What boards are disappearing or merging?

The only topic I check specifically is Arts and Crafts so I have no idea what topics could go.

I actually think posting on the topics concerned is a far better way of doing it - it was quite clear that Teenagers should stay for example.

Yes, someone wouid need to go through all the replies, and see whether there was any points of commonality and that would then be the firstncull. It really wouldn't take long to do, it's a very straightforward thing.

If there are really no points of commonality (for example, do you really want to keep all those I said I'd be happy to see the back of?) then all that has been lost is a couple of weeks. For a non-urgent task, that's nothing.

If they asked users what could go they would get a miriad of different answers and be no further forward.

Still think it's a shame it's being done thus way round, rather than consulting uses on what couid go.

I saw some spam in 'Toys reunited' and that's one that really needs to go.

Ditto boards which never took off, like The Plughole, Is This Nice? Burth Announcents, possibly all of Bloggers Talk, Books Classified, Wine, probably end House Swaps (doubt MN is a good platform to share personal info), Podcasts (merge with radio) and Streamed TV (merge with Telly Addicts), Arts and Crafts Oictures, Have You Seen This? Facebook, EBay, Crime, Human Rights and Politics (merge into 'In The News') Newbies Corner, Refugee Crisus (again merge to 'In The News'), Products, and the entire For sale/Wanted section

Also merge Cakes and Bakes with Baking

Or just one showing all of them so that they are all in one place.

The only way that would work for "everyone" is to have one that shows all and one that excludes aibu/Chat.

Maybe you could have two Active pages - one showing AIBU/Chat only and one showing all the other boards?

I was about to come and post exactly the same as SoupDragon about Arts and Crafts and A&C Pictures.

You could take AIBU out of active as people can just go straight to it if that's what they're looking for. Then some of the other topics would stand half a chance in active.

I wouldn't want topics removed from "active" as that's really the only place I look for threads. I like "active conversations" to be all on one place.

That's a good idea I think Tunt.

That’s a good idea about active..... or perhaps the side box could be changed to AIBU/Chat trending and active could be most active threads from the other boards?

Arts and Crafts Pictures can easily be merged with Atrs and
Crafts - it was only set up in the days before pictures were allowed on all threads.

I don't think we'll be merging the Teenagers section - the feedback from users of that area demonstrates how useful and valued the section is. So our challenge now is to increase the profile of that area of the site so that more people can find it and use it as a valuable resource.

Brilliant. May I suggest having teenagers 'visible' when you click on the Talk menu without needing to expand.
e.g. Being a Parent: Parenting, Sleep, Teenagers

Yes, I get the idea that you want to hear from users in the group.

But that doesn't mean you cannot also get ideas from MNetters in general as well.

After all, we might surprise you with useful ideas of which really are redundant, and which, even if barely used are a useful resource and valued by users.

Moving threads to topics would make them an even more useful resource. No-one is going to plough through AIBU when they could bring Wes the place where many threads will be reasonably relevant.

TBH teenagers is quite easy to find.

The problem you have is a large amount of people only read active threads, this means AIBU and chat take up quite a bit of that. It would be beneficial to restrict the number of AIBU allowed on the active thread at one time (maybe 3), leaving room and time for some of the other boards to appear there before being bumped off active threads.

I hope @MNHQ will be commenting on this thread

Keep teenagers please. It’s a lifeline.

Finding out which ones MNetters think are redundant seems a better way round than MN quietly deleting some.

I think Sleb Twaddle and the Science/Nature Club were also both in their sights.

I'd quite like I see a proper consultation about a cull. Not least as many topics appeared from popular demand, so having a say about what topics there are is something that we already have.

Our ideas of what's valued might be very different to MNHQ's (remember the reversals of changes before, when things that MNHQ thought were peripheral were actually much liked features)

Maybe having only chat and aibu would sort the traffic problem

Hands off the weather section unless it's to move it to a more prominent position.

As a parenting site the parenting sections should be left as they are.
Merge non parenting boards if there is a real need to merge anything.

MNHQ really need to sort AIBU out.

I think the main problem is that posters post on boards like AIBU for traffic. I wish they would post on the right boards in the first place.