To ask - just what the hell is the point of the "Petitions" topic?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Because basically, when posters raise a very valid point and ask for support and signatures, and MNHQ come on to comment that "WE are moving this to the Petitions section" the threads just basically go off and die.

Not a TAAT but we've been bumping The Thread About The Bulldog (yes that one , the Redcar abuse case) .
Looking back through some of the threads , they have an opening post then zilch.
Or they gain ground, get shifted , then Fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I am adult enough to know if I want to open a thread, read it, discard it. Sign it or not.

I just don't see the point of a Topic that is so hard to find (what section does it come under anyway?)

As you were

And yes, I know I shouldn't start a sentence with "because" but meh .

No you are right

Why move it there when there is no traffic?

Hardly going to get any attention is it

There is minimal footfall there, any Petitions would stay active in Chat/AIBU until they naturally fade, like they do.

But for me to find Petitions, I need to go A-Z and scroll down, or it's on I;m On if I'm logged in.

I can see your point but I used to post on a forum where that sort of thing was allowed, and honestly it got spammed to buggery with petitions for all sorts of things.

I expect if word got out that Mumsnet allowed that sort of thing in Chat and AIBU, a website this popular would be spammed too.

Maybe they should put the petitions topic in the short cuts list? That might be a compromise.

I cannot get spammed to buggery Worra I'm vegetarian, spam ain't allowed (don't fancy the buggery part either)

Yes , there should be a much easier way to find it, and yes Derek , I didn't know either.

The theory is that if you're looking for petitions to sign, you'll look there. If you're looking for chat, you'll look on chat. Most reasonable people wouldn't mind coming across a petition or two but if they were allowed, there would soon be hundreds, and it'd basically be a high traffic petitions board with no chat. And then it'd stop being high traffic. Although it probably wouldn't stop being used, because there's SEO value in posting in currently high traffic parts of MN.

There's also the problem that many petitions deal with upsetting content and could be triggering. And a good 50% are incorrect in their facts, or just not achievable or well put together.

Some people get round this by posting a proper AIBU about the petition - asking a valid, interesting and relevant question - and mentioning that there is a petition on the petitions board if people would like to sign.