Why do you use Gransnet?

LaraGransnet We'd really like to improve Gransnet and to do so we want to understand why you use it? If you'd prefer to name change for this you're very welcome to in My Gransnet.

So GN "wants to improve this forum." This suggests to me that GN is not satisified with how it works now.
Could GN give us some idea what they do not feel happy about?

On a more positive note, the layout and finding your way around the forums is idiot proof, unlike some websites.

I wouldn’t suggest you change that.

I joined ages ago looking for something then completely forgot about it and kept deleting the daily e-mail until one day I thought what the h* is this Gransnet thing so came to have a look - hooked I come on here at various times during the day and evening - it's taken over from FB which I started to find irritated me immensely with inane messages about what someone was having for dinner or yet another shared horror animal video. I only access it via my desktop pc in my office - occasionally from my tablet but not my phone as I can't see it very well on there.

I only visit the forums and often spend far too long reading everything then find I don't have time to answer!

I use GN every morning whilst 'coming to' with my first cup of tea or coffee.I love it and only discovered it when i retired and was looking for something interactive on the PC rather than just F/Bk all the time.
GN covers so many subjects and issues it makes you realise you are not alone when things going wrong in your life. Someone can always advise, or comfort and sometimes you prefer help from a stranger rather than someone who you know as they are not emotionally involved with you and can give a more balanced view on a problem.
I enjoy the Limmericks game and that gets my head going to try and come up with a line to add. I enjoy the TV etc reviews and the health pages too. As for the lay out it is easy to find what you are looking for so please dont change it.

Very good point nellie.

Is this a drive to recruit more members Lara?

I usually scroll through when I get the email each day, always on the iPad, often whilst watching tv or filling a gap in my chores. I enjoy reading the posts and identify with some of them, not all of course. Occasionally comment but guess as a new contributor not in the ‘gang’ as no one ever replies or comments back! No idea how I found the site.....but it’s fun .... nice to see a chat forum where everyone is (mostly!) nice to each other!

I joined when DGD was born but don't visit or post often. I do read the 'headlines' that come by email but am often amazed at the judgemental and unkind attitudes that are expressed.

I agree with annep that being able to reply directly to the poster rather than have to * their name to bold it or just like what someone else has said would be good as there's often a lot of agreement in comments which is repetitive!

I look at GN while I have my cup of tea in bed so first thing I do each morning.
I consider GN to be keeping in touch with friends without having to ring everyone.
It has been a lifesaver over the last couple of years whilst I have been incapcitated.
I often return to GN just before getting into bed, a bit like checking that family is okay before retiring.

Not sure actually, it was supposed to maybe be a way for meeting new friends. I only look when I get the emails. Maybe I should be more proactive!

I enjoy GN and like to read some of the threads you feature in the daily email. I don't do the competitions , but have found some of the advice really helpful - for instance, I've been thinking about my family after I die, and your advice about funerals and how to avoid my family being over charged has been very helpful. In fact it has given me some really good ideas about eco funerals, which I am following up. But there are lots of things I enjoy - and learn a lot from the ask a gran posts. Years ago when I was divorced and felt totally alone, I wish I'd had GN then - I am sure it would have helped.

I enjoy browsing to look at recipes and other features. Enjoy entering competitions, and love it when the daily email comes through, and I take a look at the featured threads.

Used to enjoy the daily recipe, but that seems to have stopped now.

Fascinated horror, sometimes admiration for scientific answers. Could we have a bit more breadth, did we really have an empire with so many scaredy cats? Shot a gun? Scuba dived in interesting places? Camped in the desert? Nursed in Afghanistan? Had a burglar in the house? Played in a rock and roll group? On your own built a house, extension. Exhibited at RA? Come on ladies, less of under the thrall of truly horrible partners or living life vicariously by your children or grandchildren

I go on Gransnet each day, mainly to read the active threads. I too, really wish there was a way to respond to an individual post, or at least a 'like' button. It gets confusing to find a reply way down the list of posts. I love it as an anonymous way to let off steam, complain about family members etc. I hate personal confrontation but with gransnet you will always find some who back you up and agree with you, or explain why you might be wrong. Love the companionship. Also look at the recipes, occasionally enter contests (although I'm unclear about how you know if you won), and book recommendations.

All the above. PLUS I can talk on GN about things too taboo or upsetting for face to face friends - and get very wise comments and help.

I just read the forums and occasionally contribute if the thread is relevant to myself or I feel strongly about a subject. It is helpful to read about problems and situations which are similar to your own and to hear how others deal with them. I certainly don’t rely on Gransnet though.

