Tell MNHQ why you use Mumsnet

[EllieMumsnet]

Here at MNHQ we would really like to get to know our users better and would therefore love to know why you use Mumsnet and if Mumsnet has managed to help you in any way.

Is the main reason you use Mumsnet for the advice from other users? And if so, what advice do you look for in particular or is it on everything and anything? Do you use Mumsnet as a place to browse the funny threads and have a bit of ‘you’ time? Is it more the product/service reviews and recommendations that you use Mumsnet for? Has the support of fellow Mumsnet users helped you get through a tough time? Or maybe you have created long-term friendships with other users and come on to chat to them.

Whatever the reasons you use Mumsnet and any stories you have on how Mumsnet has helped you, we would love to hear them so please share them on the thread below.

Thanks
MNHQ

First for advice on everything from laundry to mental health and I still spend far too much time browsing.

But now mainly on FWR - thank you Mumsnet for holding the line. I don’t know what we’d do without you.

I started using it because of the women centred irreverence. Nearly nothing is sacred. I stay, am here more regularly because of FWR

Came for fertility boards but life has moved on for me. I now enjoy a good AIBU thread, Christmas ponceing and the litter box but mostly stick around for the FWR threads. It's good to have a supportive place for discussions about women, our roles, worries, hopes and solutions.

Are you asking about the Talk boards or the whole site? I just use Talk and don't actually know what's on the main website - don't have children so have no interest in that side of things.

I came here via AIBU (can't remember how I came across it). At first it was primarily for 'entertainment' (AIBU and Chat). Then I discovered the other topics (Property/DIY being a particular favourite). I have diverse interests so I like the breadth of topics - it seems like you can ask literally anything on here and someone, somewhere will know about it.

I have posted advice or information (I think it's a socially responsible thing to do, rather than just passively consume other people's contributions) and have asked a few things too. I particularly like the information/advice interactions that happen on here and don't tend to participate in chit-chat.

For about the past year I've been increasingly visiting the Feminism Chat board, as it seems have many other members! Now my daily go-tos are Active and Feminism Chat.

I originally came on this site as two of my friends recommended it. I have a child with SENs and various medical issues and didn't feel the advice I was given in RL was enough. I mostly read other peoples threads and rarely commented.

My first real thread was about SA, DV, miscarriages and my cheating Ex. I handled it badly but after years of therapy - I am getting better. I see so many women going through the same shit and just really want them to escape and start living again.

I struggle with boundaries and see many people having the same issues. It makes me feel less like an incompetent fool.

I joined for general parenting support when my DC was small and I was socially isolated. Had lots of hand holding and laughs on here over the years but my main interest is FWR these days. MN is unique in my experience in allowing women to share and speak (mostly) freely about significant political concerns for women.

Member of 12 years.

Came for the parenting advice and late night support. Stay for the Feminism and Style and Beauty boards. I also like the Christmas, Food and Relationships boards.

After you’ve been here a while the threads can get really repetitive. The Feminism board is actually DOING something, moving things along, changing the world.

I love MN. Can genuinely say it has changed my life in several ways.

I wandered over after the B.B.C closed down their message boards.

I mostly lurk but enjoy the intelligent conversation, the humour, am blown away by the breadth of posters knowledge and the support generously given. Mumsnet gives me a fascinating insight into lives very different from my own which has taught me so much.

I lurk on the elderly parents threads when I’m stuggling with caring duties and feel less alone.

I check into feminist chat throughout the day. The posters there are beyond extraordinary. Every twist and turn of the gender debate as it happens is exposed to the clear light of reason. It is my rolling news service, they have woken up this sleeping feminist.

I dont have kids, but googling various random queries usually led to mumsnet and I got sucked in...

Mostly I use it for downtime. However, it has been invaluable when seeking advice in the past although I've started very few threads.

And some of the excellent political threads...(particularly RedToothBrush's amazing westministenders threads - some fantastic, informative posts on there)

I joined for the adoption board, and discovered an amazing bunch of women; and received help that would have been impossible in normal off-board life.

Hung round for the laughs and stories on AIBU.

Then discovered FWR, and it's currently consuming a large part of my day; every day! It's opened my eyes, and made me think. I'm immensely proud of the brilliant posters there who fight so hard for women who have no idea. I'm grateful for this space on the internet that doesn't shut down conversation completely (while still thinking the moderation can be exasperating at times).

