Catching up with the thread.
I'm the poster who (I think) first used the term 'welcomed' about this board. It was in the context of me saying that imo, one or two posters can be put others down and imply they're not in the know, which can, again ime, make it hard for others who aren't regulars on this FWR board. 'Welcoming' was the wrong term - obvs I don't think people should be given an official welcome. I meant inclusive, friendly, open to hearing other people's points of views.
I was specifically complaining about R0wantrees 's tone in this response by her to another poster when asked if she'd asked Jean Hatchet if she could post a screenshot of a tweet from Jean's protected twitter account:
*JessicaJonesJacket She did, yes and as I said she has to do this periodically and has discussed the reasons for this on her blog. You clearly aren't aware of them or of Jean Hatchet.
Your faux concern is either naive or a backhanded way of attempting to silence Jean and implying that I am not posting in good faith.*
That's a pretty highhanded and shitty way of responding to someone who had asked politely. And it's deflecting from the question asked, which even though I then asked R0wantrees whether she had obtained Jean's position, she didn't answer. I know for a fact she hadn't asked Jean, which is presumably why she evaded the question.
This is the type of attitude I meant that isn't, by its nature, welcoming or inclusive of others joining in discussion. Absolutely women shouldn't be obliged to be nice or polite if the situation doesn't call for it, but equally is there any fucking need to be so condescending to a fellow feminist. Personally I am fed up of the stereotypical male way of aggressively putting people down when asked 'difficult' questions then evading to answer. JessicaJonesJacket then replied saying Rowantrees was wrong that she didn't know of Jean, but Rowantrees ignored that and didn't have the grace to apologise.
I love this board and have learnt so much. I was around when it was first opened as I've been a Mumsnetter for a long time, with some large breaks in between. I've been on it in many different names. I won't be leaving. But I don't like seeing other women being put down for asking a goddamn question.
The point has been made in this thread that it's about spreading the word however which way and people doing things in their own way. Refraining from being sneery towards another feminist sister and suggesting they don't know what they're talking about, when they politely ask you a question you don't want to answer, or being open to being vulnerable by showing you assumed something incorrectly, is one implicit way of including other women in the discussion. It's not the first time I've seen Rowantrees do that (and to be clear, she's never done it to me) but as she is such a prolific poster it does leave an impression.