Gransnet’s 10th Birthday

I'm another one who joined when Greatnan went missing.She was a member of a few other forums (francophile) that I belonged to and there was a connection with a member of Gransnet who seemed to know more about the story.
I love this forum and find it a good source of company, especially since Covid and missing real live friends.
The nastiness used to be mainly in the politics threads - I don't read them now. and maybe it seemed a friendlier place when the numbers were small so it was more personal.
So congrats. to the forum on its 10th birthday {flowers}

I joined a couple of weeks after it started and although I don't post regularly now, it is nice to see that some others from back then are still here.
I think my favourite moment ever was the pantomime. Gransnet as its absolute best was the wonderful support network that appeared when GreatNan went missing.

I'm really not sure how long I have been here probably about five years. More of a reader than a poster (really dislike the term lurker)
I have learned a lot from this site and some very knowledgeable posters, long may it continue

I am very grateful to Gransnet. Have only ventured on in last couple of weeks since an accident curtailed a lot of my usual activities. Found people very interesting and tolerant. Finding the Good Morning...chats very uplifting and inspiring. Happy birthday GN. Cake for everyone.

Terribull, I love your year of books threads! That was a great idea. I also have Urmstongran to thank for giving me permission to stop reading books I am not enjoying.

Merlotgran, my heart went out to you over your daughter. My beloved sister had a terminal brain tumour at that time but at least she’d reached her 70’s. Your dd was utterly tragic and you were so brave. ?

It is interesting to read what people say about cliques and clans, because I am conscious that I have never felt part of one, and would be very worried if I did.

And, again, except in the very narrow political field, I am not aware of them being anywhere else on GN. Now and again one thread will get a group of members playing pingpong with it, but the grouping is very much particular to that thread and dissipates when the thread ends.

There is nanna. If it doesnt break guidelines you could report it five thousand times and it wouldnt get deleted.

Yup the real nasties have had the humour by- pass, I found that out PDQ. Why on earth are these people listened to when they report stuff? Now that I can’t understand. There should be real reasons when people are banned or have their posts removed and it shouldn’t be just because a person reports it.

I do find a lot of the humour is missing now though which is ^a ^shame and there's a growing blandness due to far too many posts being reported which never used to happen^
Merlotgran Unfortunately I have to agree.
When I enlisted in GN 3 years ago, I was soon going through a "Baptism of Fire" being called a patroniser, sexist and a "dirty old man' {don't ask why!}, which wasn't fair because I've never used a raincoat in 50 years in OZ!
I soon learned the best counter was to see a funny side in everything, which irritated the real nasties, but also earned me many reports, deletions and suspensions.
I often felt some of them also had too ready access to HQ's ear via cliques, clans, but I put that down to the fact I'm a MAN and in OZ! {Misandrists; form a queue to the left!)
But it's all great character-building stuff!
Apologies for a bit of party-pooping there.
I've enjoyed being here and young enough to relish a bit of friendly bantering with anyone who can spare a bit of time out of their busy lives!
Good Health and have a great party!
OoRoo

I joined in the dull days immediately after Christmas about eight years ago.
Do your remember the shed kitty? A few likeminded folk took refuge there and and I can remember eavesdropping outside before I was brave enough post myself.
There seemed more imaginative posts like the Argy then.

I’ve been to a few meet-ups in the Reading area organised by Greenfinch who I’ve not seen around for a while. For some reason they never attracted the large numbers that the northern ones did. Still good to meet people though.

I joined GN in 2012 and quickly identified the posters I reckoned I would get on with and those I would try and avoid - a bit like going to a new school!

There were often spats between Greatnan and jingl. Sometimes there were so many deleted comments on a thread they would resemble bomb craters on a battlefield!

Not very genteel!

I do miss a lot of the posters who are no longer here. The keen gardener in Australia called, Joan, janerowena - another knowledgeable gardener and of course, ana who shared jingl's witty sense of humour.

Gransnet became a lifeline for me during the awful three months of DD's sudden diagnosis and death from cancer and more recently the support and kindness I received when DH died two months ago.

I do find a lot of the humour is missing now though which is a shame and there's a growing blandness due to far too many posts being reported which never used to happen.

It's still a great place to be though. Happy Birthday, Gransnet.

Happy birthday to Gransnet but I don’t find it to be the friendliest of places to be.

Looking back, I found my first foray here was under a different name nearly 10 years ago - which surprised me. I used to frequent Pete's Bar most nights, which has now sadly closed. The first response I had to my first mail was from GrandNan and I nearly didn't return - but on reflection, she was right! I do more lurking now as I feel like I either get ignored or attacked - it's certainly not as genteel as it used to be. I still stick my nose round the door a few times a day

Thanks for all your memories, both good and not so good. I think we can agree that the last 10 years have been good since the arrival of GN - helpful, supportive, informative and mostly kind! I find the argumentative, sometimes vitriolic postings of late difficult to stomach which is why I tend to lurk rather than participate as much as I used. We all have very differing opinions on a huge variety of subjects which is great and everyone except a few are open to other points of view. I avoid contentious threads and don’t comment as much as I’d like to. Life is too short to be upset by the few who are blinkered and completely unreceptive to other voices. But, such is life!
Like Topsy, Gransnet has ‘growed’ and long may she continue to do so ??

Happy birthday GN ???

Remembering old posters and just wondering how they are and if, in fact, they are still with us - the sad thing is we will never know. I recognise many names mentioned on this thread who no longer post.

downtoearth
I miss jingl although she scared me a bit
She could be scary but underneath that that she was a pussycat and very kind. She was very amusing.

