Is Gransnet leaning more to the left?

Casdon I agree re Trustpilot single post. It is representative of that single person’s view and not representative at all.

The very very many other Gransnet members can though form a view on whether posts are far left or far right according to accepted definitions not withstanding their personal political leaning I would have thought. Though accept others may not hold my view.

Have any others see far left posts recently like this single trust pilot poster?

Its got it really wrong as regards, "Far Left" I've been in the left since I was 14 and really know the difference (Communist Party Mum and Dad)

Many of the so called "left wing views" were actually standard "left conservative views) 40 years ago. (as in paternalistic but welfare supporting Conservatism). Politics have moved tot he right, but the huge majority of posters are centre or centre left.

Above all, remember that although News and Politics are a big section, most discussions on GN are on other topics.

We don*t know what those Gransnetters vote at all Do how can AI speak as it were for them? It can only draw data from the N and P or some of the chat threads.

Actually many centrists views would now be viewed as far right. Much of the stuff the left is now saying would have been considered insanity 10 years ago. It is why you have a number of originally from the left commentators saying for goodness sake stop this.

Wyllow3

Its got it really wrong as regards, "Far Left" I've been in the left since I was 14 and really know the difference (Communist Party Mum and Dad)

Many of the so called "left wing views" were actually standard "left conservative views) 40 years ago. (as in paternalistic but welfare supporting Conservatism). Politics have moved tot he right, but the huge majority of posters are centre or centre left.

Above all, remember that although News and Politics are a big section, most discussions on GN are on other topics.

We don*t know what those Gransnetters vote at all Do how can AI speak as it were for them? It can only draw data from the N and P or some of the chat threads.

Good point 👏👏

I'm not clear as to whether to OP is talking about the entirety of GNet or the News and Politics forum in particular. Chat Gtp's analysis cold well be of that forum, as could be the anonymous Trustpilot review, but when you consider the very wide range of forums offered by Gnet, most of which seem to have no political bias whatsoever I can't see either critiques applying to Gnet forums as a whole.

I tend to agree with Casdon here:

Everybody can join in, but throwaway comments without any substance or evidence are given scant attention because the debate is more important than the view,

Galaxy

Actually many centrists views would now be viewed as far right. Much of the stuff the left is now saying would have been considered insanity 10 years ago. It is why you have a number of originally from the left commentators saying for goodness sake stop this.

That’s just the other side of the same coin though.

I think it all depends on the perspective of the Poster.

Yes that's why I saying it casdon

I would say so mainly left on N & P.

With reference to your original post, Sago, I can't see a connection between the choice of favourite books and political persuasion .

I would agree with your post, Sago.
Particularly the 10% of posters responsible for 43% of the posts.
I wouldn't describe them particularly as far left, simply Labour supporters convinced of the rightness of their cause.
Far too much placing people in categories and use of far and hard and even extreme to describe the views of those they disagree with.
Plus a whiff of sanctimony.

If you consider decency and honestly and compassion to only be traits belonging to the left, then the answer is yes.

However, I don’t believe this to be so.

I think these three positive traits, and many other positive characteristics actually exist across left, central and right wing politics.

Chocolatelovinggran

With reference to your original post, Sago, I can't see a connection between the choice of favourite books and political persuasion .

Because the DT is considered right, the Guardian left.

In the words of some others here, what a goady post!

I tried giving Chatgtp a simple statement. 'Gransnet is left leaning. Discuss'

It immediately homed in on the News and Politics forum and ignored all the rest. Forming an opinion from one forum out of many doesn't seem to me to be a valid critique.

I suggested that it might count all the active users of Gnet and see how many there are compared with News and Politics posters. It can't do that at all easily it says. So much for AI...

I will stress at no point have I described any posters. As far left.

The Trustpilot quote did.

I simply asked if this forum was leaning too far left.

LemonJam

Casdon I agree re Trustpilot single post. It is representative of that single person’s view and not representative at all.

The very very many other Gransnet members can though form a view on whether posts are far left or far right according to accepted definitions not withstanding their personal political leaning I would have thought. Though accept others may not hold my view.

I agree with you.

Sago

I will stress at no point have I described any posters. As far left.

