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Original poster

Is there just less content being posted now?

191 replies

partystress · 18/06/2022 03:08

Been a MNer for 16 years I think. For the first time ever, I’m finding nothing to read. The same threads hang around for days and days. Active is a longer list than it used to be, but seems to have threads that have not been added to.

I will keep popping in because FWR is so informative, but I no longer feel this is somewhere to come for entertainment or amusement. (Although I did lol at Frubes for the fanjo yesterday!)

OP posts:
Inklingpot · 21/06/2022 14:51

ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 21/06/2022 11:36

I agree. It would be a lot of work for the mods for a few weeks, but once people got the message that they can't use AIBU "for traffic" it would slow down a lot.

Yes, I agree with this too. AIBU has just become a total free for all with a large number of posts not even having an AIBU. And because AIBU is known as the bear pit, posters rip into the OPs regardless of the thread.

There are dozens of topics on MN which are tumbleweed central and if moderators (because surely that’s the job of a moderator) moved threads into correct topics, those topics would appear in Active more often and people might feel less compelled to shoehorn every single post into an AIBU for traffic.

ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 21/06/2022 11:36

I agree. It would be a lot of work for the mods for a few weeks, but once people got the message that they can't use AIBU "for traffic" it would slow down a lot.

JaneJeffer · 21/06/2022 09:13

I agree that allowing AIBU to be used for traffic is adding to the problem of bad feeling. Everything is up for criticism there. Moving threads to where they belong would help.

Monty27 · 21/06/2022 03:58

The hide buttons don't work IME. (Android phone ) and too much repetition on topics. Conversely twenty different threads under aibu talking about holidays or covid or skiing. The board is all over the shop.
You have one job 🤠
Just trying to be helpful cos it's just not what it used to be 👍🏼

Daisyroseandhyacinth · 20/06/2022 19:21

ImaniMumsnet · 20/06/2022 18:59

Hi @Daisyroseandhyacinth , to hide threads please click 'hide' at the top of the thread. You'll see it to the right of purple button that says 'Watch thread' and the button that says 'Flip' next to it.

Do let us know if this is not showing up for you

Thanks but I was referring to hiding whole subjects, like baby names or relationships. I figured it out eventually though.

MNHQ
ImaniMumsnet · 20/06/2022 18:59

Hi @Daisyroseandhyacinth , to hide threads please click 'hide' at the top of the thread. You'll see it to the right of purple button that says 'Watch thread' and the button that says 'Flip' next to it.

Do let us know if this is not showing up for you

JaneJeffer · 20/06/2022 17:58

@EmmaH2022 you were correct that having an assessment isn't the same as being ill but I can't be bothered to post on there and get my head bitten off.

EmmaH2022 · 20/06/2022 17:47

*find something helpful for the OP, not me 😂

EmmaH2022 · 20/06/2022 17:47

I admit I am short on patience
but being told off for missing sone info when I had originally hoped to find something helpful - another poster with an elderly mum - and then being thoroughly told off....it's exactly the kind of thing that makes you wonder if real life is becoming less scary than the internet.

i doubt it's MN specific, it's just I like hanging out here normally but not at the mo.

diddl · 20/06/2022 16:14

Was just on one that has gone & I happened to see the deletion message.

Nothing on my TIO so I guess the message, like the thread, didn't stick around!

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 20/06/2022 15:45

Sadly I think a lot more can go whoosh Jane

The daftness of some of the posts is driving me nuts. Some are for froth. Some are just a non-event.

e.g my friend told me not to wear purple. I don’t even like to wear purple. I’m fuming/offended/upset/eating 300 cakes.

To be fair, the last one is made up but it isn’t a million miles away.

I truly missed MN when I was put on the naughty step. I really did. But the clowns are taking over the circus and spoiling it.

I know you have to take some posts with a ruddy great shovelful pinch of salt but some are just utter mince. Plain as eggs.

JaneJeffer · 20/06/2022 15:03

And whoosh there goes another thread. Waste of time posting on anything anymore.

ginslinger · 20/06/2022 13:51

Yes, to dimmer and humourless too

ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 20/06/2022 12:53

I never agree with the "MN used to be so much nicer!" stuff - rose-tinted - but I'm certain the average user is much dimmer now. Is it from when Netmums' forum shut down?

P205 · 20/06/2022 12:21

The thing is people won't care about the reasons. So many forums and social media platforms have gone under over the years because people get fed-up with technical issues.

Original poster
partystress · 20/06/2022 11:52

@JustineMumsnet thank you for taking the time to respond. I am slightly encouraged, especially by the openness to looking at moderation. It would be great to think that MN could buck the trend on polarisation. I don’t think moderation alone would achieve that, but it might help encourage MNers with a more positive spirit to post more and dilute the negatives?

