to simply not understand, and never will, why everything posted in Aibu stays on Mumsnet forever, whereas everything in Chat is zapped after 90 days?

[Mintyy]

Most of Mumsnet's threads of shame are in Aibu, and 90% of what is posted in that topic is nonsensical, rage-driven rubbish.

Why does so much detritus get archived for posterity, when the usually far wittier and warmer musings in chat automatically get binned?

Just why?

I agree. Why do years of AIBUs need to be stored?

That is a very good question. I have no idea why

I imagine it wasn't meant to be that way. MNHQ probably decided that they would archive their threads as a default, and then create a thread for the disposable rubbish which would get deleted.

It's not their fault that people have subsequently decided to post their drivel in the archived threads, and their witty musings in the temporary one.

The answer is "because". Sigh. I still mourn Olympic Horses, lost through being in _chat

The reason AIBU is so full of shite nonsensical stuff is that it is well known as the thread that gets high traffic - so people over use it.

There was another thread here recently about why people post stuff on AIBU which would be far better suited to other, more specific threads. I think they had a good point.

If there's a thread in chat that you think ought to be saved for posterity, you can ask for it to be moved to classics.

I worry about where they store all these year's worth of drivel... I mean, they must have vast computers somewhere bunged up with all sorts of 'AIBU to call this woman a cow?'

I guess if MN thought it was a problem, they could employ someone to monitor the drivel, and selectively move threads to chat... not sure if it would be worth it though!

I'd love to know how much space one full thread of drivel takes up, where it all lives, if the introduction of images is supportable long term on a free site, etc. Totally love to know why we're talking about site stuff in AIBU whilst simultaneously complaining that things are posted in the wrong area or the wrong area is purged whilst the dross is stored.

Haha just realized this was in AIBU.

OP YABU for adding to AIBU's already creaking archive yet another thread!

Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.

It is a genuine aibu, though.

I am fastidious about posting in the correct topic and have started hundreds of threads complaining about the misuse of aibu, check back on my posting history if you like.

Hello Trills .

Why do they need to store anything? I see the point of having topics like health or relationships, but I don't like it when people assume you should have to search through a topic before daring to ask a question. So what if its been covered before. The whole point of a forum is to be able to ask about your personal situation, otherwise why not just read an article.

Personally I'd be happy with every dead thread being zapped after, say, 6 months, with perhaps an opt in button if an OP wants the thread saved for posterity.

Yes, we have all this archived guff and even if you do search for an old thread you are warned that it is a Zombie thread if you want to revive it.

I guess HQ are keeping it all for more books and other related Mumsnet themed paraphenalia in the future.

Very good question.

YANBU.

But who really gives a shit how long it's kept? Unless you're the database administrator and you're having to delete and restore and archive and compress just to try to keep loads of pointless AIBU rubbish, why would you care? This is more than just about Mumsnet, I'm sure there's a general internet caching thing here, I could be wrong, I haven't slept for at least a week due to teething baby, but I thought that even if you had your posts deleted, they would still be cached in such a way that they would come up in Internet search engine results. So isn't this a bigger question? No? Oh.

Sorry to hear about the lack of sleep. Perhaps that explains why I haven't grasped your point.

Well, I would say the problem with things in health for eg being kept, is that advice changes. For eg, how many people know that it is now recommended that you don't take codeine when breastfeeding? Guidelines were only changed last summer. Yet the first thread that comes up (here) says that it is fine.

where is classics btw?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics

V good point, Beyond.

Spooky, I was thinking about this while walking the dogs yesterday.

I was wondering about a cull of AIBU, maybe?

And in future, AIBU threads to be subject to same rules as Chat, with obviously nomination to classics being an available option.

Mind you Mintyy I'd probably have started it in Site Stuff - I too noticed straight away it was in AIBU

it is because AIBU drives traffic to the site. Chat and other topics, while interesting and useful do not get the kind of hits from search engines that AIBU do.

no Idea, they must have a huge AIBU vault though.