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Original poster

To think we should have the option to have the laughing emoji on our threads

109 replies

Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 19:47

Just that. Why can't we have an option to have the laughing emoji's on if we want and off if we don't?

I've some really funny ( not bitchy, just genuinely funny ) comments lately. I miss being able to laugh react to ones that amused me

OP posts:
Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:40

BIWI · 04/12/2025 21:11

But how would it work if you had it turned on? That would mean you’d be free to belittle and humiliate other posters?

Definitely not.

No, it would mean that you would be in control of if you wanted the laughing emoji to be a reaction to your posts. So if you didn't ever want anyone to put a laughing reaction to your post you'd turn it off and no one would be able to put a laughing emoji to it

But the next poster, if they wanted it on it would mean that anyone could put a laughing reaction to their post. But they'd be aware of that before posting so have a choice

OP posts:
Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 22:39

EchoedSilence · 04/12/2025 21:44

People whined enough so MN would take it away. So it's our turn to whine about wanting it back.

It was removed because it was causing genuine distress and upset to a lot of posters who were bullied by others using it totally inappropriately.

Do you generally class people who are being bullied and who call it out as "whiners"?
Is your attitude to bullying irl just to make the victims of bullying the problem rather than the bullies?

I'm glad btw that you at least admit that you are a whiner.

AromanticSpices · 04/12/2025 22:38

Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:33

Exactly, rats why I suggest letting people choose if they want the emoji on their thread or on their posts. So, no one could laugh react to your thread or post unless you allowed it by ticking a button before posting

I agree and in glad they've cracked down on negative comments, I report a lot 😅 but I also like laugh reacting to genuinely funny comments

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It's not really up to the OP who posts on threads though? There isn't that sort of 'ownership' of thread content just because someone is the OP.

It seems like you're saying certain threads would be set up to discourage people posting about sensitive situations if they don't fancy dealing with anonymous hidden mocking?

I guess this would make more sense on a specific sub-board rather than random threads.

Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:36

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/12/2025 22:33

I didn’t start a thread but commented on one and received the laughing / mocking emoji.
So I don’t think that being able to turn off / on would work. Unless you mean each individual post would have that ability?

Yes individual posts and potentially threads if that's what the OP wanted.... anyone who was going to comment would be able to see that that particular thread had laughing emojis enabled

So, if I didn't want my posts to be "laughed at" I could just click a button to turn it off, when someone clicked to react the laughing emoji wouldn't show up

If I posted elsewhere and enabled the laughing emoji it would then show up

OP posts:
Novostella · 04/12/2025 22:35

I found it odd that MN removed it in the first place because it offended some posters. Honestly, if an emoji affects some people so much they really should step back from the internet. It makes me wonder how people navigate normal daily life tbh.

Some of the replies I see on here to posts are much worse than a laughing emoji.

Edited to add if some people found a little laughing emoji bullying they need to give their head a wobble. I see so much written on threads that could be classed as bullying yet the posts remain. The pile ons on some threads is horrible yet a little laughing emoji was removed… go figure that one out.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/12/2025 22:35

Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:34

I genuinely miss it. Telling someone in a comment that I found their comment funny just takes up room on the thread, it would be simpler to just laugh react to it

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Manufactured grievance? How?

Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:34

Herewegoagainandagainandagain · 04/12/2025 21:04

Modern MN at its finest, a tiny vocal minority with manufactured grievances shouting loud enough to get the laugh emoji removed from everyone instead of just using a report button.

I genuinely miss it. Telling someone in a comment that I found their comment funny just takes up room on the thread, it would be simpler to just laugh react to it

OP posts:
CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 22:34

Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 22:32

Well actually I have absolutely no understanding of how that would work.

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I don't think it's for your or I to understand the technical side of it.

But I do think it may be possible for the tech team to do it.

Hopefully anyway.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/12/2025 22:33

I didn’t start a thread but commented on one and received the laughing / mocking emoji.
So I don’t think that being able to turn off / on would work. Unless you mean each individual post would have that ability?

Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:33

BIWI · 04/12/2025 21:02

Hard ‘no’. Unfortunately there were too many nasty posters who took advantage of the reactions being private, to mock and humiliate other posters.

There have been so many threads recently about how horrible Mumsnet is becoming - acknowledged by @JustineMumsnet - and the laugh reaction only fuelled the nasty posters.

Exactly, rats why I suggest letting people choose if they want the emoji on their thread or on their posts. So, no one could laugh react to your thread or post unless you allowed it by ticking a button before posting

I agree and in glad they've cracked down on negative comments, I report a lot 😅 but I also like laugh reacting to genuinely funny comments

OP posts:
Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 22:32

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 22:30

And yet some posters are desperate to bring back this emoji which was used in such an unpleasant and bullying way. Just why?

Do you not understand what the OP is suggesting?

About it being switched off I mean?

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Well actually I have absolutely no understanding of how that would work.

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 22:30

Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 21:47

There have been multiple threads calling for the laugh emoji to be brought back. Which is why I call it whinging. The subject has been done to death.

This is supposed to be a site for adults. And the assumption is as adults posters can communicate in language and not have to resort to emojis as the only way to express an opinion.

MN is supposed to be trying atm to get rid of some of the nastiness from the site. And yet some posters are desperate to bring back this emoji which was used in such an unpleasant and bullying way. Just why?