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 20/06/2022 10:51

A professional troll you might call them
I'd call them something else but I'd get deleted.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 20/06/2022 10:50

Monty27 · 20/06/2022 03:41

The site has become exclusive and rolling in money from Premium. We get the dross site algorithms over here. The adverts for example 🙄

I wish! The adverts are what keeps the site free to use - wish we didn't have to have em but till we come up with a better business model, we're stuck with them.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 20/06/2022 10:48

FinanceLPlates · 19/06/2022 13:08

@JustineMumsnet (I know it’s the weekend so no answer expected today of course, but I hope you read this thread and it provides some constructive food for thought)
I really feel this is a critical moment for the survival of Mumsnet as a force for good (good support, good learning about important issues, good fun….)
I’d hate to see it become a wasteland.
What’s the plan to rectify the tech issues?
Could the moderation policy be reviewed?
What can we do to help?

Thanks for the heads up FinanceLPlates - I'm reading this and there's a lot in here to be sure:

On the tech glitches - search/ quoting/ pms/ trending threads/ server response time for some browsers - they're all on the list and we are working on fixes.

The performance issues at 10pm were server related and should now have been fixed.

On the page refresh when the ads load - we been looking at this for a bit but can't replicate it/ get to the bottom of it and would love to get a bit more info - if anyone's prepared to give details of device, browser, and ideally which pages it's happening on (eg Talk topic) and which ads are causing/loading on the refresh that would be really helpful - either PM me or post here? Sorry for those it's affecting - agree it must be really annoying.

On the active algorithm we made a tweak some time ago (about a year ago?) to try to ensure newer threads weren't crowded out by older ones (ie one's with more than 500 posts). But aside from that there hasn't been a change.

If you think there's an actual tech issue with active or trending not updating (again we can't replicate this) then again it would be really useful to know device and browser. (plse pm or post here).

On over-zealous moderation of threads we'll definitely look into that - thanks for the feedback. We've always been aware that people go to a lot of effort to post responses and that we shouldn't delete threads with lots of responses willy nilly - so we may need to have a reset on this.

On the tabloids picking up MN content and using it for articles I'm going to get a legal opinion here to see what if we can do anything about it (if anyone's knows a good online IP lawyer plse shout!). This trend seems to have gathered pace enormously of late - used to be just the DM, but now the Sun, Star and Mirror too all regularly mine MN for content.

On deterioration in original/funny content am not so sure about that. It's a refrain I've heard repeatedly over the years but the data doesn't really bear it out. What's certainly true is that we've had a persistent troll on and off for a week or two now. A professional troll you might call them who may well be politically motivated. We're working on what we can do behind the scenes and with luck they'll get tired of it soon (they usually do). And I do believe that there is a more anger about - to some extent this may be a sign of the times - people are stressed and quite polarised it seems to me. Certainly the number of reports of posts we receive has steadily increased since Covid. Not sure there's too much we can do about this but as ever, please report anything you see that's unpleasant/breaks the guidelines.

Sorry that you're not feeling the love so much. On the positive side I can assure you we're working really hard to improve the UX and moderate to keep things civil and that there hasn't been any change in approach our end. I genuinely appreciate the feedback (and your patience re the re-platforming) Flowers

MermaidEyes · 20/06/2022 09:33

Monty27 · 20/06/2022 03:41

The site has become exclusive and rolling in money from Premium. We get the dross site algorithms over here. The adverts for example 🙄

Laughable that anyone would actually pay for it. There is no social media site that is worth paying money for.

brittanyfairies · 20/06/2022 07:59

With MN premium, who would want to pay? What we have now is no advert at all. The free stuff is supposed to tempt you to part with your money so you can see the even better stuff that you pay for. Years ago I would have happily paid, now I just trot over to Reddit.

3luckystars · 20/06/2022 04:54

I can’t get to the most recent posts on thread anymore. I have to open the thread from the beginning and try to place where the last post I read was. On longer threads I just give up now.

it’s such a pity that the new site has taken away this feature.

also threads just get deleted with no information now.

Monty27 · 20/06/2022 03:41

The site has become exclusive and rolling in money from Premium. We get the dross site algorithms over here. The adverts for example 🙄

Original poster
partystress · 19/06/2022 23:15

@MNHQ would be great to hear from you on the points raised here that (from my layperson’s perspective as a user) you could choose to do something about. It feels there is still loyalty and a desire to get back some of what made MN such a positive part of many women’s lives, and some willingness to help. But it also feels like that opportunity might not last all that long if things carry on as they are.

OP posts:
tobee · 19/06/2022 20:23

I'm sure a lot of people would be delighted to think this.

Swipe left for the next trending thread