MNet Newbie Guide - what would be your top piece advice on Mumsnet etiquette?

[JustineMumsnet]

We wanted to put together a humourous yet telling guide for Mumsnet newbies, full of practical advice on how to get along in Mumsnet land.

You know the type of things...

Opening posts/ nicknames/ topics to avoid until you get the hang of it. Or don't post on AIBU if you don't want to hear that you are? Or please don't use textspeak/do use punctuation and paragraphs/ don't call people Hun.

Many many thanks. We'll bung it altogether one day soon.

Thank you in advance oh kind and good Mumsnetters.

feel free to introduce yourself to us - it is always nice when people start a thread explaining who they are and how they found us (but don't expect us to remember you on any other thread...)

If you get into a ruck with someone, leave it at the thread door, it is more than possible to be falling out with a poster on one thread and their best mate on another thread

If you get a bit overwhelmed, places like the tea shop, the sanctuary and the word game are a good place to start off and find your feet.

Don't be frightened to ask how things are done, if you don't know something, there are always tons of posters more than happy to point you in the right direction and nobody will laugh at you, we were all new once

oh lordy Squonk - forgot about that book sorry

will check when back later - school run/shop/sports class and all that pap

apologies again, clean went out my mind

be their best mate... (sorry - should have previewed)

always preview your posts, it saves embarrassment when you read it back after you've posted it and have to make an unsightly amendment in a later post

oh oh and if you are TTC and you fall pregnant you have to tell Lulu first

its the law

the 'preview' button is there for a reason.

(s'ok dizzy - I have some from the library to be getting on with [the library had three of the suggested authors ])

Bugger, wish you'd done this when I'd newly joined. So, do I change my name now?

X-posts with squonk

do spend some time looking through threads to help you see the best/worst/funniest sides of Mumsnet.

If you want an instant pick me up read threads connected to the Christmas MNet gift swap thingy or random acts of kindness.

do remember that people (mostly) want to help and most of the time someone will be able to answer your query or point you in the right direction.

Good idea Attilla. Actually a quick read through Mumsnet classics will teach you a lot (and deprive you of hours and hours of time!)

Just to find your feet go to Mumsnet Classics. ROFL your head off, then go back to it every now and again to remind yourself why you came on here in the first place. Particularly at Moldie or Coddy moments.

Don't ask about moldies. You'll never get a straight answer. Just accept it is one of those things you'll never understand, like the theory of relativity.

But makes you realise what a supportive and lovely bunch we are (generally).. Especially if your first taste of mnet is AIBU threads {shudder}

X-post squeaver

Swearing is fine, but not in thread titles.
Talking about stocking fillers and not believing in Santa is fine, but not in thread titles.

Jump in, don't take it personally if you are ignored.

Use the 'search' facility. It is ever so, ever so useful.

Don't let it take over your life to you can't sleep at night.

Preview you posts for typos

DO NOT leave thread titles hanging, to try and entice posters to open them:-

Today, I........

it hacks me orf!

Be very nice to anyone who has 'mumsnet' in their posting name

like this one....aaaagggghhh

I was just coming back on here to say the same thing, doodle!

Put what you actually want to say in the thread title, then only people who are interested can click on it.

It's very frustrating to click on a thread that you neither know nor care about because it looked like it may be interesting

(yes, doodle, that was the one I looked at too )

Whenever there is a particularly shocking news event about a child, e.g. Madeleine McCann or Baby P, please make sure your posts are restrained and avoid ghoulishly picking over the bones of the story and speculating wildly about what happened and who did what.

Good one BIWI

Oh yes - and don't try solving international crime with just google and your unfailing intuition.