Sex board in Active and Ann Summers

[AutumnLeavesFallingIntoPlace]

Hi @MNHQ

As the previous thread about the sex board being in Active is almost full after a lot of discussion, I think a few of us were hoping you could address the main concerns arising:

• firstly and most importantly, it seems that no one wants it in Active. Posters on the sex board and off are widely agreeing across all threads that it was better not showing in Active for many reasons. It's making everyone's experience worse.
• secondly, we'd like to know to what extent Ann Summers and other advertisers have dictated the change in the sex board's visibility and the change in users being required to register three months prior to being able to post on the sex board to seven days. The 'reigniting intimacy' promotional piece seems to suggest this is a deliberate choice to bring the forum 'inline with [Ann Summers'] Pleasure Positivity Project'. Given the response to previous threads on Ann Summers in 2021 and 2022, they are not popular with many site users and their maternity/postpartum promotion might be considered to be unhelpful and unsupportive of new mothers and very much not in the spirit of MN.
• the sex board hosts a sexchat thread which invites users to contact each other via DM for explicit conversation and then move to other platforms to continue. There are no safety warnings or age verification on the sex board and this puts users at risk of predators exploiting MN's trustworthy reputation, particularly given the change in registration requirements
• finally, a lot of us wonder why MN have done such a u turn on the sex board, having argued initially that it would attract trolls. How and why did this change?

I'd also be interested in the answers to these questions - very pertinent, OP.

Excellent summary, thank you. I hope MNHQ give a meaningful response.

Thanks, OP. I'd like some answers to your questions from MNHQ too,

Thanks OP

Excellent synopsis

Good summary and agree with all points

Thanks @AutumnLeavesFallingIntoPlace and also placemarking to hear reply.

Very good summary above.
Just to add that this has made the site feel tawdry and rather seedy to me. Really disappointed by this move.

Great post @AutumnLeavesFallingIntoPlace

Looking forward to hearing the response.

Another supporting the OP

Good post.

Thank you @AutumnLeavesFallingIntoPlace . @LilyMumsnet @HopeMumsnet it would be good to have your input please. This isn't going away so you might as well take your users seriously.

Well summarised OP - very much looking forward to a response.

Perhaps MNHQ should do a poll because I keep reading people saying that no-one wants it in active, but some of us really don't mind either way.

I'm thinking perhaps because we're less vocal about it and obviously the voting in AIBU doesn't have an option for 'I don't mind', maybe the overall view is a bit skewed.

Obviously it might not be but that's my tuppence worth anyway

Thanks for pulling all this together OP, that's an excellent summary of the discussions so far. Let's hope there is an end to the radio silence from HQ soon.

Good post. I hope@mnhq is able to give an update soon

Thanks OP. Hoping for an update from MNHQ soon.

I agree. Nothing wrong with having a sex topic, but not with all the thread titles showing in Active and promotions / ads for vibrators all over the place.

At this rate MN will turn into Only Fans in a few months.

Pregnant woman here who really doesn’t need a vibrator to reconnect with herself after the birth 🤢 or want to pack sexy lingerie in my hospital bag. Really not appreciated.

Waiting for a response. 👍

Good luck, I've been waiting on a response to a query about something for over a week.

Thank you, OP.

Yes I bet there are plenty who don't want to voice support for the sex board less they are accused of being pervs, depraved or seedy.

I'd like to know what is wrong with discussing sex and sex toys on a dedicated board? How on earth can these very normal things be disgusting according to some mumsnetters. Such snooty comments too about Ann Summers scratchy knickers on previous threads, not everyone wears thermal belly warmers. Not everyday anyway.

Yes fine keep it off active but let's stop with the sermons.

I've a solution mnhq, block the critics from viewing it! Solve all the problems.

Well summarised OP, looking forward to MNHQs response.

Thank you for a really excellent summary of the issues.