The Trustpilot quote did.

I simply asked if this forum was leaning too far left.

Why? What prompted you to ask this?

Is there an “issue” with left leaning posters?

Is there an issue with having reasoned debates under N&P and, for example, holding Trump to account and criticising those who avidly support and follow him and perhaps may wish to introduce some of Trumps “ideas” into our country?

eazybee

I would agree with your post, Sago.
Particularly the 10% of posters responsible for 43% of the posts.
I wouldn't describe them particularly as far left, simply Labour supporters convinced of the rightness of their cause.
Far too much placing people in categories and use of far and hard and even extreme to describe the views of those they disagree with.
Plus a whiff of sanctimony.

How would you describe yourself???

eazybee

I would agree with your post, Sago.
Particularly the 10% of posters responsible for 43% of the posts.
I wouldn't describe them particularly as far left, simply Labour supporters convinced of the rightness of their cause.
Far too much placing people in categories and use of far and hard and even extreme to describe the views of those they disagree with.
Plus a whiff of sanctimony.

Spot on Eazybee 👍🏻

The thread about the Telegraph “greatest” book article:

www.gransnet.com/forums/books_book_club/a1360704-50-Greatest-books-of-all-time?msgid=31739197#31739197

My reply:

*
… our critic picks the half-century of highlights that any serious reader should have on their shelf.

[Jake] Kerridge has organised his list in to pre-17C, 17C & 18C, 19C, 20C and 21C.

Only a serious scholar of literature is going to have read most of those. Several are long verse novels and hard going.

I have read many of them as I have degree in English and they were course material but I wouldn’t have picked most of them as reading for pleasure.

I am afraid than like much in the Telegraph nowadays, the headline is misleading. It’s just one man’s choice and he’s trying to impress.

As lists go, I much preferred The Guardian’s recent list of 100 novels which was a collaborative affair, Still serious works but more accessible, in my opinion. I have read all of them.

www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time

I do consider myself well read. My favourite novel is Middlemarch, which I can read again and again, but some evenings I just want to sit with a cosy crime or something equally light that romps along, something by Graham Norton or similar.

*

If you refer to the Guardian list, Lisa Allardice makes it clear that the newspaper polled 170 novelists, critics and academics for their top 10, ranked in order, which were tallied to compile an overall 100.

In other words, 170 opinions not just one - which sums up the opening post really and the reference to one irritable reviewer on Trustpilot and an AI response which depends on what question was asked.

When I asked ChapGPT for an appraisal, the response was:

a tight-knit sense of community. Users frequently report building genuine, long-term friendships with people they have never met face-to-face.

On the negative side it says:

because the user base is relatively small compared to Mumsnet, critics point out that the forum can feel insular. The same small group of users and cyclical arguments tend to dominate the active threads.

Both of those seem reasonable comments.

ChatGPT’s appraisal mentions neither political nor moderation bias.

Curious that the negative Trustpilot review was made while the book list discussion was current and that it's being cited now.

Cossy

Sago

I will stress at no point have I described any posters. As far left.

The Trustpilot quote did.

I simply asked if this forum was leaning too far left.

Why? What prompted you to ask this?

Is there an “issue” with left leaning posters?

Is there an issue with having reasoned debates under N&P and, for example, holding Trump to account and criticising those who avidly support and follow him and perhaps may wish to introduce some of Trumps “ideas” into our country?

I'm sorry, but you still haven't clarified whether you were referring to all the Gnet forums or just N&P, sago

When you say ^I simply asked if this forum was leaning too far left' we're actually on Chat. Is this the one that is, in your opinion, leaning too far left?

Also, is that the actual question you asked Chatgtp? If it is then it is so value laden I don't see how the AI agent could possibly answer it properly. How can a piece of machine learning tell if something is 'too far' anything at all?

Anyway, what on earth is 'too far left' ?

Eazybee and Sago you are both likely to get a pile on which somewhat proves the point. I’m now posting and running to hide behind the sofa with my tin hat on, as previous posters have done😂

25Avalon

Eazybee and Sago you are both likely to get a pile on which somewhat proves the point. I’m now posting and running to hide behind the sofa with my tin hat on, as previous posters have done😂

😂😂😂