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Original poster

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

243 replies

WideWebWitch · 14/10/2006 19:31

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)

OP posts:
SoMuchToBats · 14/10/2006 22:01

F & Z - "not particularly bright"?

You strike me as one of the more intelligent people on here.

Ok, I'm fairly new, so what do I know? But still...

nappiesLaGore · 14/10/2006 22:03

am chuffed to bits that i managed to decifer IGW's message (or shoudl i say msg ) as it clearly means that i am not old and still in touch with yoof culture. man.

Mercy · 14/10/2006 22:04

Have only skim-read this but as a long term lurker (approx 2 years) and a poster for about one year I don't think MN has dumbed down.

It's become more open in some ways and yet more cliquey in others. New and different people are joining all the time - I can think of several posters who are newish but who are percieved to have been around for ages (which is a good thing)

There is a tendency for 'attitude' atm i feel though.

intergalacticwalrus · 14/10/2006 22:04

My DP doesn't have a mobile either eis, and people think he's weird. I salute him for it. I bloody hate the things.

That said, I'd be lost without mine now.

nappiesLaGore · 14/10/2006 22:04

oh expat, youre so highbrow. are you elegant and graceful too? im thinking, the lady in the scottish widows ad... that you??

nappiesLaGore · 14/10/2006 22:06

oh drat. dp's making faces. off to bed i go....

Pruni · 14/10/2006 22:06

Message withdrawn

glitterfairy · 14/10/2006 22:06

durrrrr!!

nappiesLaGore · 14/10/2006 22:08

oh, i agree with somuchtobats about F&Z btw. cant remember why exactly, but i seem to have her on my radar as intelligent/witty/interesting...

could be wrong, but

FrannyandZooey · 14/10/2006 22:08

Ooh - I don't have a mobile - perhaps I am particularly bright?

bloodcurdlingstrawb · 14/10/2006 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FrannyandZooey · 14/10/2006 22:10

Well maybe that's what I like about it now, nappies - I can appear witty and interesting amidst all the dumbed down people

I would have been fkd in the old days, then

SoMuchToBats · 14/10/2006 22:11

I do have a mobile, but only use it for real emergencies (and probably only use about £10.00 of credit in a year). don't know what that makes me, though. Probably a bit mean with my money!

expatinscotland · 14/10/2006 22:11

we'll need mobiles if we move out of here to a more rural environment.

don't really need one just now, though.

dh has one - to keep on him whilst dd1 is at nursery.

pookey · 14/10/2006 22:19

Another cheer for nappiesLaGore. I sometimes dont bother with capitals and abbreviate etc when posting, I like checking out mumsnet but I dont have all day and posts need to be typed quickly, to avoid overlap if nothing else! I really think the elitiest vein to some threads on here is awful - maybe there should be exams to gain access to the site?

edam · 14/10/2006 22:22

It's got bigger and therefore more diverse. It used to be like a dinner party, now it's more like, I dunno, a city or something. So it is harder to find the clever, witty stuff.

GoingQuietlyMad · 14/10/2006 23:00

God how sad. I am new, unfortunately, and I was just thinking how intelligent/witty mumsnet is compared to all the other horrible, saccharine mum/baby sites.

Now I worry that i am finding even the dumbed down version quite interesting.

But at least from now on I will punctuate my posts properly to avoid accusations of illiteracy.

Waits for a pedant somewhere to point out errors herein.........

CountessDracula · 14/10/2006 23:01

oh god I think I am going to have to post on the depressed board soon

CountessDracula · 14/10/2006 23:02

(goingquietlymad that was not aimed at you but at this thread in general)

somethingunderthebedisdrooling · 14/10/2006 23:03

i put the 'problem' down to publicity inadvertently caused by a threat to shut down MN. funny how things turned out.

bloodcurdlingstrawb · 14/10/2006 23:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sliderule · 14/10/2006 23:31

I am new to MN and new to internet forums in general - I obviously can't comment on dumbing down as I can't compare but I do know that after initial enthusiam I now find the MN experience depressing as people are everybit as cliquey and touchy/ defensive about their actions and opions as in 'real life'.OP's get defensive about posts that are not 100% in agreement with their own views which seems ridiculous - why post if you don't want anyone to disagree with you? I have found some very sympathetic threads as well and got some useful advice (I have changed my name a couple of times) but one particularly distressing thread made me want to leave and never come back - but here I am again - being able to post your thoughts instantly on the www is addictive - and a percentage of these thoughts are going to be stupid, rude aggressive or equally witty erudite and insightfull you pays yer money you takes yer chance!

TheBlairAitchProject · 14/10/2006 23:50

Pffft. Dinner parties - you just sit there and everyone nods at you and no-one really listens and it's all house prices and 4x4s and organic veggie boxes and 'my little darling is walking/sleeping through/tap-dancing already at 14 weeks' and...
Oh shit.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 14/10/2006 23:52

Oh, what a lot of interesting views! I didn't 'light the touchpaper and stand back,' I posted and then went and spent the evening with my lovely husband, fair enough, I think!

Prufrock, I'm sorry if I misquoted you, I wondered if it would bring you out of the woodwork

I do love mumsnet and its diverse community, absolutely, there's a good reason I come here when I'm not at work, there are still plenty of threads that interest me.

I guess we do all move on, I hardly ever read baby/toddler threads any more since I just don't need them in the way I might have done. And there are only so many behaviour threads you can contribute to before you think 'well someone will think oh god, she always posts that'- I think you do assume your views must be boring/old hat/uselss at some point.

OP posts:
Original poster
WideWebWitch · 14/10/2006 23:54

Actually, I've just realised too, I now skim down, pick the one/two threads I most want to read and post on it/them. (in the week anyway, I can't post in the day from work so it's mostly eves)

OP posts: