MNHQ here: removing the 90 day limit on _Chat threads

I think it poof, actually.

30 days only will become the new Chat eventually I think.

Chat will not go back to 90 day deletions. We have been told this unequivocally. They must be sweating in HQ with so much work to do!

Just an aside, if you look at the A-Z topics, honestly there are far too many. Most people seem to post in Chat and AIBU anyway. AIBU is open ended, but has the most traffic anyway I think.

Time for a bit of a cull of some very obscure topics I think!

Don't worry, another one won't do any harm anyway!

Some interested responses on mine - who have since posted on here. But some "don't give a shiny shite" or "why are you so arsed about this?"

My thread in Chat was to subsequently point out that I thought it wasn't great that MNHQ hadn't publicised this change more openly. As you say, there are so many people either don't look at Site Stuff or they don't know it even exists!

They'll all be whinging in a few months time when their threads haven't disappeared, as anticipated!

And MNHQ will be running around like blue arsed flies having to either move or delete threads.

I thought I searched for an existing Chat thread... oops! Sorry Pan!

I started one in Chat yesterday too, yawning!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3338647-MNHQ-WANTS-TO-REMOVE-THE-90-DAY-LIMIT-ON-CHAT-THREADS-THEY-WILL-BE-HERE-FOR-PERPETUITY?msgid=80318504

And I shouted - much good it did me!

You know that a forum has gone to pot when you end up practically doing the HQ's job for it! Hope this works!

Yesterday afternoon, upthread at about 1.30, I suggested it should be 'stickied' in Chat.

Did they take any notice? Did they hell.

Ffs.

"Why isn't this stickied"

Bad idea and who isn't this stickied at the top of Chat?

glintandglide, I doubt that any of us are expecting a last minute volte-face from MNHQ at this stage, given that they presented it to us as a fait accompli on Friday lunchtime - not long before they, presumably, buggered off for the weekend! But there's no harm in people weighing in with their opinions in the meantime!

@KateMumsnet what about special needs chat. It was a very specific request to have a forum where, given the sensitive nature of some of the threads, they did disappear so that they couldn't be found by people's children, years down the line. I think a lot of people will be angry if you take that away.

Historically there were far fewer posters. It’s far more difficult to canvass opinion and take it into account now.

Glint historically MNHQ did care what existing users thought about changes. Some of us still hold out hope that our views still matter. That might be misguided or naive I suppose.

I love how MN have posted to tell us what they’re doing and posters are still discussing it as though it’s a consultation

This is one of those decisions where the interests of current users is not aligned with the forum's business model. Could we compromise and get rid of user names after 90 days?

I don't like this idea at all. I often post replies on Chat or 30 days only that I wouldn't post on other topics, because I know they'll disappear eventually.

Could we not just have one 'Chat' but when someone posts a new thread they get to tick. 30, 90 or indefinite before posting. Could your systems cope with that?

Horrible idea!

I hate how the majority of threads hang about forever. Puts me right off MN.

Instead of having some areas which delete after a certain time, is it possible to have a checkbox on every thread that says "Delete after 30 days"? That way we can choose to have a short-lived thread in any area?

Incidentally, when a thread expires, does it actually get deleted, or is it just no longer shown? Eg could MNHQ still look at it? I've wondered this when I've had a thread with good advice and maybe a few useful links, but it's vanished before I've clicked on them... Would MNHQ (in theory at least) be able to look the thread up and get the links? (I realise you may not want to allow that, as it would be a ton of extra work; I just wonder if it's possible)

It's not stickied for me. But I've noticed things have been changing recently and what is stickied one time may not if I go back, so it may have appeared stickied pan and now gone.

How odd, it was 'stickied' in Active just now, but now it's not - maybe I was imagining it

yawning apparently tech have more important things to be doing. I emailed about it again and got told its on their list but they've much more important things to do.

To be honest I'd have thought having years out of date trending threads on getting started would have been very important, especially given this immediate change to chat but there you go.

They do appear to have 'stickied' it in Active, yawning, but not in Chat itself, which I'd suggested they did yesterday.

Yeah Trish, 100% true. I heard we’ll have to sprinkle slug pellets on our cornflakes in the morning.

Can you not just move all the Chat threads (and AIBU for that matter) to the appropriate topic? So a thread titled for instance 'Aibu to want a second referendum' would be moved straight to the Brexit board. Create one last board for the leftovers, call it say Random Drivel.