What can we do to help?

I totally agree with you Granddad and said so in the other thread it should definitely have a grandfather in the very old fashioned picture we have for an icon I d love something more up to date, after all most of us, however old are technically astute and mostly in the 21st century That picture is really naff

I do have to wonder at the number of people who said they posted and were ignored .

Because there is no way of liking a post or showing support for a post if all I have to say is I agree then I don’t always bother . So although you might think your post was ignored it wasn’t .

I think it’s virtually impossible to answer every post with a post. So perhaps GNHQ you might reconsider some way of showing support or agreement without writing a post !

Well said BBbevan.

A name change has been suggested before, Grandad I suspect that changing the name of a site with such a large net presence would prove both extensive and expensive. All the work of establishing a brand awareness and altering all mentions of the organisation everywhere, on the site and otside it, could be too much for the admin team. I get the impression that it is quite a small team, and "Tech" seems to find it difficult even to keep up, without starting wholesale revamping.

I have tried to recruit male friends, but as soon as you mention grandparents (not even grandmothers, the reaction is "I don't want to read people boasting about their grandchildren all day"

Perhaps what is really needed is a campaign to demonstrate that members talk about ALL subjects, not just grandchildren? Geraldine ( who founded the site) was very good at that. Perhaps, also, a campaign to show that even grandmothers don't all react like "old women" to robust discussion of serious subjects?

PS I've known a few men I would label as "old women".

I know some of those too elegran.

That's a really good post!!

I think the name could do with changing.

I've never heard of a man called gran, so it does make it seem it's just for older women.

I haven't found the site cliquey, though. People who know each other have always seemed fine with me butting in on threads.

How can a forum be cliquey when anyone can post on it at any time.

Also why should everyone's post have to be acknowledged by another poster? It would get very wearisome. Most people's post get no online acknowledgement most of the time. It doesn't mean it hasn't been read or it has been discarded. Quite a few people may have read it, thought 'How true' and moved on.

Yes, you do get 'conversations' between up to a dozen people on some threads,notably the political threads.

But internet froms are like everything else in life. If you want to be included, you need to take part.

Grandad I agree with you about the name although perhaps that would be too expensive and too late now for change.
I suppose it was female-orientated to start with, as it's connected to Mumsnet, the name of which definitely excludes Dads!

The logo shows what is presumably a grandmother, daughter (or DIL) and a granddaughter.

I know women outnumber men by 51% to 49% in the UK and about 52% to 48% worldwide so the number of male Gransnetters is nowhere near representative of grandparents and also others who may not be parents or grandparents.

One way to stop newbies feeling left as there’s been no response to their post, would be an agree/disagree button - at least then they’d know folks had at least read it.

Lara ignore janeainsworthshe is a ignorant woman, how dare she make that last comment about other posters and tell you not to worry about people who feel left out . She is the sort of poster that make people not want to post on Gransnet.
Gransnet is for everyone not for people who know each other or send private messages. That's exactly what they should do keep it private, and the open forum inclusive.
I work and have family so could not give a monkey's if I am ignored, but I have seen posters write they are lonely so it may affect them. Also it was sad when I read a poster on one thread ask "am I being ignored"
Gransnet are obviously concerned there is a problem and they are trying to sort it out.

I wonder if these "marketing" threads are really such a good idea. ???

I have always found janeainsworth to be a very sensible poster whose views are always worth reading.
Someone attacked her needlessly and her response was in response with that.

Your personal attack on janeainsworth rachifagran is disgraceful, far worse than I have seen on here.

I won't report you because other posters need to read it and evaluate.

And no, I am not in a clique with janeainsworth.

lucywinter good question!!!

My post could have been worded better, I hope it is understandable.

So telling Laranot to bother about people who are sensitive souls is not disgraceful?
You know what, report me if you dont like it. I could not care less.

I posted that " . even grandmothers don't all react like "old women" to robust discussion of serious subjects?"

This is a serious subject. It brings out some serious statements. Could we talk about them without taking offence and falling out, please? That is not helping the discussion that Lara initiated.

This exchange does demonstrate just how fast some people feel they are being attacked. JaneAinsworth was absolutely right when she said that people who are so sensitive that they feel there is a clique lined up against them cannot be helped by ANYONE else but themselves.

How do they cope with normal conversations in real life with more than two people? Does everyone else stop talking when they open their mouths?

Evaluate what Callistemon? Hoping to get a few posters to have a go at me.
Your wasting your time as its water of a ducks back to me.

No, I'm not rachifagran

I was just saying that your post should be left to stand to speak for itself and if others read it rhey can decide what they think.

Evaluate = assess

Read JaneA's post again, rafichagran It is at Wed 22-Jan-20 16:51:48 She did not say "not to bother about people who are sensitive souls " She described people who see cliques where none exist (this is called paranoia in the real world) and then said "If someone thinks there’s a clique and they are not part of it, there’s nothing anyone else can say or do to convince them otherwise, because that’s their perception. "

"Some people will just think “A and B obviously know each other.” Other people will think “Ooh A and B are in a clique and I’m not in it.” I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do about these sensitive souls Lara so stop worrying about it!"

worrying about IT not THEM and the THEM was a specific set of sensitive souls, not all of them.

On Mumsnet they would add RTFP. Perhaps we are TOO reticent on Gransnet?

" Dont worry about these sensitive souls" I find that statement offensive, we should worry about everyone and see how these people who feel like this can be helped and included.

She didn't say that rachifagran, perhaps RTFP?

Then you'd better start working out how that can best be achieved, rafichagran, by a small group of admin with a lot of work on their plate and a very large and varied membership with a wide range of lifestyles, opinions and attitudes. Next time GN is advertising for staff, you could apply and make GHransnet perfect.

Context is important. A few words repeated ad nauseam do not represent the whole of a post.

I did read the FT, and telling "Lara" to not worry about the sensitive souls is wrong.
Like I said clearly Gransnet see a problem as 2 threads have been started about it.
Maybe you feel that cliques to not exist but other posters do, it does not mean they are paranoid.

"If someone thinks there’s a clique and they are not part of it, there’s nothing anyone else can say or do to convince them otherwise, because that’s their perception.
^ I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do about these sensitive souls Lara so stop worrying about it!"^

Stop digging, rafichagran and cool down.