20 years of MN

[Eggcited]

I've not been here as long as some others, but other than the @ and voting buttons has MN actually altered the forums in any significant way in the last 20 years?

I appreciate that some people like the simplicity of the site. But even if people don't want the actual functionality of the site to change, surely they could see the value in clicking a smiley or clicking a bold button, as apposed to having to manually implement these?

So TLDR: What's changed in the last 20 years?

Bugger, I meant to post in chat

It needs a like /dislike /funny type function, an edit function & a quote function.

There's going to be an edit function if you pay.

I've been here since 2004 and the only functional thing I can think of is you used to pay to be able to message someone. Which made it terribly teenagery as in the middle of threads mates would go (infamously and apparently hilariously) "CAT me you cunt" so everyone else on the thread would know they'd gone off for a private chat.

Apart from that it's largely the same.

It needs a like /dislike /funny type function

I disagree, MN is already enough of a vipers nest, these functions just wouldn't be used in the manner they should be.

an edit function & a quote function.

I agree, these are basics, and would make the site more user friendly.

There's going to be an edit function if you pay

I think they said it would only be available for about 20 seconds after you type your message, so you couldn't alter it dramatically at a later time.

So by the time you have read what you posted, it would probably be too late to edit it anyway.

There's going to be an edit function if you pay.

I wish them well, but charging for an edit function is bonkers.

the only functional thing I can think of is you used to pay to be able to message someone.

CAT was before my time, but i'm glad you bought it up. I wonder if they made it a free feature because it had a low uptake as it became more widespread on other forums for free?

I've been here since 2004...Apart from that it's largely the same.

That's so surprising, it must be pretty unusual for sites to go almost unchanged for 16 years.

Overall a very helpful and informative post, thank you @TheCanterburyWhales

So by the time you have read what you posted, it would probably be too late to edit it anyway.

That would definitely be the case today. The site is loading very slowly, it's taking me forever to reply. I would have no chance of changing hings in 20 seconds.

Something else that confused me initially was the rolling active conversations. I looked for things I was interested in at first then got roundly told off for posting on "zombie threads".

I think if HQ had raised the question of subs a couple of years ago, it may have worked. I can't see it doing now. I get why they might need to, but are people really going to pay even a small sum to be able to edit for a short while and not see ads? If that's all it is.

I would have no chance of changing things in 20 seconds.

Very annoying, having to correct a typing error in a separate post.

I looked for things I was interested in at first then got roundly told off for posting on "zombie threads"

You can't win with this. Post on a thread about exactly what you wanted to ask and get told off for reviving a zombie thread. Yet if you post a new thread about a topic that has been covered loads in the past, you get told to search for past threads, as this has been asked loads.

Very annoying, having to correct a typing error in a separate post.

Unless it is genuinely incomprehensible I try to sit on my hands and ignore it. It's really annoying to have random sentences scattered about a thread (which don't even highlight the error, unlike yours, so it's literally just a nonsensical sentence fragment).

If I do, I usually repost the whole comment as context.

It irritates me a lot that I'll have to put up with seeing my posts with basic mistakes in, but that's life.

Eggcited- so true!

It irritates me a lot that I'll have to put up with seeing my posts with basic mistakes in, but that's life.

It irritates me as well which is why I choose to correct it.
It doesn't have to be this way, MN just choose to stick with this format.

I've been here for twenty years, the only significant changes are volume and the increase in trolls and bitchiness. It's less supportive than it was and you have to look harder for the good stuff.

Goodness me bettybattenburg 20 years, so right from the very start. I'm sorry to hear so little has actually changed though.

Yep, right from the start. MN is a bit younger than my DD and a bit older than my DS1.

I've been here since 2007 and I'd say it's a lot less "cliquey" nowadays. Back then there was a strong sense of it and any newbie members could be frozen out of threads whilst the clique talked amongst themselves.

You also had members who could say what the heck they wanted and everyone would find it hilarious but if a lesser known person said the same thing they would have their arses handed to them on a plate.

AIBU didn't exist when I joined in about 2006 I think it was. Site was much better for that. The sheer volume of advertising and things like the Webchats still seem newish to me.

There have been various attempts to make Mumsnet something other than it is (a discussion platform) Mumsnet Wine Club, Mumsnet House Swap, Mumsnet Bloggers Network, Mumsnet Jobs etc. Some of which have failed and some of which haven't really gone anywhere.

I'm surprised HQ are in the position where they now need to ask for help to stay afloat.

Mumsnet Wine Club, Mumsnet House Swap, Mumsnet Bloggers Network, Mumsnet Jobs etc

Goodness me that's a fair bit of variety. I think most people are here for the forums, so it seems strange not to invest in those, and instead try to branch out in so many different ways.

There was the Xmas gift swap as well and woolly hugs - I haven't heard of Woolly Hugs since probably when Zombie died. The Xmas gift swap crashed and burned a few years ago now.

I might not be getting the point here, about an edit function. Why don't you use the "preview message" option?

CAT me you cunt really was funny.

Changes?

The trolling is different. Can't quantify how but yeah different.
Not so funny, people are so spiky nowadays - and wit, repartee, erudition not valued or even welcomed. Meh.

What hasn't changed is the kindness of strangers sharing wisdom, advice, offering moral support remotely. A wonderful thing.

Well that was quite the ramble, wasn't it!

There was the Xmas gift swap as well and woolly hugs

Well remembered. The gift swap got very messy with posters moaning about things not arriving, not being thanked and comparing the gifts values etc.

Shame about woolly hugs not being as prominent as it once was. I wonder why MN didn't promote their kind gestures more.

My 20yr-old was a toddler when I joined, so not quite 20 years.

Everything used to be in what's now known as 'MN Classic'. Threads were read by scrolling all the way through and there were no pages.

For a long time there wasn't a limit on how many posts you could have in a single thread. The threads weren't that busy so there wasn't any real need.

A thread could stay on Active Conversations for an entire day, even if no one posted on it as it wasn't all that busy on here. That meant that there weren't all that many topics as they weren't needed.

People could pay MNHQ £5 a year to be able to CAT (Contact Another Talker). People who 'knew' each other would use MSN instead. Some people would post their email address on the thread and separate it out to make it less 'visible' online.

The OP's posts being highlighted only appeared in the last few years. MNHQ's posts weren't highlighted at all, and it was still possible to pretend you were from MNHQ by changing your name to one that was similar to Justine's. :o

It wasn't possible to post images at all, and there were very few emojis - happy, sad, and a grin I think.

Links weren't automatic, and in the early days there was some convoluted method to it involving brackets and various symbols.

There were no options to watch threads, so if you wanted to follow one you had to post something on it, even if it was just a full stop.

I still have mine set to MN Classic so may well be missing many of the newest features. I don't have things like bookmark or the ability to see who started a thread without clicking on it.

I might not be getting the point here, about an edit function. Why don't you use the "preview message" option?

Because sometimes it takes other posters to notice your mistake. Or I might write a word and auto correct could change it, and change the meaning / tone of a post without me realising.

Sometimes it might be helpful to edit as apposed to having to keep explaining the mistake. Especially if it's in the title or OP, as lots of posters don't read the thread and would miss any corrections.