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Gransnet’s 10th Birthday

(97 Posts)
Marmight Sat 01-May-21 08:36:56

Gransnet will be 10 years old this month. Like many others I joined at its conception and now its membership has grown from a few hundred to thousands. At the beginning I found it a life saver particularly when my DH died suddenly and I was supported by many new friends, who over the years have become good friends in RL, some nearby and others far away. What are your memories/opinions/feelings of GN then and now? I tend to lurk these days and post less frequently and many well kent names and characters sadly no longer appear.....
(If there’s already a thread on this, apologies. Couldn’t find one on the long list!)

Rufus2 Sun 02-May-21 06:27:06

Sad to think in another 10 years the same will happen to us here
Urmstongran On the contrary, I won't be in the least bit sad being around in 2031,
In fact I'll be Cock'a Hoop, provided I still have a few brain cells left to help me remember how to do the Knees-Up!
and also provided I don't look even more like Dorian Gray's attic portrait! hmm
OoRoo .

BigBertha1 Sun 02-May-21 06:23:04

I joined almost at the beginning with another name but left for a little while when the sniping got really bad. I lurk more than I post now. I was a very regular poster but I dont enjoy Gransnet like I used to its not a safe space.

Ro60 Sat 01-May-21 23:50:41

Time for a knees up then GNHQ?
I think I joined about 9 years ago when my first GD arrived but only started using GN since Lock-down. Will definitely continue. Feel I've found a new bunch of friends.
GN - meaning all you lovely people, has given me some of my confidence back at a time when I felt I must be seeing things from the wrong angle, or being unreasonable.
Guess what? - I'm ok! & actually quite normal.
Many thanks. ?
Still haven't managed to be inventive enough (or brave) to start a thread yet.

mamaa Sat 01-May-21 22:56:26

I joined when my first grandchild was about 18 months old- now aged 11. Rarely contributed to threads until I retired in 2017- still hardly do so, apart from the occasional contribution to the GM or Soops kitchen thread.
Found reading through threads this last 12 months helped me with not feeling so alone throughout the pandemic- all in the same boat so to speak.

cornergran Sat 01-May-21 22:53:01

I joined 7 years ago. My first foray into social media at a time I was very lonely and isolated. Received warmly I value the good friends I have made, mostly virtual with one in real life. My sense is that GN has changed, but then why wouldn’t it? Every organisation evolves, sometimes the evolution suits us, sometimes not. I’m not sure about the recent feel of GN, suspect it doesn’t suit me as well.

Urmstongran Sat 01-May-21 22:37:09

Sometimes an old thread from years ago pops up - resurrected and added to only by a comment or two. I don’t notice the date of the OP and scroll down to read it, seeing one or two names I recognise such as kitty for example. Then I notice what I recognise as a defunct moniker such as nelliemoser and think ‘hang on a minute’. I check the date & realise it’s a very old thread. When I scroll down again I’m astonished at how many poster’s names I don’t recognise. Left. Banned. Deceased maybe.

Sad to think in another 10 years the same will happen to us here.

ninathenana Sat 01-May-21 22:19:47

I'm one of the originals. Sadly some are no longer here. I won't list them but I'm sure many will know those that made us laugh, those that gave great advice and those who rankled.

GN has changed since it's outset. It's not as light hearted, hardly surprising in current times but I do miss the daily laughs.

grandmajet Sat 01-May-21 22:09:04

As someone who has only been ‘here’ for about 3 months, this thread is fascinating. I have found gransnet fun so far, with the many different views and characters adding to the interest.
I love your posts by the way, Fanny, you often make me chuckle.

Hellogirl1 Sat 01-May-21 21:41:40

I`ve been here since about 3 weeks after Gransnet was born, I was told about it by my lovely friend Greenmossgiel. I`ve had 3 names because of signing in problems, but I started off as numberplease.

bikergran Sat 01-May-21 20:45:28

Another early starter here, it was a lovely genteel place then but that was 10 yrs ago and things change and progress.

"Hello glamma" (waving)

As many others when my dh died I had 100s of virtual messages, it was very comforting.

These days I tend to sit in a corner and pop my head up now and again. I like an easy going life, I'm not up for disagreements, many a time I start to reply to a post but then delete it and forget about it.

It's great that Gransnet has kept going (where have those 10 years gone)???

I still pop in most days and see what's going on .

Cheers everyone wine

FannyCornforth Sat 01-May-21 20:42:38

Two holidays!?
Well done Gagagran!
Where were they to?

(I have a sneaking feeling that I may be one of those 'new members' who get on everyone's wick. Apologies)

Gagagran Sat 01-May-21 20:31:47

I joined about the same time as "Kitty* and like her, I was berated for a post by Greatnan. She was a very forceful character and I felt quite intimidated by her actually.

I enjoy Mick's Good Morning thread and used to go in Soop's kitchen a lot, but found that I was just posting virtually the same on each one, so stick to the Good Morning one mainly now. I do read Soop's kitchen thread though and the Help calm me House buying one every day too. Plus any others that take my eye. I avoid the political or contentious threads. I am too old to need a lot of argument and heat in my life and want as peaceful and gentle and kind a time as I can manage.

