What do you think of Gransnet?

Gransnet launched in 2011 @ Casdon

Sorry all, one of my earlier comments referred back to threads from 2005. I thought it must be around 20 years "old"!!

I'm sure I remember a few years ago GN advertising that there were 300,000 members (or maybe it was 200,000...). Either way a thread someone started showed that there were only about 30ish actively posting members. The 200 or 300,000 was probably the number of people who had registered since GN started.

The only thing I find annoying is the length of the posting ...so I keep it brief ...

Suzieque66

The only thing I find annoying is the length of the posting ...so I keep it brief ...

Each to her own, but a nuanced post can't always be boiled down to a soundbite. If someone is trying to explain a complex point then posts do have to have a bit of length. As long as it is broken up a bit, so there is not a lot of continuous text to be read on a phone, I would much rather have that than a soundbite or cliche that adds nothing much to the discussion. But I would say that, I suppose

I was one of the original local reps for GransNet tasked with organising meet ups and trying to attract advertisers. I was reasonably successful with the meet ups and a few of us have remained friends for years though I do remember a lady who used to come when she was new to the area saying she was leaving as she had found some nice friends! . I think advertisers were concerned about the perceived demographic. I do flit over to Mumsnet but it’s now getting harder to access unless it’s my old phone. I do think there are too many games on GransNet now and not enough discussion.

I hope Gransnet remains as it is and that it never changes to the Mumsnet lay out. I only occasionally look at Mumsnet as I find it is hard going.

seasider

I was one of the original local reps for GransNet tasked with organising meet ups and trying to attract advertisers. I was reasonably successful with the meet ups and a few of us have remained friends for years though I do remember a lady who used to come when she was new to the area saying she was leaving as she had found some nice friends! . I think advertisers were concerned about the perceived demographic. I do flit over to Mumsnet but it’s now getting harder to access unless it’s my old phone. I do think there are too many games on GransNet now and not enough discussion.

Not enough people to have broader discussions.
Peple are frightened off the site.

The more this thread goes on, the more I am in favour of incorporating GN into MN.

The worst topic on here to discuss is economics.
There are only about 6 posters who will do that.

It does mirror real life a bit though.
I am involved in rl with meetings[membership 300 or so] that involve finance.
Sometimes there are only about 2 of us that say anything!

I have been on Gransnet from the very beginning and think it is absolutely fine the way it is.

The worst topic on here to discuss is economics

How many people know enough about that subject to talk about it with any real authority?
Not many.
To me, GN is ( or at least I thought it was ) a place to discuss the changing relationships with our children ( now that they have become parents themselves ) or are adults navigating their way through life. And of course how we feel about aging and all the issues that go with that.
Pretty much every other subject discussed on here can be discussed on MN.

How many people know enough about that subject to talk about it with any real authority?

😆
Pretty much ANY subject in the news actually! I don't think anyone on here is part of the cabinet, is in charge of education, immigration, inflation etc, runs a multi million pound company, designs new technology, chases criminals, decides the cost of postage.......
But we all like to think we know enough to have a good argument! 😆

true.
We’re all ‘experts’ on the internet.

Aveline

Not sure I agree that. From time to time new posters come on and tell us to be nicer in our responses. Sometimes the nippier responses can be useful or completely appropriate. We're not all sweeties here!

By "nippier responses" do you mean more brief, more objective, more ad hominem, less'nice' ?

If you mean less nice, I agree unless the original poster has requested emotional support, which request should be honoured.

The list of suggested fields should include Emotional support.

Kandinsky

true.
We’re all ‘experts’ on the internet.

Kandinsky, I avoid posters who don't know the difference between knowledge and opinion.

Knowledge is defined by Bertrand Russell:-

Russell explicitly lays out:

Truth (the belief corresponds to fact),

Belief, and

Justification (reason or evidence)

as the three necessary conditions for knowledge — the “justified true belief” model that later became the standard in 20th-century epistemology until Gettier’s 1963 paper challenged it.

JackyB

That was supposed to read "competitions,book club, etc". And I previewed and edited twice before posting!