I joined some years ago after my dearest friend died and thought I'd find some online company- however I innocently posted my not very controversial opinion on a not very controversial thread and got jumped on by a poster who then proceeded to do that a few times on various threads and I retreated. I noticed her post something the other day on a thread I started and she agreed with me .

However, I did rejoin later and now, if anyone ridicules any of my posts I just laugh and think I'm glad I don't know them in RL.
So, if anyone is feeling dubious or nervous about posting, don't be. You are entitled to your opinion (within the guidelines of course).

I joined GN some 6 years ago having seen a note in my newspaper about it.
At first, I used to post regularly, even starting threads, but had my head bitten off too often - a sensitive soul - so now only post on Mick's GM thread daily and only follow innocuous or funny threads.
Me too, I have won many books and once a voucher for baby clothes... Absolutely nothing recently. A shame.
On the whole, people have been very sweet to me and mine. Thank you.

Yes POGS was one of the first people I noticed on here, I didnt agree with her a lot of the time, nor she with me I am sure, but I liked the way she argued.

* Nightowl* * Urmston* Terribull thankyou

I joined soon after the inception of Gransnet, which I realise would have been 2011, a whole ten years ago! it was a few months old I believe. I had a different user name then. I think I read about the proposal to set this site up on MN where else! with the suggestion that it would be tailored for the older woman. At the time I was a fairly new grandmother so I felt it would be more of a niche place for my age group, although I was only in my fifties at the time so continued to lurk on MN, a site I joined mainly for the book threads, rather than getting involved in arguments debate.

I remember many of the "big" characters during my time here, the sad and untimely death of Greatnan, the sharp and acerbic wit of Jings in her many guises, Ana who was a prolific poster and who is also sadly no longer with us. I also miss the "gentle" posters such as Printmiss, Frank and his dog. Sad to read downtoearth you have lost your confidence to post, I hope it comes back. I notice POGS hasn't posted of late, she came back briefly to let us know that there had been some deaths in her family due to Covid, I do hope she is okay and will return one day, she was a great contributor imo. Similarly, Phoenix who has been a GN regular has been missing for a while and sadly MawB, I know she isn't able to return, I wish all of them well.

Overall I have enjoyed my time on GN and have had many enjoyable exchanges via pms, often with helpful advice all from very nice people, bar one, who sent an absolutely vile vitriolic outpouring simply because we had a different opinion about tattoos which left me pretty gobsmacked

Of late I tend to stick to innocuous threads rather than sticking my head above the parapet, there does seem to be a futility about going round and round in circles and depending on one's frame of mind, it can be draining. Nowadays it does seem quite easy to get comments deleted. I think that's only happened to me twice in ten years, I'm clearly lagging behind!

Happy Birthday to GN and all its members both old and new wherever they are.

I have become another "lurker". I used to post quite often but no longer as although many threads are supportive and friendly I find that some can suddenly become unpleasant.

It used to be possible to have a discussion about anything, including politics, without it degenerating into a name calling scrap. I don't recall so many posts and threads being deleted in the early years.

I joined in the first few months. What was the name of the chap and his dog who posted everyday and did “bums and tums “ with the ladies? I remember the search for Greatnan, very sad.

Happy Birthday Gransnet and thanks for starting the thread Marmight.

I was an early joiner, going to the first meet-up in Glasgow where I met a lovely group of women including you G23, the next in your house Marmight and I still use the bookmark which the lovely Soop made for all of us from the photo taken in your garden. Elegran’s organisational skills came to the fire with the Burns Suppers and Conference and I still have the pen too.

I’m so looking forward to when we can get back to meeting in person.

All in all GNet has been a wonderful source of friendship, advice and support.

I did drop out for some time but now that I’m back I love Mick’s good morning thread, I pop into the kitchen but find it difficult to keep up with everyone on there so I occasionally just say hello.

Long may it continue.

That is a shame downtoearth, I remember you in your previous name and remember your story well. I also remember your wonderful spirit and sense of humour and one particular party where we had a lively exchange of posts. I hope you will be able to regain some of that confidence even if you don’t decide to post much.

I joined at the end of 2011/ beginning of 2012 when my first grandchild was a baby. Gransnet helped me through the long night shifts which I spent alone and which varied from being extremely busy to very quiet and lonely. I remember feeling very new at first as there was already a strong core of founder members who seemed to ‘know’ each other well. The forum seemed kind though and people were very polite in those early days. I enjoyed its evolution to a place where robust views were exchanged and particularly enjoyed the political threads until they became downright nasty in recent years. I won’t post on them now.

I miss jingl although she scared me a bit and of course Greatnan who I also found intimidating, until we exchanged some PMs and I realised what a very kind and caring person she was. I have made some good friends in RL from here, one in particular.

I rarely post these days. The feeling has changed, and I find too much unpleasantness while some people are just downright rude. I don’t need that negativity in my life and I wonder what people get from being that way, or if they have enough insight to realise how they behave. So I don’t expect to be around in another ten years (though hopefully still around physically if you know what I mean). But that’s life I guess, everything changes and moves on. Maybe we’ll develop an offshoot called Greatgransnet for us older ones and leave the younger grans to enjoy Gransnet as it evolves further, without us saying how much better it was ‘in the old days’

Aw that’s sad downtoearth. I will look out for any posts from you in the hope that your confidence is returning. It’s such a shame you feel ‘less’ than you used to be. x

Been here since the early days, I started Lils bar...similar to the Argy...lots of fun was had, I had a different name then, lots of life changes for me means I just read and lurk I dont have the confidence to post anymore sadly.