The changing face of Gransnet?

A few years ago when I first joined (under a different user name) I was on the receiving end of one particular posters wrath. It did not put me off, I am no shrinking violet but I did think that maybe this wasn't the pleasant place that the adverts for Gransnet made out it to be! Over time I have come to recognise some posters styles and know which threads to avoid if I am feeling a bit fragile that day. I changed my name after my previous incarnation was sort of ID'd by a neighbour!
I have just read through the "Talk Guidelines" again and I have to say I cannot see anywhere where it says we cannot ask after other posters who are missing, in fact it talks about supporting each others through tough times and these times dont get much tougher! I think some of the moderators are making up their own rules so perhaps it would benefit both posters and mods to set out the rules properly then we would all know where we stand.

Callistemon I am rude and sarcastic and what I write is not within the spirit of the post. Now you know!

I know my place on the norty step.

Posters on here do tend to be older but we live in the real world, have children and grand children ( mostly) so are not shrinking violets who nee smelling salts to cope.

One thing I think has changed in the last few months. I am pretty sure we never used to get "told off" just for showing concern about a regular poster suddenly missing. NOT nosiness, just hoping they were OK. It seems to be another of the new unstated rules that now apply, that we cannot mention them,

It is not a great rule during the current situation. People living alone who suddenly need help, may be missed first on Gransnet, and the alarm could be raised.

I realise some just choose to have a break from posting at times. To avoid speculation, perhaps there could be a thread marked Taking a Break where you could just put your name. Too much to hope we might also have a Who's Banned List from HQ.

I am amazed that Charleygirl is on a final warning, the mind boggles as to what new rule she has broken.

I hant been on here long, maybe last summer. Having noted disappearances and interventions I’m more wary about my postings, which would observe the published guidance. GN now feels more restrictive, a bit like taking part in something but not totally being told the rules.

CHarley girl what on earth have you done ?!

I ‘m obviously not going to name names but I feel there are a small amount of posters who can be very opinionated , not liking to be disagreed with and others who will complain at the least perceived ‘ insult’. As usual the minority spoiling things for the majority.
I certainly avoid some threads and skip comments from certain posters .

Sorry if my reference to posters being mostly in an older demographic irritated ?.

It is a perfectly valid assumption - after all, this is Gransnetso surely the demographic would tend to be older people?
There is the much larger Mumsnet which one would think might appeal to younger age groups and where posters have more freedom to speak their minds

I realise not all are grandparents or parents, of course.

And, as I was once told quite indignantly, a person of 37 can be a grandmother! (Or younger of course).

I am on both sites and I see things on here that wouldnt last two minutes on MN, particularly some racist posts. So I think its six and two threes to be honest. I also think the size of the forum is relevant, MN is very robust but because it's so large you dont tend to know posters in the same way so there is less chasing arguments from thread to thread, which can get very personal and so more likely to be deleted.

Sorry if my reference to posters being mostly in an older demographic irritated ?.
I put myself in that category but not in easily upset or shocked one. I’ve been irritated (that word again) by the tedious references to playground bullies. And I still don’t accept that our missing poster was banned for any reason I understand.

I am on my final warning so all I feel I can do is discuss the weather

Good grief!
Charleygirl you must be one of the most non-confrontational posters on Gransnet

That confirms my opinion that something has gone very badly awry.

Ps it may snow here. ❄❄❄☃️☃️☃️

Marydoll

I too agree with, Chewy and Kitty. There is definitely a different style of moderation, with a lack of consistency, depending on who is on duty, which I feel doesn't always look at both sides of the story.

Sometimes I'm flummoxed at why some posts stand and others are deleted.

As a newcomer, perhaps it's a bit early for me to comment about this but I do agree with you Marydoll.

Having read Talk Guidelines I can't understand why some comments still remain. I say this after having read on one thread a comment from GNHQ saying why many comments had been deleted.

It would be nice if we could be given some credit for resilience and the ability to debate matters in a robust way

It would be nice if we could be given the same respect that members of Mumsnet are afforded and not be treated as old ladies who must behave nicely because it is thought we know nothing, or, if we do, we should keep our opinions to ourselves.


Our opinions are just as valid but we are not allowed to express them as robustly as Mumsnetters as ours are swiftly deleted.

I believe that our ability to suss out a fraud is fairly accurate too but, when this has happened, we are largely ignored.

^There are endless threads on MN about the deletions policy, a few months ago they did pages and pages of tributes to a poster who had been banned^

What - without deletions, Galaxy?

I will go back to my chair in the corner and my knitting now. Where's my rug to keep my knees warm?
?

That illustrates my point.

There are a list of forum guidelines.

If people are going to get banned or suspended (that sounds like naughty kids at school!) at least there should be a list of rules somewhere, so that posters know what they are.

I have posted on a number of sites, and have never known a rule that says you can't refer to another thread, for instance, so could easily have done that without realising it was an offence.

Not talking about people who have gone seems fair enough if they don't have a right of reply, but on most boards there is a reason given if someone has been banned, and usually it is a very rare occurrence. The rules here seem arbitrary. I don't know about missing threads, as I'm usually only around late in the evenings, so miss a lot of what happens in office hours.

I can't remember how long I've been around, but I know I have posted more since lockdown started, and I can't say I've seen much of a change. I know that there is no way of knowing if we are all older women, but assuming we are, I'm sure that we don't need to be monitored like this, and treated as children. It's rather disrespectful, surely?

I agree, Blossoming. I am very new here and find it hard to know what is acceptable, I also had to change my username as I didn’t read the guidance carefully enough and was identifiable with my first one! Rookie error, and I feel bad for the people I was beginning to ‘know’.
It seems a fun site with varied and thoughtful participants.

I agree with those who say the current mods seem to move in mysterious ways. If I name janea, chewbacca, kittylester and others, will someone pop up and accuse me of being in a gang?
Will I be deleted if I mention a regular poster who has been banished for reasons that make no sense at all to me.
As lemon grove suggested, there does seem to have Been an increase in irritability during recent months. Unsurprising especially as we are an older age group so many of us isolating, missing loved ones etc.
I’ve made some good virtual friends on gransnet

Well maybe I’m not reading so much, but one of the reasons I left was not because people disagreed or argued, nothing wrong with that, but sometimes, no actually often, things could get really spiteful.
I haven’t noticed it so much, but some of the names I associate with it seem to be missing,

I’ve been on GN for nearly 2 years. Certainly a lot of the posters who were on then seem to have disappeared, but perhaps they have changed their username, this seems to happen quite often.

The topics can seem very repetitive, plus heaps of games,

Certain posters can get very passionate and argumentative, not me I hope!

There are endless threads on MN about the deletions policy, a few months ago they did pages and pages of tributes to a poster who had been banned .

Definitely is a feeling on here now that we older people have to be protected from robust discussion. I find the 'nanny' attitude really annoying, I won't shatter into little pieces if someone is rude to me or disagrees with my point of view. I'm not validating any racist, homophobic comments of course but I'm sure we can defend ourselves at this point in our lives.
Otherwise I enjoy dipping in and out of GN daily and I have had interesting private chats with other members.

You and I must contribute to different threads on MN then Galaxy.

There are posters that continually complain about how Gransnet is run, nasty posters, boring or repetitive posts, too many or not enough games etc but they stay, maybe just to have something to complain about.

Sorry but the stuff about MN is not true.

not in the spirit of the site

And that seems to be a moveable feast these days Janeainsworth!