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 don't personally mind the sex topic being in active, I just think while it's been hidden it's been made into a comfortable corner for those who want to stay hidden and who make others feel uncomfortable. It should feel like a safe space and it isn't with over 100 men on one thread filling people's inboxes up with sex talk.

I think IMO the sex chat thread needs to be discouraged and the 7 days lengthened. Gets rid of the obvious creeps.

I highly doubt minors will come here tbh. There are more easily accessible places on the internet than here.

MN comes up on every google search, it's not really inaccessible. Whether it's likely anyone underage would go on that thread or not, it at least merits a warning message I think.

@AutumnLeavesFallingIntoPlace and possibly a general online safety guide?

Not sharing personal details, keep to anonymous platforms etc

A search of people at Mumsnet on LinkedIn is quite revealing

Revenue growth
Growth
Agency Sales and partnerships
Brand partnerships
Strategic planning

@WombsofWimbledon I secretly think you were in that meeting 😆

Can't view without being logged in, but I'm going to guess not a lot of women at decision-making level?

Hi all

We've posted an update on this thread regarding the wider discussion around the sex topic.

Please do have a read - we will continue taking your feedback on board in the meantime.

That hasnt answered most of the questions though @LilyMumsnet ? Not least the question around the incredibly coincidental timing of the change in approach to sex threads appearing in active convos at the same time that MNHQ got into bed with two different sex toy companies...

It was sort of answered in another thread, or possibly earlier in this one.

MNHQ basically said they still have full editorial control and it's not because of any advert deal

I’ve changed my opinion on this. This is a parenting forum so the women on it will be sexually active. Why wouldn’t it have a sex discussion? The sex topic makes more sense than AIBU. It’s a site for sexually active people so it’s only natural it’s attracting people interested in sex.

It’s a site for sexually active people

??? No, it's a site for parents. The most we can say is that they have almost certainly been sexually active at some point in the past. But sexual activity is not what most of us are here for.

It's like saying twitter is for sexually active people, or Bake Off is for sexually active people. Makes no sense.

No one has a problem with the sex topic

They have a problem with:

the nature of adverts on the site, in particular those targeting postpartum women

the sex chat thread

the posts on sex appearing in active when some are very explicit

and the ability to post on the sex board being reduced from 90 (so around three months, give or take a day or so) to seven (a week.)

That would make a great tag line

Mumsnet...for people that have almost certainly been sexually active at some point in the past 😂😂

Sorry 🤐

It's like saying twitter is for sexually active people, or Bake Off is for sexually active people. Makes no sense.

I believe the min age to use Twitter is below the legal age of consent so I won’t be sexualising those users on a parenting forum.

I don’t understand what you’re saying about bake-off? There is a junior version of the show. Seems a bit creepy to sexualise the show.

Site for parents does not necessarily equal site for sexually active people

Sexual activity levels are irrelevant to parenting status

Many women actively want a space not dominated by thinking about sex/talking about sex/kink/porn blah

There is the rest of the Internet for that

I posted this on the other thread:

Really disappointed tbh @LilyMumsnet

Why has the qualifying period to post on the sex board been drastically reduced?

Why is the sex chat thread allowed to continue? Who do you think is going to be attracted to the boards as word gets out about it?

How do you think the Active threads looks to new users? What sort of impression does it give?

What I can only assume are strategic decisions are having a huge impact on the general tone of the board. And not in a good way.

Who is making these decisions?

The uncomfortable thing here is that it’s something, that in theory, is easily fixed. The fix is returning to the original settings (not in Active, 90 days etc). The fix isn’t divisive or controversial (most posters want it / don’t care). But it’s not being done and the response is missing something - so basically this is a business decision.

That’s understandable, this is a business. But it’s a business focused on mainly women, a loyal customer base, and the issue relates to unwanted sexual content. That’s quite distasteful and I imagine doesn’t feel great to have to enforce.

Mumsnet - persuading women to do the thing that got them into this mess on the first place. 🤣

Entirely agree with this.

@kittensinthekitchen yes, women at decision-making level (bar one that I saw). Which actually makes this even worse.

If you look at the roles I listed above, there are 5 separate ones which are all essentially about making money, and one which is about the strategic direction of the site.

I don't know if those people have actually given birth (although I suspect not) and they're all fairly new to Mumsnet roles - which suggests that they don't have much of an understanding of the original ethos of the site.

So why would they be bothered about what regular, loyal users think?

MNHQ 2021 to regular loyal users - HELP send us money so we can keep the lights on (mumsnet premium)

MNHQ 2023 to regular loyal users - leave us alone, we don't want to hear - we've got a new revenue stream that's doing well without you

@BIWI

I understand Mumsnet need to make money but I cant thinking they will alienate a lot of other sponsors (as well as members) if there are threads about rimming and fisting etc showing up in active convos

I’m really irritable today but the fact @LilyMumsnet couldn't even be bothered to c&p the post from the other thread here annoyed me! It doesn’t say much though, basically suck it up, we’re ignoring you, hide the topic.

After reading the sex board I withdraw my previous comments. There is a name for women who post that kind of filth and it’s not mother!