What do you think of Gransnet?

Elless

I enjoy reading Gransnet and it has been really helpful and informative over the years but the interface is very old fashioned. It doesn't seem to reflect today's Grans - the pictures that are used are boring and the whole layout is dull. I know some will say if it ain't broke don't fix it but the systems need updating too.

It’s incredibly dated. In theory, it should have a similar look to Mumsnet but the fact is, GN has never made a profit and relies on substantial funding from MN to keep it going.

Last accounting, year end to 31 December 2024, it had just £27,000 in the bank. creditors of almost £300,000 (mostly owed to the parent company). It employs only one person.

tinyurl.com/2yf5pnvz. if anyone is interested.

Compare MN with pre tax profits of £3.1million and £3 million in the bank.

Membership numbers are not known but there seem to be very few active forum members. The same names and same arguments come up over and over. Other content is tired and stale.

It’s suposed to be aimed at people 50 and over but I suspect the average age of forum participants is 75-85.

I don't understood why it isn’t absorbed into Mumsnet.

I am quite happy as it is. Someone starts a post, we comment or not and GN HQ moderate it, Admittedly their decisions are not always clear but surely a certan element of quirkiness only adds to GN's charms.

I get bored with the way everybody everywhere seems to think that as soon as something is working, it needs to constantly have bells and whistles added to it. recipes, food, websites, cars everything, software, phones. You name it, as soon as something simply and understandable is working people want to upgrade it.

nanna8

Pictures ? Is this the same forum ? Adverts ? I don’t get any of those,either. A few pics from posters is all, just photos. I still think we should have a ‘like’ button but people here seem to be very, very sensitive about that. No idea why, not as if I would want a ‘dislike’ button. We are seen as old farts I guess so we have to have old fart’s technology.

There's certainly times where I go to click the "like" button and then remember it doesn't exist.

But, on balance, I think it would facilitate "pile-ons" - ie someone putting up a post that someone else didnt agree with and they and their buddies would pile into clicking whatever button best represented "dislike". So I'm inclined to think it's best not to have such a button.

Some of the pictures on the home page have not changed in years 😁
But I never really look at it.

That made me laugh, Nanna8. ‘Old fart’ just about describes me perfectly these days because I am finding that more and more things annoy me, especially on the tv. For example, I quite often see people on programmes like ‘Breakfast’ and the like. They are in the studio, have obviously known in advance that they will be on screen, but do they look in the mirror first? So many of these people have hair like birds’ nests and have obviously not made any effort to look nice.
I know most will say that people have every right to dress as they please, and it’s none of my business, and up to a point, I agree. But I have to admit, I do wonder where their self-pride has gone. I do have to look at these people (often while eating my breakfast) and I wouldn’t go into my own garden looking like some of these people do. It’s a matter of personal pride, and they obviously have none.

You can edit your post, just click on Preview, check and edit, then click on Post.

There are pictures on the home page.

The only two adverts I saw today were something about your baby's key milestones and nourishing your baby's skin!

I think they're past that stage now.

There are adverts on every page when I look. How come others don't get them.
They are usually old age related, but it doesn't bother me, anymore than daytime television.

At my time of life I am happy to look at stairlifts and funeral plans 😂🤣😅

Pictures ? Is this the same forum ? Adverts ? I don’t get any of those,either. A few pics from posters is all, just photos. I still think we should have a ‘like’ button but people here seem to be very, very sensitive about that. No idea why, not as if I would want a ‘dislike’ button. We are seen as old farts I guess so we have to have old fart’s technology.

Charleygirl5

Every year, we are asked what changes we would like to see. We put forward suggestions, such as the ability to edit, but nothing is ever actioned. Little has changed since I joined around 11 years ago.

I remember a main picture changing!

I thought ooh. Things are happening.
Then I am not sure there was anything else at all.

I dont mind really.
I was glad for the picture to change though.

CariadAgain

I think one thing we'd all agree on is the need to be able to edit our posts - yep...lots of us have got typing errors up on our posts because there is no way of correcting them. Other than putting up a post straight afterwards saying "I didnt mean this - I meant that".

I think we're so used to being able to correct our typing errors afterwards on everything else on the Net that we forget we have to proofread carefully before posting here.

I use the preview message. Quite frequently.

Every year, we are asked what changes we would like to see. We put forward suggestions, such as the ability to edit, but nothing is ever actioned. Little has changed since I joined around 11 years ago.

What pictures?
Since the only pictures put on GN are posted by GN members, that’s rather rude of you LS.

What interface? What pictures? I come here to read real-life stories, opinions on various subjects, play games etc. I haven’t found it difficult to manoeuvre the site.

I think one thing we'd all agree on is the need to be able to edit our posts - yep...lots of us have got typing errors up on our posts because there is no way of correcting them. Other than putting up a post straight afterwards saying "I didnt mean this - I meant that".

I think we're so used to being able to correct our typing errors afterwards on everything else on the Net that we forget we have to proofread carefully before posting here.

All the above costs money. GN only generates money from advertising. Companies will only buy advertising space where there is a profit.
Obviously there isn’t enough traffic for companies to buy that space on GN.