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Original poster

i have got an idea about how to avoid the same thing happening again in future

74 replies

Flihgtattendant · 23/12/2008 07:00

I mentioned it on one of the threads but it got kind of rolled over without comment.

It was based on something one of the moldies mentioned actually as an attempt at justification of their group.

She said that other fora have a section for older members, who can only join once they have been around for a certain length of time. It doesn't cause any problems apparently.

Like a senior members lounge.

Now I recognise this is totally different to Moldies as it is actually universally accessible - if you care to stick around long enough, you will get your green card. Simple and transparent. I don't think anyone could argue with that - well I hope not - and it might be somewhere appreciated by those who have been here a really long time.

i am thinking maybe a two year thing, or poss even more...mind you I have been here almost 2 years so heck, where did that figure spring from

Everyone here for that long would get access (I'm not sure tbh why I'd use it, or if i would, but obv some people do seem to feel the need for something similar.)

What does everyone think? Would it solve the problem? I think a lot of moldies could just come back and join that and it would sort them out. it could be un googlable and private like moldies.

It wouldn't help those needing privacy in an acute sense if they were newbies but there are few newbies in Moldies anyway...

The main difference in case anyone is confused, is that it wouldn't be a seeming meritocracy, it would be based on membership length alone, so everyone would get a place eventually, and would not be secret in its very existence, and so on and so forth.

Moldies is a cherry picked sample from our ranks, not a fair system, and people are upset by that.

I thenk you.

OP posts:
VinegarTitsTheSeasonToBeJolly · 23/12/2008 09:02

I think the oldies v's newbies thing was only with certain posters and i think they have gone now

Maybe take a vote on with the oldies that are left and ask if they feel the need for it?

Personally all this oldies v newbies is a bit Meeeeeh.

SatsumaMoon · 23/12/2008 09:02

TBH I think lots of the excuses given for setting up Moldies (and obv it's a free country, people don't need permission to do that...) don't hold up

You can hide topics you are not interested in
People who supposedly have left because they have been outed have come back under new names

So I'm not sure an "oldies" section will stop this happening again when the real reason for it happening is possibly good old cliqueness...

Original poster
Flihgtattendant · 23/12/2008 09:03

Waynetta - yes, it does do that - but I think that's kind of fair.
(not that I've anything against newbies - in fact if they set the membership min at 3 years I'd have no probs with that. I'd have over a year to go then)

I think it would be fair becasue everyone addicted enough, or with enough dedication to being a member here, would eventually qualify (fr nothing that special anyway) and it wouldn't sdiscriminate on a basis of how popular you were or whether you agreed with so and so about purple tights.

Also it wouldn't be a secret. it would be a natural progression and nobody would be hoist up to be judged on their worthiness unless of course they were a complete arsehole and then they'd be booted anyway.

does that make sense?

OP posts:
Original poster
Flihgtattendant · 23/12/2008 09:06

I agree satsuma and effie, I don't really care who i talk to and prefer the mix tbh - but obv some do...

perhaps you're right though, it might not stop the rumbling cliqueyness anyway.

that'll always be there perhaps

I dunno

it was someone elses idea

erm

OP posts:
ChirpyGrinch · 23/12/2008 09:12

I like the idea in a sense of those people bitching about having nowhere to go, but MN isn't the only forum or place to chat so if they feel like that then I am happy for them to bugger orf

(although Ive been here 2 years so maybe a newbie should have an opinion, if that's allowed

EffiePerine · 23/12/2008 09:14

you'll always get some people behaving like nobs - not sure how to guard against that other than the usual MN ethos

and the point has been made that the site feels a lot nicer now, so merry Christmas to one and all

now what do I buy for Christmas dinner? need to brave the butchers this morning

littleboyblue · 23/12/2008 09:16

Think it's a good idea for those who want to be acknwledged for long standing loyalty to this site. Maybe you could get access after a certain number of posts rather than just time served. As previously said, you could join, post minimal times and get your green card.
I oersonally wouldn't be that interested or bothered. If you speak to the same people, you get the same old advice. If we needed that, we could just all ask our mums and wouldn't need any site like this one iyswim.

IllegallyBrunette · 23/12/2008 09:16

But the moldies doesn't just consist of oldies though does it. I have been here for 4 years and wasn't asked.

I don't think it would bring the moldies back as they want to pick who is in and who is out.

Plus why should we change MN for them now ?? They have buggered off because they here wasn't good enough.

littleboyblue · 23/12/2008 09:16

But I'm a newbie

OhYouMerryMerryKitten · 23/12/2008 09:17

I do like the idea of a private members area where photos can be shared and also sometimes there are things people would like to talk about that have too many personal details.

But at the same time sometimes splitting groups like that can break them. So it would make me a little concerned.

ChirpyGrinch · 23/12/2008 09:18

I got a lovely beef joint, and then got a (faux) bollocking from the butchers for askign them to trim the fat off (it is being marinaded so doesn't need it)
He was insisting I took teh fat as well, much to the amusement of the other butchers and everyone else passing!

And it was only a tenner too! similar size in sansbos was 20 quid!

ChirpyGrinch · 23/12/2008 09:19
coppertop · 23/12/2008 09:19

It's not something I personally would use but if others want it then maybe MNHQ could look into it.

