'old bag'??

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Jazz I agree with you. I do presentations about ageism in my work, and I always include material about ageism against the young.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

I do see the old bag/cow comments but I also see a lot of 'young' being used in place of 'incompetent' etc

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Most of the ageism on MN is directed against older people; it is usually very casual (style and beauty is full of it), but sometimes very pointed as in using phrases like "old bag" or the thread linked to above where so much prejudice and lack of knowledge about elders is displayed with no sense of there being a problem with it.

I do think it is hard to police, but I am glad that HQ is on it.

Much of ageism against elders is also very sexist.

[falaaalaaa]

It's got to count. Lots of ageism against teenagers.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

If like to hope it goes both ways - I see a lot of ageism against young people too. Does this count?

[Slubberdegullion]

Thanks Justine.

Very pleased to see ageism is now on the list.

I will continue to report, and even if you don't delete ageist posts, a mnhq comment with a link to the guidelines would be helpful.

[JustineMumsnet]

Yes, I agree we should add ageism to the list and we will do - thanks for the heads up. I do think with regard to the particular discussion you mention though that highlighting the issue of casual ageism on the thread is probably more likely to have an impact than deleting posts, which is why we left the discussion as it stood.

[BIWI]

It's something that really infuriates me, too.

[ilovesooty]

Why does the team need to discuss it? It's covered both by the Equality Act and the ground rules of decent behaviour, I would have thought. I fail to see why it's any different from the kind of posts MNHQ say they will delete under the Talk Guidelines.

[magimedi]

Apologies slubber, we're not ignoring you - we're going to discuss this with the team and come back to you ASAP.

Hope you do. At my age I ain't got as much waiting time left!

[BackOnlyBriefly]

Maybe cos us oldies are too mature to be bothered by what you mere youngsters say.



Who runs down old people anyway. Given that everyone is going to be old one day they must be really slow and shallow thinkers. If someone tries it on me I shall point and laugh.

[RowanMumsnet]

Apologies slubber, we're not ignoring you - we're going to discuss this with the team and come back to you ASAP.

[Dressingdown1]

I agree too.

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Totally agree

[Slubberdegullion]

Hi mnhq, I'd still really like to hear your answer about this,

many thanks

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I'm forever pulling people up on ageism on here. Some posters seem to think once you hit middle age they can insult you.

[magimedi]

I would also be interested to hear a reply.

I see a lot of ageism on MN & often get moaned at for pulling people up on it. It seems to be acceptable - sadly.

[Forgettable]

Yes I had wondered this in the past Slubbers

Interested in the answer