I’m another who mostly looks at the forums. I find the articles seem to cycle round the same subjects (such as what to do with grey hair/styles for older women etc).
I can honestly say I HATE the fact that the recipes never have a picture of the actual dish so I avoid that section now. Why someone at Gransnet can’t test a recipe and arrange a photo I really don’t know. Sometimes you can even see in the “stock images” used by Gransnet that they don’t have the same ingredients!

I agree with much of what OldMeg says above. I appreciate that I am not as lonely as many GNs, and for that I am very grateful, but I do get irritated with a lot of the political issues and also the 'royal-bashing' but I have learnt just to click out of these. Some postings do make me laugh - let's have more of these.

I value the idea that Gransnetters respond to each other's posts, though sometimes I find some responses are very hard on the person who started the thread. I've seen posts saying that people have been hurt, and this does not seem in the overall spirit of GN which is friendly and helpful. Not sure what you might do about this, but am sure GN never meant to hurt people, especially when they are feeling very vulnerable. This leads to another idea - in addition to asking for responses from Gransnetters, as you do now, how about having a separate section where someone with appropriate knowledge, understanding, and experience responds to some posts - like an agony aunt in the newspaper? These are always popular in newspapers and magazines and they create a space where the person responding can consult others with specific understanding and knowledge of a particular issue, to give a considered reply. They can also point out other sources of support, which Gransnetters might turn to. If you like this idea, it would be possible to have a regular slot (e.g. once a week) for the 'agony aunt' type of questions, and maybe one for e.g. money, issues about getting older and others. I am not suggesting that any of this would be instead of the regular threads - they are key to GN and its success. The suggestion is to run these specialist threads in parallel to the current regular threads. It would be possible to devise a way to have Gransnetters add their thoughts to these threads, and monitor them to avoid seriously hurtful or inaccurate responses. My experience is that the great majority of responses are in any case helpful, warm and supportive, which is one of the reasons I like GN.

I came across the web site by accident,I have offered advise several times as a former branch manager of one of the largest financial services companies.all have which have now gone thanks to various government changes.so cant give specific advise only general .
I feel it is useful for those posting comments to receive feedback from others, if only to have other views to help them come to a decision if required,
it this day and age there appears to be many more problems and issues arising than in the past.
the younger generation has a different attitude entirely to when we were younger.
life then was a lot simpler.
we seem to be in an age when everyone wants things to have instant results,
internet has many helpful sorceresses but also brings the high risk of cyber crime.
the older age group is more cautious but in many cases should have help guiding them through many of the changes.
for example changes last year to IHT and probate fees etc.
I have designed a document which will help alleviate all of the problems around planning , everyone will benefit not just older people[like me ]LOL
one major institute i approached the CEo want m to go to HQ and show them for free , my reply is you want me to show your salaried staff to get all the ideas , not likely?
so I am still trying to forge ahead ?
one question with gransnet I have not figured out how can you go from one post to another with out going back to email and opening another post. thanks hope this info helps

When I first joined it was because of a thread on long-distance grandparenting, which struck a chord as my only DGD lives in the US.

I used to spend a good part of every day on GN and have made some lovely friends, had a lot of support during difficult times, and have also benefitted from some good advice on many subjects.

I used to be a regular in the ‘Kitchen’, but find some of the posts too long and difficult to keep up with. Agree that a ‘like’ button would be good.

I don’t visit every day, but have an occasional peek at the forums, although I don’t post much as I feel I bring the mood down, and what really put me off was when I realised our posts can be picked up by anyone, including the Daily Wail.

A way to ‘tag’ other users so that they get a notification they have been mentioned would be a massive quality of life improvement, but I realise that’s a major technical upgrade to the forum.

Likewise a quote system.

I joined Gransnet because we had an issue with the way our oldest GD was being treated by her parents and I was grateful for all the support I was given. I generally look at the forums first thing in the morning when I have finished the paper(both on my iPad). I have looked at my local group but there is disappointingly little there compared with our local page on Facebook or what I know is going on.

I usually open it every morning while having my breakfast.I generally look at the forums and comment or not. I love the variety of opinions and comments.

I've been on here for years and just find it fascinating to read other people's opinions, and I like some of the games.
GN is great, I hope you won't change it too much.

I’m interested to hear that a few Gransnetters have met up in the flesh and become friends. There’s no doubt that other members would benefit from the chance to do something like that. But even when someone admits that she’s lonely or needs help, the rest of us don’t even know where she’s located so all we can do is offer sympathy. I find the forums disjointed, and contributing is usually a depressing experience. Your comment simply gets added to a long and unwieldy list, and since there’s no feedback system you don’t even know if anyone’s read your post, let alone been interested in it. I notice, too, that ads have begun appearing at the top of the daily email, which is annoying.