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MNHQ

Please help us to improve Mumsnet - join the Mumsnet Talk Testing Panel

92 replies

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2021 12:02

It’s no secret that Mumsnet is OLD and as such Talk can be a bit creaky and buggy, particularly when we release new features.

We've been working hard for a while now behind the scenes in preparation for re-platforming to a more up to date and agile architecture and code base. It's taken a while because MN is so big and old but later this year we very much hope to be able to move over to a new and improved platform.

We will be keeping the functionality largely unchanged for now (the aim will be to make updates and add more features once we're on the new platform) but we are planning some limited improvements to the user experience and to some aspects that don't function at all well or where there are large inconsistencies across the desktop and mobile versions of the site.

For example we'll be modernising PMs, image uploading and the way long threads load (to speed things up).

We are really keen to get this right and to minimise disruption, and so we'd love your help us to shape and test the new platform. Please click here if you would like to be part of the testing group, and we will be in touch soon with more details.

(nb At the moment we're just focusing on the web version of the site, so if you only use the app, then we don't need you to participate just yet - we'll be looking at that later.)

Big thanks.

OP posts:
ReneetheRobin · 07/05/2021 05:57

Please improve search!

Good luck with the changes.

1Morewineplease · 06/05/2021 19:02

Maybe a button that you can press to like and/or agree with a poster's comment .

Quoting someone's, often long , response takes up a lot of unnecessary screen space and just saying'I agree with @poster ' may not have much clout as your post can get lost 20 , 30 or more posts later and have no meaning.

If someone agrees with a pp then you have to scroll far back to see what that pp said.

Dowser19 · 06/05/2021 15:36

Don’t change it perfect as it is

MNHQ
JanineMumsnet · 06/05/2021 08:58

@EggysMom

Happy to participate so long as (1) you actually listen to feedback and (2) you don't make a mess of it. I helped to test another popular forum but found the web designers very resistent to feedback, they referred to us as 'old-timers' when we started to point out unfriendly aspects of the new design. Said forum pushed through their changes and it's now incredibly clunky and has lost most of its regular posters.
We hope this will be a very different experience as we are not using a 3rd party solution - we are building this platform from scratch to take into account the features we know our regular users love and rely on. These are features that just can't be found in an existing off the shelf solution.

So we'd really love for you to get involved. We promise we will listen, and if something just isn't possible, we will be able to explain why.

Fashio · 06/05/2021 05:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ContessaVerde · 05/05/2021 18:30

Will any of the changes address how vile people seem to have become towards each other in recentyears?

EggysMom · 05/05/2021 18:26

Happy to participate so long as (1) you actually listen to feedback and (2) you don't make a mess of it. I helped to test another popular forum but found the web designers very resistent to feedback, they referred to us as 'old-timers' when we started to point out unfriendly aspects of the new design. Said forum pushed through their changes and it's now incredibly clunky and has lost most of its regular posters.

FTEngineerM · 05/05/2021 10:18

@JanineMumsnet

I have just got some clarity on whether video recording is strictly necessary. We don't need the video recording, the most important elements are the screen and audio. We use various different tools for user testing, and generally they all do video recording as part of it. However, if you do not give this tool access to your camera/you cover your camera up then we can still do the testing and we don't have to record your face.
Thank you Wine
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/05/2021 10:09

@JanineMumsnet

I have just got some clarity on whether video recording is strictly necessary. We don't need the video recording, the most important elements are the screen and audio. We use various different tools for user testing, and generally they all do video recording as part of it. However, if you do not give this tool access to your camera/you cover your camera up then we can still do the testing and we don't have to record your face.
Great. Thanks!
MNHQ
JanineMumsnet · 05/05/2021 09:46

I have just got some clarity on whether video recording is strictly necessary. We don't need the video recording, the most important elements are the screen and audio. We use various different tools for user testing, and generally they all do video recording as part of it. However, if you do not give this tool access to your camera/you cover your camera up then we can still do the testing and we don't have to record your face.

MNHQ
JanineMumsnet · 05/05/2021 09:29

Hi everyone,

Thanks to all those who have signed up.

Just to explain, for some of the testing we won't require any recording at all, as we will eventually have a working prototype for you to use and beta test in your own time and we will likely ask for feedback in the form of a survey and feedback on a private thread.

However, for some early testing the recording is helpful as we will be asking for quite detailed feedback on one specific feature or section of talk, and the recording makes it helpful for us to be able to make detailed notes to pass on to our developers/designers. The recording will consist of screen, audio and video recording.

So if you aren't comfortable being recorded please sign up anyway as there will be things for everyone to help out with.

Hope that makes sense.

FinallyHere · 05/05/2021 09:23

Would love to join in, as an almost exclusively app user shall stand by my bed for the call. Good luck.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/05/2021 07:47

I’ve ticked yes on the video and audio recording because it didn’t give more options but I would request audio over video. Screen record maybe.

spongedog · 04/05/2021 21:53

yes not keen on video but dont mind audio for eg a focus group conversation that you might need to replay.

Fashio · 04/05/2021 21:33

The search is terrible.

elQuintoConyo · 04/05/2021 21:31

Video? Eff that, sorry.

I work 3-5 hours/day on zoom, I'm not doing more in my free time, sorry. I'd do an online questionnaire but not that. Good luck.

FTEngineerM · 04/05/2021 16:55

I’m actually a software tester for my day joband addicted to MN, I’m not sure I like the idea of video recordings though. Is that mandatory?