Or are these forums actually set up as a 'den of vipers'?

[applesisapple5]

Mumsnet forums are crap. The format is so old! Even free blogs allow you to;

1. thread replies to get a CONVERSATION going rather than every person responding to the OP. I'm supposed to remember the spelling of a random user I agree with and @ them? Bollocks.
2. edit posts so you can correct inevitable typos and...
3. so the OP can add edits of pertinent info so responders don't have to trawl through for updates
4. RTFT?!?!?! Nowhere else on the internet do we have that bollocks! Upvote, downvote technology should push the most relevant and helpful comments to the top.
5. avatars so you have some chance of remembering who people are. Come on that's absolutely basic.

That's why AIBU is such a pile on [pile just autocorrected to 'polenta'?!?!], why is it so crap?

I would be happy with a thanks or like button. Stops me feeling ignored.
( half joking )

I have seen the way a like vote is used on reddit and it's horrible.

"So quite often, when a thread is 10-12 pages in, I won't bother with it, as I can't be bothered to spend half an hour reading all the posts. Plus, by that point, what I would have posted/wanted to post has already been said! (Often many times!)"

Well, quite. So no problem then! If only other posters on MN could get their heads round the idea that their comment on a 200/300/400+ post thread is hardly likely be helpful or original. The £450 school trip thread still has posters today, 2 days later, saying "gosh that's a lot of money!" for no particular reason.

I struggle with nested comments so thus format suits me, although I agree that it can contribute to a pile-on effect.

I hate all your ideas OP.

What is Reddit?

I have been on MN for about 15 years, and am more than happy with it. I had a break for a year or so following the Moldies debacle, but this is what you can do if it starts to piss you off. I then came back. There's some ridiculous stuff, but lots of good stuff. The technological side of it works fine for me. If I didn't like it, I'd go away.