Why do you come to Gransnet?

I like the general forums especially those with humour. Hate the ones where people are rude or dismissive of people or problems. Love the book club with the chance of winning a book and finally the competitions.

General chatter, advice, book club, competitions.
I love it!

I like to read some of the more interesting posts, especially the political ones (sorry Tizliz!) I read many of the recipes and decide to make them (but generally don't!) and enjoy the competitions - but I especially like receiving books and reviewing them (however, I wish there was more time available for reviews because I often receive books when I'm in the middle of another so don't start the new one for some time!)

So many interesting posts, some quite topical, and I've found I've learned a lot - "Not a lot of people know that" kind of thing. Some sad but there are lots of laughs from lovely Gransnet viewers too. Never dull and so glad I found this site which was through Silver Traveller, another inspiring read.

I come on mainly when I see something of interest in my daily email. I also enter competitions, again if I see them and I'd like to win what you are offering.

Lara, I enjoy the anonymity so I deliberately would not recommend GN to close friends.

I think that I have helped some people recently when putting on my ex professional hat.

Lively debate on topical issues
Sound advice
General chit chat with virtual friends

I don't bother with competitions or word games

I came across GN when I was very ill and had been off work for a year. I was missing the company and banter of my colleagues and feeling a bit lonely
I lurked for a while, as I felt a bit like an interloper,as everyone seemed to know each other. However, I decided to join in on the games threads despite frequently getting mixed up with which game I am on. People have been friendly and kind. In fact I have made friends with a couple of grans. They kindly PMed me when they noticed I had not been on for a week, due to illness.
I avoid the political threads, as I find the the nastiness of a few posters upsetting, but I love the banter on some of the other threads. Soop's kitchen is such a gentle relief from the harsher posts. I will suddenly start chuckling at some of the posts on the Argy, Bargy Cafe and my DH wonders what I am laughing at.
As an evangelising pedant, I eagerly look daily for new posts. Thanks GN

GN HQ why are you trying to "grow" Gransnet? Obviously there must be commercial implications. I'm wary of being "used" for this. Anything to put my mind at ease?

Enjoy reading the different posts everyday and responding if I feel I can help or have something to say. I don't do the quizzes competitions etc.

General chat,Soops kitchen,advice. I tend to ignore the political threads, (too much ranting and unpleasantness,). Don't look at the games threads either.

I have a friend who is denied access to her grandchild after her son, the father, died. I suggested she look at this site and maybe share her situation for some moral support but I don't think she has. Unless she's lurking.

I enjoy reading the forums each morning. I live in a quiet village dont have any friends, but I feel as if I know you all as friends and we catch up with each other each day.
There have been times I have asked for advice or your opinion on something -and I have always had a friendly helpful response.
When my daughter died 17 months ago I had so many kind and supportive messages.
Also enjoy reading about other Grans lifestyles, interests etc.
I am well aware 2 or 3 people can be unpleasant , but I just ignore their posts, as I'm sure they only do it to get a reaction.

I first came here through a competition site. I have won a book and a DVD. I stayed because there aren't many sites for people of our age. Mature Times is a bit stair lifty (if you know what I mean) and there is so much ageism around nowadays that seems acceptable in a way that it never did in the past. It is acceptable to an unbelievable degree on sites like the Guardian.

I've noticed that there is now a Jaycee55 so I may change my name to avoid confusion. I am sure she is very nice but I'll have to think of something else.

I cannot understand the turn this thread on what seems like a very innocuous topic has taken. No one wants too much moderation (I once had a message removed for misquoting someone that I hadn't quoted at all which was a bit odd) but the nastiness seemed to come from nothing.

I quite like the political posts when people give reasoned arguments but, like the rest of social media, there is more shut downs than debates and it does seem to be getting more unpleasant.

On the points people have made about not getting a response, that may be because the thread had got a bit long and it can feel a bit pointless if you are responding to people several pages later. There are groups who seem to chat among themselves but it is best just to ignore that. At least there isn't the irritating tagging that you get on facebook.

I stumbled into GN when I spotted a link to a thread on being a long-distance grandparent. My only DGD was living in the US at the time so it struck a chord. Most out of character for me to join a forum of any kind, however, I became quite addicted and found so many kind and empathetic listeners when circumstances in my life became quite tough. I do have real life friends, but they didn't necessarily understand what I was going through, whereas lots of GN's did.

I don't post much any more, which is ungrateful of me when I received so much help, but I find a lot of the threads of no interest, can't bear confrontation, and some posts are too long to read through them all (says she who is writing an epistle )

Nevertheless, I do try to check in to see how everyone is doing and I feel for those in trouble of any kind. I must also add that I have met several really lovely Gransnetters in person which has been enormously enjoyable, and I'm about to take a second cruise with a very dear and generous GN member.

So glad I joined, thank you GHQ

Love the diversity of the forum ...the advice, the support, humour and the virtual friendships ....so glad I found it ! Thanks everyone

Fun, friendly advice and some interesting discussions. Now and then things get a little heated, or even boring when some posters 'takeover' a thread and bang on about something. But mostly posters are informative, friendly and interesting

I love reading other posts. I enjoy posting on the good morning threads, and I like the books/competition section, too. I also like the good advice offered by GNs.
Some posts can be a bit unkind (or come across that way but perhaps not meant) but on the whole, GNs are friendly and supportive.

I found Mumsnet first. I joined them because I wanted an insight into the way young mums thought, to hopefully help me understand my DIL. I still enjoy Mumsnet more than Gransnet and threads such as the recent one on vacuuming the mattress have reduced me to tears of laughter, others have had me checking a thread repeatedly when anxious or over invested about a situation a fellow mumsnetter Is dealing with, and the sad ones where everyone rallies round to support someone in trouble.
I don't get the same feeling from Gransnet and hate when the same few members dominate a thread with nasty bickering. I am not against disagreement, but a few people on here need to pull their heads in. Perhaps Lara we might be allowed to vote for a "time out" for the worst offenders?
A crossover of the best threads from Mumsnet would let Gransnet members see how to inject a bit of humour and vibrancy into topics. (A good start would be the
mattress one!)
If the threads were more interesting then members would be automatically recommending the site to others.

I too use Gransnet to see what other people are thinking, sharing problems and having a laugh.
I agree that it would be nice if it was a bit more interactive, so that you could respond to a post without having to go all the way to the end of the thread by which time the original subject may have gone off at a tangent.
I quite like the political discussions, and it's good to have a bit of debate. I do find it strange tho', that having a different opinion to someone can result in being called unpleasant names. Surely the art of debate is to convince by intellectual strength, not bullying? Or, of course, we can always politely agree to differ!

Liked your post, joyfully!

Elegran that is a good idea and I hope that GNHQ could perhaps do that. I notice some posters who used to contribute quite regularly are missing or post very rarely indeed. If they had posted about problems or coping with an illness we do wonder if everything is all right with them.

I agree with many who posted on this thread,but I'd like to add what I've gained,quite unexpectedly from GN,and that is confidence. I've seen that so many other GNs have similar approaches to problems as I do. Recently I've noticed that I'm far more assertive and the world hasn't fallen apart with me being like that. Thanks to all who post. Even if you don't get recognition every time,you can be sure you're reaching out to someone. I'm off to put the sick bucket out for someone else to wash out!

I like the conversations and general subjects I don't always reply to some of the stories especially the ones to do with family, some of those are quite sad that a lot of people have problems with sons and daughters and other members of the family.
I am retired and I love my iPad it's opened up so much of interest on different subjects.

Start a thread under 'ask a gran' might elicit some answers, netgran