TES Community

[Scumble]

Where the dickens has it gone? Is it gone gone? Has it been renamed and I just can't find it?

It does appear to be gone. Doesn't surprise me.

Once upon a time it was great in there.

It hasn't gone, it just seems to be hidden. No one quite knows why! I you put community.tes.com Ito google, you should get there.

It’s full of teacher bashers and covid deniers now!

Thanks spanieleyes. although if what Loshad says is true, seems like I'm not missing much Teacher bashers!

I prefer this "Staffroom" forum. I found no one ever answers my questions on TES...!

What a shame - it used to be so good back in the day. Before the Big Change, I suppose.

It's there! I was on it just seconds ago (not that it's much use). I'm accessing from abroad though but it's definitely still there and active...

It used to be so good. Then they changed the format and it was a nightmare to use and most people seemed to leave.

I spent a lot of time there back at the start of the 2000s. When I lived alone and it was basically my social interaction for the evening.

It's now " down for maintenance " , we shall see whether it ever comes back !

I remember the day it went from great to unusable but can't remember what they did. I went from living on it to not using it at all.

It was so good back in the day, when the Opinion forum existed. I remember Harsh-but-Fair and LilyoftheFields as wells ilovesooty who I'm pretty sure posts here under the same name. I posted under another name while in the UK.

Now I think of it, it was TES Opinions who brought me to MN. It was about a thread, posted by a parent, who was getting angry that teachers might speak about children in the staffroom. Ever. They said it should not be allowed.

I liked the rigour of debate the Opinion boards and saw it replicated, with added sweariness, in MN. MN is not quite like that now; too much special pleading by OPs, usually after they've had their arguments resoundingly thumped.

I like the retirement forum bit as Diddydave is brilliant for advice

Never really used the rest.

I have a quick look at Personal and Workplace Dilemmas before ending up in Entertainment. I sometimes go to Retirement and wish I could post as a retired teacher!

I hope it comes back. I've been missing it so much. I don't remember ever it being down for maintenance at Christmas!

@TheEchtMeaningofChristmas

It was so good back in the day, when the Opinion forum existed. I remember Harsh-but-Fair and LilyoftheFields as wells ilovesooty who I'm pretty sure posts here under the same name. I posted under another name while in the UK.

Now I think of it, it was TES Opinions who brought me to MN. It was about a thread, posted by a parent, who was getting angry that teachers might speak about children in the staffroom. Ever. They said it should not be allowed.

I liked the rigour of debate the Opinion boards and saw it replicated, with added sweariness, in MN. MN is not quite like that now; too much special pleading by OPs, usually after they've had their arguments resoundingly thumped.

Absolutely the same for me. I think it was a thread on random baby names that brought me here but I definitely came to mn from TES forums

I think it’s probably gone and I think it’s very poor form that it happened with no warning. There were the shouty boys and the rude ones, but there were people who genuinely wanted advice and support and they e been left without.

Lilyofthefileds was brilliant. So witty and to the point.

Currently I only lurk on the retirement boards and agree with the pp about diddydave who is an absolute hero. There is nothing he does not know about pensions and he has given me lots and lots of help - all for free. Thanks o him I was able to work out that I could in fact afford to leave teaching this year, and that taking my pension at 55 will in fact be much, much better for me in the long run, and not the financial disaster I thought it would be.

I read through some of the other forums sometimes, but there are some very goady and ill informed people on there. One who claims tobe a HT - can't remember the name - but I sincerely hope they are not as the stuff they write is totally without compassion, and at times the things they claim to do in their school downright wrong and breaking all kinds of worker's rights.

Does seem an odd coincidence it is down doesn’t it for so long! I don’t want to think they are trying to stop teachers communicating with each other. That plan will not work - surely anyone can just set up another site where we could leave messages for each other - specifically targeted for teachers

Oh yes, the fake HT! What a knob. There's also a poster in there caterpillartobutterfly (or something like that) who's like a stalker, bringing up people's previous posts if she spots an anomaly in what they've said. There was talk on Personal that the Community part of TES was going and it looks like this is probably it.

Diddydave is also on a Facebook page I follow so I might search him out and ask him if he knows anything

It would be a great pity if the Community forum was to end. Many teachers, me included, have been helped by the caring posters on TES. Meets have been arranged, births have been celebrated and deaths have been mourned. At its best, TES has been a true community and lasting friendships have been forged. To end without warning is uncaring to those for whom the website was a lifeline. To end the community without giving posters the chance to swap contact details with their friends is doubly cruel.

I agree with previous comments. To close TES community down without warning on Christmas Eve, even if it ends up being only temporary, was especially unfeeling this year as many in the tight knit community would be spending the holidays alone this year because of Coronavirus restrictions. To be able to connect with virtual friends over Christmas was even more important than usual. The TES site is just another ‘big business’ now though so I don’t suppose those running it care too much about this side of things.

I’m off to get myself a piece of my lovely Christmas Victoria sponge to cheer myself up

Cake never fails to cheer. 😋

I agree. Even if it is only down temporarily, it's a bad time to do it. Some posters may have been relying on Tes community to see them through Christmas alone.

I tend to use mumsnet more now but I think Tes is a slightly warmer, safer place and a more where you got to know posters.