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Sorry GNHQ I don't like the Oldie Borum

(141 Posts)
grannyactivist Wed 14-Mar-12 22:57:06

Okay - a little bit contentious perhaps, but I don't actually like Gransnet being linked with a publication. Although the things I share on Gransnet are public and I have no illusions about what that means, I think that the link with the Oldie Magazine substantially changes the forum and I feel very uncomfortable about having my posts under the press microscope. In short, I just don't trust the press.

So, from now on I won't be posting much in the way of personal stuff and I do feel let down that GNHQ took this decision without soliciting the views of existing posters.

Carol Thu 15-Mar-12 09:19:17

Suggestion - why not delete the Oldie Borum Forum threads and just join in like everyone else? And stop interrogating us all? I thought Gransnet was inclusive and welcoming, and joined when I experienced that myself, so it feels very odd to be protesting like this.

If the Borum wants to be separate and find out some information from Gransnetters, then follow the usual protocol and pose the questions under 'media/research.'

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:38:29

I'm trying to get my head round how it works. When you go to the oldie borum from the mag, it says it is "powered by Gransnet" and it shows up over there just the same as the oldie borum thread topic here, but feinter. I think Gransnet must somehow do the technical side of it and, sort of, beam it across to them. And their readers' contributions will somehow bounce back to our topic thred.

I'm fine with it btw. smile

Can't see what all the fuss is about. (and it was funny the way it happened yesterday (well, I enjoyed it)) grin

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:40:13

They didn't mean it to be like they were "interrogating us" Carol*. They just wanted some threads started up on the oldie borum in their mag. (which I would NEVER buy btw)

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:40:44

I'll stick to Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan.

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:47:07

Btw I can't see any reason why any of us would want to post on there as we already have our Topics which fit our needs. We would probably join in a thread if someone started an interesting thread on there, from the magazine side.

Which I don't think is very likely, given that it appears they already tried a forum and it fizzled out.

Charlotta Thu 15-Mar-12 09:52:12

Who is this Charlotte? If it appears that she gets mixed up with me then I shall have to change my name!
I think The Oldie is an awful mag. It is one of those rags that I woudn't want to be seen reading in the dentist's waiting room.

Annobel Thu 15-Mar-12 09:54:41

Why did they start a 'what are you reading?' thread when we already have one that they could quite easily either join in or observe?

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:57:16

No one would get mistaken for you Charlotta. grin wink

I suppose she is the mag's equivalent to Geraldine.

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 09:59:16

She obviously hadn't checked our threads out Annobel.

Cock-up all round wasn't it?! grin

Charlotta Thu 15-Mar-12 10:00:21

Thanks jingle! Nor you either in spite of having your 5th? name.

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 10:00:41

Of course, they wouldn't be able to see our 'what are you reading' thread on their oldie borum in the mag.

I don't think.

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 10:01:08

Charlotta grin

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 10:02:55

I think we should avoid posting on that topic and see whether they can manage a forum without our input. [doubtful] smile

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 10:08:43

I think it's just another way for GN to get more members through the extra exposure. When you go to it from the Oldie web page it says Gransnet Forums in large letters at the top,

I will give my brain fingers a rest now and try thinking about something else, like cleaning the bathroom. and let someone else get a word in edgeways blush

grannyactivist Thu 15-Mar-12 10:47:00

Just checked all the Active threads to see if there has been a response from GNHQ and I'm a little bit surprised to find that, as yet, they have not responded. hmm

Bez Thu 15-Mar-12 10:48:28

I found all the first lot of posts very strange and felt it was some sort of infiltration and did post and ask why they were asking all the questions and giving none of their own ideas/feelings.

I agree about being uncomfortable with the extra link we can do nothing about - why can it not be a button at the top which will go straight to the Oldie forum if anyone wishes to contribute there - they have that link here it seems and then anyone posting on the borum would be aware of it.

I used to belong to the original GH forum - that got a bit nasty with some of the postings and many people left and then the forum was drasticlly changed but I have never belonged to the new version. I would hate to see anything like that happen here as this is a nice friendly place. confused

em Thu 15-Mar-12 10:59:13

First time in a week or so that I've managed to log on here and am pretty taken aback to find this. I read the WW2 memories thread - surely that shows how totally out of touch 'they' are with the majority of us. After a difficult few days I was looking forward to catching up but am very disappointed to find this has been imposed with absolutely no prior consultation with existing members. I think it implies an air of complacency in GNHQ - as if they feel they can simply make a significant change without the courtesy of suggesting and discussing first. Will go off and 'reconsider my position!'

Annobel Thu 15-Mar-12 11:02:02

Don't abandon us, please, em. You are not alone by any means in finding this innovation unacceptable.

em Thu 15-Mar-12 11:05:12

Thanks A. The more of us who make it clear that we find this imposition unacceptable the sooner they might realise that they got it wrong - both the concept and they way it was (or rather wasn't) introduced.

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 11:10:31

em! Don't you go going anywhere!!! angry

(hope things are looking up for you and yours) sunshine

wotsamashedupjingl Thu 15-Mar-12 11:11:11

Should have added a wink next to that angry !

Elegran Thu 15-Mar-12 11:12:09

I have just gone to The Oldie online and logged in there (If you have a subscriber number from buying the mag it is your password) and looked at the Oldie Borum.

It opens at the topic name Oldie Borum, with all the threads under that topic name. The whole page is in fact the Gransnet page, with all the same stuff at the top - Active, I'm On and so on - and I reached this thread from there. I then logged in to post exactly as on Gransnet, with Gransnet username and password.

So what greets you on entering the Oldie Borum is their own topics, but otherwise it is just a link to Gransnet.

jeni Thu 15-Mar-12 11:13:00

Perhaps we ought to have a vote on this?

Carol Thu 15-Mar-12 11:13:52

I don't get the impression that any of us don't welcome new members, and we all do tend to go off at a tangent with our discussions, which shows we happily evolve and are open to new ideas, but this isn't what we are experiencing here, is it?

It feels like a commercial project being planted onto a friendly forum, not for reasons of giving, but to extract.

em Thu 15-Mar-12 11:17:27

Thanks J - I think I've changed the status from 'very difficult' to 'difficult but manageable'!! Can't really explain why, but was seriously put out when I got back to find all this! It's pretty obvious that virtually no-one is welcoming GNHQ's latest initiative with open arms but I admire those of you who are willing to be more tolerant of it than I feel! I think it's the sense of imposition without consultation that irritates me - and yes I know I can ignore the whole damn thing - but I am still disgruntled.