Gransnet is right wing?

Of course you were. I've been plotting the revolution for forty years.

Is that not a red flag I see at the top of the page?

There is a nucleus of regular posters who tend to be left-leaning and mostly atheists. There are probably just as many right-leaning members, and we know there are many Christians because we have had some interesting debates. If we have 7,000 members, it seems that not much more than 2% are regular contributors. Perhaps there is a 'silent majority' that totally disagrees with the views expressed by some of us. They may not be interested in taking part in debates, or perhaps some are not sufficiently confident or articulate - or argumentative!
I know there are one or two who have certain views about people who are in receipt of benefits of various kinds, single mothers, the unemployed, etc. and we have had some vigorous debates on those subjects too.
I have found that many young people expect people of my age to have closed minds, to be homophobic, racist and narrow-minded. I take great delight in setting them right.

Right on comrades!

I don't get the impression at all that Gransnet is right wing. But
greatnan is right (I should say correct given the subject of this thread) about there being biases on who posts what and that makes it harder to judge the overall political/philosophical leanings of the majority of contributors.

If there are as many Gn that are lurking why dont they come forward and join us left or right everyone to their own, personally I cant understand the lurking

March, march, swing ye along!
Put up the cry for the dawn is coming!
Tune (women's suffragette march)

And the dawn will be coming if I don't get to bed!
Night all

Dusting off the flag now jeni

night night jeni

Good!
Feel a march coming on!

From my fairly brief experience...ahem...if you wish to label people by their political persuasions then I would say the most regular posters are solidly left wing. I have no idea how many members there are but there certainly seem to be core posters and I don't think I've seen any right wing views expressed. Several middle possibly.

I'm not sure what the relevance is, this isn't a political forum, it's a grandparents' one. What the OP implies I think, is that right = uncaring, 'bad' people and left equals the opposite. A view I would dispute.

From reading the bios of those who have made them available, there seem to be many ex teachers & public sector employees who may be more left inclined.

I've worked in local government and also had my own business employing people and have voted in a variety of ways throughout my life. My father voted Labour all his life, my mother, Conservative.

The OP was defending GN against a charge of being 'too right wing'* not right wing. My DD in particular was shocked at some of the extreme views expressed on the site I mentioned and won't have anything to do with it. It was assumed by them that GN was of the same ilk. I simply said, if anything, it was to the left of centre.

There was no implication that right = uncaring, bad people and left the opposite sel but I do think that extreme views of either persuasion are 'bad' if you want to put it simplistically.

www.gransnet.com/forums/politics/a1194421-Where-are-you-on-the-spectrum

This recent thread exposed us all as left-wing libertarians.
Personally I was surprised to find myself in that group, as I usually vote Conservative [ducks].
I agree with Sel that not everyone to the right of centre is bad and uncaring.

When I joined GN the thing that impressed me the most was that most people who posted their opinions were generally very broad-minded. And I like that.

Having an open mind and a generous spirit is what is important.

I suspect, Jane, that it only exposed the stance of those who wished to declare themselves!
I am not surprised that many members do not wish to take part in our more controversial debates Not everybody enjoys argument or feels confident enough to put their views forward. This inevitably means that such threads tend to be dominated by those members who are working or retired professionals, such as teachers, civil servants, or medical professionals.
In general, we are used to taking part in debate and do not take opposing views as personal attacks.
Every member has an equal right to contribute but we cannot force people to take part if they prefer to lurk.

I've visited Mumsnet and don't think of it as right wing at all (I'm left leaning and never vote Conservative).

Gransnet, not right wing but ....

Compared to some other sites we do seem to have a high proportion of middle class, privately educated, professional types.

Also, we do get the odd post which fits in with young people's ideas of older folk, an emphasis on good behaviour, manners, certain attitudes to people who don't/cannot work.

I'll get my coat!

Petallus - do you think our membership might cover the entire social spectrum, but only the type of people you mention wish to take part in many discussions?

I haven't noticed a preponderance of privately-educated members - most of us seem to have attended grammar schools.

ff I like your last sentence - just about sums up what's important.

That's strange, a post of mine has not appeared so here it is again.

I do agree Greatnan that only certain types post. And yes, I should have said well educated because I was thinking that most of us posters have had grammar school educations or gone to church schools or whatever.

Another thing for the list before I get my coat, being overly concerned with correct grammar.

There certainly do not seem to be many voices raised in support of our current government, do there. Surely they must have some Dave fans on GN who would support their policies? Give us a good debate? Anyone?

Suspect the grammar thing goes with the generation. That is wot we was taught.
I dont consider myself to be pedantic (unless it is an official, formal document)
But I have twice written emails to point out the errors in email newsletters etc.
One said something like "It's true there is only 56 days left till Christmas" (so why don't you advertise with us...)
and the other was a high powered report by some lobbyists in which they had mixed up their "sewage" with their "sewerage". Seeing as the audience was people concerned with water policy this was a terrible error and I thought it kind to point it out to them! (I did not know until I worked in the water industry - but they all do - sewerage is the system of pipes, sewage is the stuff inside them!)

I would not dream of pointing out grammatical or spelling errors in another member's post, but I do e-mail newspapers when they use the wrong past tenses, or even the 'nob's prounoun' ('between you and I'). I expect journalists, proof readers and sub editors to understand the rules of English.

I'm a product of a very deprived comprehensive school but I have also been a teacher so I fit the professional description.

I'm to the left of Marx in some of my views lol. I can't say I've noticed GN being particularly right wing. Sometimes things are said that make me sit up and think. Maybe even shake me out of my pink/red world view. I like being part of a group with such a range of opinions and beliefs.