I have sent and received a lot of PMs and like that facility very much but I also like the anonymity and would not want to go to meet ups. I have won lots of books and two holidays in the days when we had competitions for such things.

So, Happy Birthday Gransnet and thank you for being part of my life.

Jaxjacky Sat 01-May-21 20:25:03

I’ve been here for about 7 months after a ‘starter’ post asking for recommendations on a new planned kitchen, now completed. I regularly post in Mick’s Good Morning and Soop’s kitchen. I like the sense of community, avoid some who like to monopolise, but that’s life, all sorts, which makes it interesting. And I learn, every day.

harrigran Sat 01-May-21 20:14:40

I have been here from the beginning and agree it is not the friendly forum that we had back in 2011.
Gransnet has helped me enormously through five years of ill health and still a great help through DH's illness.
I have met some really lovely people.

Urmstongran Sat 01-May-21 19:55:31

SueDonim

Sorry, five years.

??

BlueBelle Sat 01-May-21 16:03:10

I joined around New Year 2014 so 7 years + I didn’t know when I joined but search my PMs and that was the first time I received one telling me I d done the right thing joining, so I guess it was a week or two before Christmas maybe when I joined
My mum and Dad both died 2012 then my job went so I m guessing I was a bit lost then
I stopped posting for nearly a year because after initially getting a warm welcome I didn’t feel very comfortable I felt sidelined and not actually accepted but after lurking around a bit I bit the bullet and started posting again
I ve made four lovely virtual friends and although we re not geographically near we share regular emails and letters so I really value that
I don’t think it’s any worse today than back then I remember really shrinking when getting a tongue lashing from someone back in my shy, diffident, days
I never knew of GreatNan or her story
I never go a day without reading or posting

NanKate Sat 01-May-21 15:56:32

I joined GN about 5 or 6 years ago and have made some real and some virtual friends.

The thread that gave me the most laughter was when I started a virtual Olympic Games the input was brilliant.

Sadly I have rather lost interest in GN recently as really funny or sparky people have been banished by HQ. Also there is no right of reply when HQ is on a roll. They are a law unto themselves. At the beginning they seemed fun and often posted a comment, now it seems to me that they only come on to remove comments or contributors. We are not allowed to mention people we miss or connect one thread to another.

In addition they often used to get well known people to answer questions we put to them but now that has gone too, unless I have missed them.

I generally just keep to Mick’s GM thread and my own ‘I’m a Pear’ where some lovely contributors have been with me for almost 3 years later this month. ???

3 of my GM friends on here have left this year ?

SueDonim Sat 01-May-21 15:51:16

Sorry, five years.

SueDonim Sat 01-May-21 15:50:34

Ah, the accident referred to took place in Oct 2013? That’ll be why i missed it. I was in hospital for ages with a double leg fracture and I was off my head with morphine.

Urmston, I’d have said that you’d been here much longer than four years - it’s weird how the perception of time gets skewed. smile

Wheniwasyourage Sat 01-May-21 15:44:58

I joined in May 2011, just after GN started. Like a lot of you, I find the constant bickering and jumping on other people's opinions with nasty comments is very tedious. I've been ignoring GN for a couple of months now as I got completely fed up when we were no longer allowed to ask what had happened to other GNers who hadn't posted for a while. Can't say I've missed it much as it is now, and I'm sure nobody has missed me!

Anyway, I looked back today to find out if the 10th birthday was being marked, and to say hallo, and thank you to those who have cheered me up with their jokes, lightheartedness (without having to point it out) and kindness. On the whole, I've had a lot of pleasure from my time on GN.

maydonoz Sat 01-May-21 15:44:17

Thank you for this info, I wondered when Gransnet was started.
I recently joined, just over a year ago and I must say I enjoy reading all the various threads and posts of interest.
I don't post usually during the week as I have a busy schedule with family commitments (grandchild care), but at the weekend, I like to post and sometimes even start a thread!
I've not had any meet ups with any GNs in RL but then we've had Covid most of the time. Maybe this is something that will be possible in the future.

Grannycool52 Sat 01-May-21 15:41:16

I joined Gransnet about 4 years ago and loved it. However, last year it seemed to become rather rancorous, with some posters writing quite nasty responses to others' genuinely felt posts. I opted out for a while but have recently returned and am finding it much more pleasant again. Most regular posters seem to be lovely people.

Urmstongran Sat 01-May-21 15:39:39

I think I’ve been a member for about 5 years and a more prolific contributor these last 3 years. In fact some days I think I’m addicted but I’m sure a combination of good weather and meeting up (indoors on chilly days) with family & friends will stop my gallop a bit.

Actually I like the anonymity of Gransnet. I’d not want to meet-up at gatherings in real life.

SueDonim Sat 01-May-21 15:35:50

I must live in a cave! I had no idea about a conference in Edinburgh even though I’m in Scotland.

Rufus2 Sat 01-May-21 15:30:38

I've been told the sad story now
FannyC Yes! Vey sad. October 2013. sad
She appeared to be quite a character and left a huge legacy of jokes which are still in GN archives and which she freely admitted were plagiarised
I, in turn, have plagiarised many of them and it's interesting to note that what were very popular then, now raise hackles!
Have the Puritans made a comeback? hmm
OoRoo