Has Mumsnet dumbed down over the past couple of years IYO? Or, if you're new, what's your impression?

[WideWebWitch]

Well? Just wondering what people think about this. Even if you're new, what's your view? (I don't want to be accused of oldster cliqueiness, I'm interested to hear what new people think too)

carmenere I'm sure there are some gibbons who post

I agree entirely with WWB.

I also think that the endless moronic BARRRRR threads that used to appear nightly a couple of years back were pretty dumb. As an occasional thing, I am sure they are very amusing, but there did used to be rather too many of them.

The thing that strikes me is that I remember when the chat thread started and people were saying "well really, do we need this on Mumsnet?" and yet, it is clearly the most popular element on the talk board now. Perhaps we brought it upon ourselves?

CD - I started a thread with your name in the title in Health, because I would like to ask you something

Its just not the clique it was

sorry emkana, have answered

I find it rather weird when the same threads appear again and again - the ones like 'do you let your children climb up slides' or 'someone without children parked in the P&T space' - I can remember posting on them years ago when they first came around. Now I feel like saying, oh for goodness sake who cares, just get a life .

I don't, of course, but it sometimes crosses my mind!

say it foxinsox then we can gang-bully you

Carmenere, I'm just interested to see what people think on this subject. I think I do think Mumsnet's got 'dumber,' for want of a better expression (and I'm sure there is one, it doesn't necessarily express what I mean really very well but I guess everyone knows what 'dumbed down' means).

I blame it on the government myself

I agree with WWB - someone described it a while back as having been like a guardianista's dinner party in the old days, now it's more of a huge bunfight (or something along those lines).
The good stuff is still there, I tend to look for threads from people I know I'll enjoy.
There is also a very humourless pcness yet fluffiness combo that is a fairly recent development that is not good.

I hate to say it, but I will anyway it's not the first time we have had this thread either

I'm with CD on the 'Big Borether' thing.

I find it mind-numbing and cannot understand how anyone can be interested to watch it, let alone post about it.

But, I accept that a lot of people enjoy watching a load of wannabe Z-listers.

lol cam

cd, if you are still on this thread and didn't watch the Reading Chelsea game, you must try and catch it on MOTD. 2 of our keepers knocked out (and we have Barcelona on Wednesday). I don't expect any sympathy but it was quite extraordinary.

More seriously, I think it goes through phases. I got peed off with it a while back and took a break because i felt it was getting bitchy.

Fwiw I think that most of the posters on here have read the odd newspaper, voted, thought about their childrens education and are generally interested in human beings.
And yes it does deteriorate into a bit of a bun fight occasionally but overall the sentiment is good.

I think we'd call it mumsnetWaitrose

Turquoise, I think it was Prufrock who said 'it used to be like a really interesting dinner party and now it's like bloody McDonalds'
and yep, we've had this thread before, I know!

But if you've been on mumsnet for years, surely it must get to a stage where you have had enough? I mean, I've only been on since end of summer, but in a year's time I can't imagine I would get the same out of it as I do now (also, no housework or childcare getting done!!!)

Really, though, the same thread titles must come around every so often, that's only natural if new people are joining all the time, no-one's fault or anything.

Also re BBrother, I don't watch it but people do, so what's the problem with people posting about it? I don't ever contribute to skiiing or home ed, but you can't possibly be interested in EVERYTHING.

What's the problem anyway? Some people want in depth debate on the state of the world and some people want to talk about clothes and what they are having for dinner.

People come here for different reasons and all of those should be respected.

I find this is a very snobby thread tbh and it's interesting that some 'intelligent' posters who post about tolerance and understanding of those who do other people harm (because they obviously lead a very hard life and we should be rehabilitating them dah de dah) are so intolerant of something as trivial as 'text speak' or a thread discussing a TV programme they don't personally like.

Sheesh.

Waitrose, Strawb. It would be known as Waitrose or possibly ocado.

And I use both. So I'm 'in.'

BTW. I read your post as 'lidl slapper.'

Well said FioFio.

Not intolerant of txtspk or Big Brother, GDG.

I choose to avoid those threads but I would never berate anyone for starting them.

And, hey, remember... I'm the one who can discuss the Macca-Mills saga until his toupee comes home...

I agree with fio