Sounds like you should have gone to Specsavers, JackyB! 🤣

Credit ChatGPT research Russell quote

Kandinsky

*The worst topic on here to discuss is economics*

How many people know enough about that subject to talk about it with any real authority?
Not many.
To me, GN is ( or at least I thought it was ) a place to discuss the changing relationships with our children ( now that they have become parents themselves ) or are adults navigating their way through life. And of course how we feel about aging and all the issues that go with that.
Pretty much every other subject discussed on here can be discussed on MN.

Kandinsky, I believe that people who lack academic experience but who are curious and willing to discover new ideas should always be welcome on a forum, or a university.

PS , copy to escaped

^Pretty much every other subject discussed on here can be discussed on MN.

^

Well, if people are intentionally narrowing the fields of discussion, no wonder it is a lesser relative of MN.

And no wonder, the site appears to be slowly dying.

And no wonder there seem to be less and less posters saying, "hi I am new here", or "this is my first post".

And no wonder older people on MN are staying there. Assuming that they are.

Caleo

PS , copy to escaped

Thank you.

Even knowledge is not infallible. GN is not the fount/font of all knowledge, not by a long shot.

Knowledge of how things were in our jobs, because very few of us are working now.
Knowledge of how things are from family young family members, because we're not actually there alongside them, or they're not allowed to tell all.
Knowledge from researched statistics, because a lot of the time they're manipulated anyway.
Knowledge from various reports, because they're out of date so quickly as new information crops up.

Pinch of salt comes to mind often on GN about knowledge, although interesting, and the fact we're all so set in our ways that we won't change anyone now!

(Though I have been made to think differently on occasions, which is good!). I hope everyone continues -in a helpful way- with their knowledge.

escaped

Caleo

PS , copy to escaped

Thank you.

Even knowledge is not infallible. GN is not the fount/font of all knowledge, not by a long shot.

Knowledge of how things were in our jobs, because very few of us are working now.
Knowledge of how things are from family young family members, because we're not actually there alongside them, or they're not allowed to tell all.
Knowledge from researched statistics, because a lot of the time they're manipulated anyway.
Knowledge from various reports, because they're out of date so quickly as new information crops up.

Pinch of salt comes to mind often on GN about knowledge, although interesting, and the fact we're all so set in our ways that we won't change anyone now!

(Though I have been made to think differently on occasions, which is good!). I hope everyone continues -in a helpful way- with their knowledge.

Thanks for your reply. I guess you are drawing attention to the fact that many posts are anecdotal not objective.

Personal anecdotes are perhaps more useful when it's about practical matters such as a recent thread about what household innovations have been extremely helpful.

Also anecdotes are helpful or entertaining when the topic calls for self expression such as ghostly haunting, or ----a recent one)- versions of Wuthering Heights.

However anecdotes are less relevant when the talk is about objective topics such as economics , philosophy, politics, or science.

PS to Escaped:-- I am glad your mind is still flexible. Mine is too. I welcome objections to any claim ,including my own claim. as long as the objector understands the issue and also has a flexible mind.

Kandinsky

*The worst topic on here to discuss is economics*

How many people know enough about that subject to talk about it with any real authority?
Not many.
To me, GN is ( or at least I thought it was ) a place to discuss the changing relationships with our children ( now that they have become parents themselves ) or are adults navigating their way through life. And of course how we feel about aging and all the issues that go with that.
Pretty much every other subject discussed on here can be discussed on MN.

How many people know enough about that subject to talk about it with any real authority?
Not many.

Probably more than you think.
The other point is, that as we all tend to be more on the mature side, we may well have a lot of experience so that posters are able to offer advice to others.

To me, GN is ( or at least I thought it was ) a place to discuss the changing relationships with our children ( now that they have become parents themselves ) or are adults navigating their way through life. And of course how we feel about aging and all the issues that go with that.

Surely we should not be limited to that?
Just because we age does not mean we stop thinking or having opinions on many different subject.

fancythat

The more this thread goes on, the more I am in favour of incorporating GN into MN.

I don't agree. You can belong to both, I don't think it has to be a choice of one or another.

I'd certainly just leave if GN merged with MN.

Me too.
MN is hard work, what little I've seen of it.