Would the threads on there not have to be archived separately though if people were wanting privacy? I think a lot of good advice and experience could be lost that way.

pipsqueak · 23/12/2008 09:19

missed all the moldies saga but think i have caught up - do they stop posting on MN? ie have they left MN to be a moldie? not sure why i want to know but i do and does anyone know who they are?

SatsumaMoon · 23/12/2008 09:20

You're lucky with your butcher then - around here they are far more expensive than the supermarkets...

SatsumaMoon · 23/12/2008 09:21

Some allegedly have left for good, some are posting on both, some are supposed to have left but I'm pretty sure are lurking & posting under new names

coppertop · 23/12/2008 09:22

And what happens when the 'oldies' themselves start demanding different privileges according to years of service? Will the 6yrs+ people want a separate place to the 4yrs+ people and so on?

Keep things as they are IMHO.

apuppydaviesisforlife · 23/12/2008 09:23

i've been a member of private forums before and i understand why people sometimes feel the need to talk in a less public space. i've also been a member of public forums that have passworded areas or "invisible" boards.

i have to say that having an "elite" section almost always causes friction, unless the board is pretty small and homogeneous by nature. people will always feel hurt and left out and wonder what is being said behind closed doors that they aren't privvy to (even though it's hardly ever as exciting/controversial as it may appear from outside).

personally i don't think the ethos of mumsnet would gel with a private board. as i said, i've done "intimate" boards and the reason i come to mumsnet is that it is an enormous, democratic free for all. that's where its energy comes from. i don't think stratifying the community would be beneficial.

amongst all the fallout from those who've been left out something i haven't seen mentioned in all the discussion is that small private boards aren't necessarily good in the longer run for those who are members either.

people open up much more in private groups, they meet up, they use rl names, they feel safe that they're protected from trolls and prying eyes outside the group. but ime online groups implode in a way that rarely happens in "real" life and the catalyst is almost always within the group. and the fallout when a private group splits is waaay worse than we've seen so far with all of this because everyone has invested so much more of themselves.

which is why i stick to places like mumsnet now - upfront forums you can take at face value

chloemegjess · 23/12/2008 09:23

TO be honest, I seem to have missed this arguement. Not sure how as I am online all the time! What are Moldies??

But I don't see any reason to want to have a part for old users? I have probably been using this for 2 years or so but can't see why you would want a seperate forum? Surely it would get no where near the amount of posters on threads etc, and a bit pointless?

Guess it would be troll free though but still.

Original poster
Flihgtattendant · 23/12/2008 09:38

hmm

i am none the wiser

i am orf to the seaside with my little propellers

have a nice day everyone. i have got organic free range happy chicken legs from m&S in case anyone's interested. I only buy bird once a year and it has to have been a happy one.

OP posts:
Original poster
Flihgtattendant · 23/12/2008 09:39

(or two...unless a hen has four legs)

OP posts:
TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 23/12/2008 09:39

I was thinking about this when I logged off yesterday and I have the solution! Ta-Da!

I think, yes, there should be an 'oldies' board of sorts, but not for the oldies to post on all the time. I agree with Flihgt that it should be 2 years too (wonder why) Also think you should have to post in your Main talk name on there too. I mean, if you're anon you cna post anywhere right?

I am one person who only ever discusses things on MN that I am happy for anyone to read, as it is a public forum after all. There are sometimes things going on in my life that I'd like to talk about that I would prefer to be kind of private, i.e. not googleable or searchable. I can't do that without name-changing which I don't like to do as I want people to know who I am when they answer iyswim.

So, I do think there should be an oldies board of some form (diff name though)

I also think, however, there should be a better MN 'friends list'.
Next to people's names as well as the CAT/profile/report choice there should be an 'add friend' which is easily changed.
I have no-one on my MN friends, yet there are people I would consider I 'knew' enough to know something private, for example, a namechange.
I could add these people to my list by a simple click of a button and there could be a private posting area where only the op could post.

When posting the op would have to select who could see their post (a selection of say members over 1 year/2 years/3 years/friends only) so the op could inform people of things such as a namechange.
I think that would help greatly on the 'I'm a regular but I've namechanged' threads to reassure people it isn't a troll and also to allow the op to A) be able to namechange as often as needed if they were someone who needed to remain anon, and B) be able to get their other thread answers catered for them iyswim. It would also help the board to carry on with posters who felt they needed to be anon, but not to their friends, without all posts being on the oldies board (which should only be used for private threads and would hopefully be respected in that way)

OrmIrian · 23/12/2008 09:42

But why? I'm sure that would be perfectly acceptable, but I don't see the need. As a semi-oldie I don't see that it matters. As many have pointed out it's perfectly possible to contact 'friends' elsewhere.

SatsumaMoon · 23/12/2008 09:44

I never knew you could have a friends list! But who would I put on mine???

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 23/12/2008 09:47

Maybe you don't OrmIrian, but I do, so surely other people do too?

I am not anon on here, I talk about RL too much to be anon and would have to completely start again if I wanted to be.

I like that people know who I am, I also like to be able to talk to people that I know who they are.

I have never, ever posted about my relationship with dp (plus other things), I don't feel I can on an open board, but sometimes I do want to talk about these things, discuss them, without others (and tbh, I mean trolls or my X's family) being able to read it. Yes, I could namechange, but then how would I let people know it was me? CAT every poster that answers me?

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