Show quote history

And yet some posters are desperate to bring back this emoji which was used in such an unpleasant and bullying way. Just why?

Do you not understand what the OP is suggesting?

About it being switched off I mean?

Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:30

Suednymph · 04/12/2025 21:00

I so miss the laughing emoji. I vote bring it back. I also vote turning off ANY quoting of the original posters opening post on any thread.

I think they should bring it back

Unfortunetly I am one of those who occasionally quotes the OP's original post, only when the thread has ended up with hundreds of comments and I'm late to it though

OP posts:
Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:28

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 20:23

Just make the emojis public is what I say.

That way if anyone is going to use them in a nasty manner, we can all see them.

Edited

I agree with that I think it should all just be public. I know they said about it becoming a popularity contest.... but people do that with comments anyway, especially on AIBU

OP posts:
Original poster
Petpeeveoftheday · 04/12/2025 22:27

AromanticSpices · 04/12/2025 20:39

If you haven't read any of the many threads about why the reaction symbol was removed, please do so to avoid rehashing the same old posts for the 100th time.

Obviously if you're not actually interested in the reasons and just want to let everyone know what you think based on what you've guessed then feel free to do that.

🤷‍♀️ I know they removed it as some people were being unkind with it...... hence why I said putting it as an option to have it on or off 😅

I can't actually see a reason for your post tbh, just cones across as bitchy.

OP posts:
BIWI · 04/12/2025 22:15

EchoedSilence · 04/12/2025 21:20

No I'm just fed up of MNHQ listening to the chosen few.

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But they weren’t. They had been monitoring it for some time to see just how people were using it. (Although I have no idea who you think the ‘chosen few’ might be Hmm)

Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 21:47

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 21:38

I hardly think adding an opinion to a thread discussing this topic is 'whinging'.

Yes it was quite rightly taken away at the time.

But hopefully it may be brought back if MNHQ consider making it so posters can switch it off.

That way, it should hopefully suit everyone (or the majority anyway).

Show quote history

There have been multiple threads calling for the laugh emoji to be brought back. Which is why I call it whinging. The subject has been done to death.

This is supposed to be a site for adults. And the assumption is as adults posters can communicate in language and not have to resort to emojis as the only way to express an opinion.

MN is supposed to be trying atm to get rid of some of the nastiness from the site. And yet some posters are desperate to bring back this emoji which was used in such an unpleasant and bullying way. Just why?

EchoedSilence · 04/12/2025 21:44

People whined enough so MN would take it away. So it's our turn to whine about wanting it back.

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 21:39

AwfullyGood · 04/12/2025 21:37

@CandyCayne and @Tigerbalmshark thanks for sharing. Wow, didn't realise it was being used like that.

In my naivety, I thought it was used to laugh at crazy posts like "my little Johnny has had 100 detentions this year, but I think the teachers are just on a power trip - he had only hit others kids 60 of those times and only when provoked"

The problem isn't the emoji though - it's MN not banning posters. It was the lazy solution.

The problem isn't the emoji though - it's MN not banning posters. It was the lazy solution.

Yes, it was 1 million percent the lazy solution.

Like giving a whole class punishment rather than dealing with the perpetrators.

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 21:38

Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 21:35

It's ridiculous that posters are still whinging about it being taken away.

If you find a post amusing it's so, so easy to post a quick comment and say so.

The site got along without the laugh emoji for years. It was only available for a really short time. It was totally abused by a lot of nasty posters. And was quite rightly taken away.

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I hardly think adding an opinion to a thread discussing this topic is 'whinging'.

Yes it was quite rightly taken away at the time.

But hopefully it may be brought back if MNHQ consider making it so posters can switch it off.

That way, it should hopefully suit everyone (or the majority anyway).

AwfullyGood · 04/12/2025 21:37

@CandyCayne and @Tigerbalmshark thanks for sharing. Wow, didn't realise it was being used like that.

In my naivety, I thought it was used to laugh at crazy posts like "my little Johnny has had 100 detentions this year, but I think the teachers are just on a power trip - he had only hit others kids 60 of those times and only when provoked"

The problem isn't the emoji though - it's MN not banning posters. It was the lazy solution.

Wellstonethecrows · 04/12/2025 21:35

EchoedSilence · 04/12/2025 20:37

It's ridiculous that they took it away in the first place.

It's ridiculous that posters are still whinging about it being taken away.

If you find a post amusing it's so, so easy to post a quick comment and say so.

The site got along without the laugh emoji for years. It was only available for a really short time. It was totally abused by a lot of nasty posters. And was quite rightly taken away.

Isittimeformynapyet · 04/12/2025 21:32

Tigerbalmshark · 04/12/2025 21:31

MNHQ confirmed it on various threads on Site Stuff. Go have a look.

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Thanks

Tigerbalmshark · 04/12/2025 21:31

Isittimeformynapyet · 04/12/2025 21:25

@JudgeBread you answered my question. How do you know people are doing this unless you do it yourself?

MNHQ confirmed it on various threads on Site Stuff. Go have a look.

Isittimeformynapyet · 04/12/2025 21:30

CandyCayne · 04/12/2025 21:27

This doesn't make sense.

Perhaps she knows because someone did it to her?

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Fair point. I guess the second part of her post made me think it was possible. I mean, I agree with her(?) up to a point.

I used the 🤣 a few times when someone posted something totally earnest but batshit and I guess they could have complained.