I'd love to see figures on how popular FWR really is.

Education boards

I came on originally for the pregnancy boards but I'm here now for the brilliant FWR section, as well as the Westminstenders threads. I do like the general vibe of the site but I tend to lurk, although I've tweeted about issues I've seen on here, especially FWR issues.

Feminism chat, everyday, several times a day.

It informs the culture of the whole site, whatever the topic women here don't hide their light under a bushell. It really is the cornerstone of the community (hello advertisers)
The disability, telly, gardening, education, perfume, politics, parenting, mental health, TTC, gossip, relationships etc are ALL available elsewhere but the reason millions of women come here ( hello again advertisers) is because it is not male-dominated and all better for the astonishingly wonderful women of FWR being here.

On mumsnet we can see how truly amazing women are. I've been online since you could get an email address but had no one to write an email to and women online are cool enough, interesting enough, funny enough, intelligent enough, strong enough, caring enough. But only here in a female dominated site can women anonymously, proudly and bravely be free to be off-the-charts cool, interesting, funny, intelligent, strong and caring.
If we need help, advice, a shoulder to cry on or some online mates to piss ourselves laughing with we can do it anonymously, safely and mostly free of hairy hands.

Crown jewel is correct, a shame MN moderation policy doesn't seem to reflect that and hugely intelligent, reasonable women were banned yet our midnight misogynists roam freely.
Waiting for an amnesty. Onwards and upwards.

I came for education, when the TES boards imploded.

Then I found FWR. I regularly post there now. It has been incredibly educational and moves on with every new issue women face!

I came here for FWR and I stay here for FWR

To lurk in the company of gender critical women who always speak so eloquently about the very worrying threat to women's identity that is going on right now

I nc a lot, and joined originally for relationship advice and always hid FWR as I didn't think it had anything to do with my life.
Over the last 18 months, after accidentally finding myself on an FWR thread, I now spend most of my time there and I've learnt so much.

If FWR ceased to exist, I wouldn't spend much time on here, and I was disappointed by your heavy handed approach, and almost left over it as I felt MN were giving in to AWAs, by censoring us, although that seems to have improved (lessened) of late.

Dipped in and out for years. Children now approaching adulthood.

Have found myself drawn towards the feminist boards of late mainly re the gender / trans debate.

I came for the Chat and AIBU and have hung around for FWR.

I like to poke around, but my favourite things that keep me here are:

FWR - as others have said, it's made a huge difference to my understanding of some issues that I previously had no idea about. So very important to keep debating, keep standing together.

Christmas Bargain thread - amazing, generous women who share information that make £ go further.

Woolly Hugs - what a privilege to see the care & skill of those knitters and hookers. If I feel low I go there just to lurk.

I was born in 1948 so always assumed I was too old for Mumsnet. Then in February 2017 I came across a video of some burly men, who claimed to be women, invading a radical feminist bookshop in Vancouver and wrecking the event the booksellers were putting on. The same page of Google hits brought me to Mumsnet Feminist Chat, which opened my eyes to the whole debate about trans ideology. I am now pretty well addicted and spend a couple of hours here every day. It is beyond fascinating to watch this cultural battle taking place live, as it were. Huge thanks to the FWR posters and to Mumsnet for hosting this vital conversation.

Any CF thread and FWR. I have two daughters, that says enough.

I came for the feminism and I am staying for the feminism. I think MN have definitely censored women too much, but I remain grateful that they allow this one space to exist. Politicians are ignoring us, this is the one space that proves that.

Came for IVF threads, stayed for the Twislut threads, now completely addicted to FWR. Thought I was a feminist before. Now feel like someone's put a fire under me.

I arrived through another forum posting links to some fabulously bonkers AIBU threads and liked MN so much that I decamped here.

Initially the relationships boards helped me understand the pressures on and support a female relative in an abusive relationship.

Lately, the FWR board has been my regular home, although I love the long running Trump threads and RedToothbrush’s Brexit threads, There is so much rich discussion and analysis on MN, plus a huge pool of talented specialists and experts who can provide solid context for current debates and back up their arguments with hard data.