Remove AIBU 😲

[Hardhatsafelyon]

Yes, shoot me down - ready to be flamed. Hard hat on!

But read first...

What do you think? I'm not sure this would actually happen but what if AIBU was removed? People would have to post on appropriate topics but each thread title should have ADVICE or SUPPORT or DISCUSSION or OPINIONS or even AIBU.

That way people (including me) can still get their 'aibu/drama/viper fix' on different topics but only on threads that have discussion, opinions and aibu.

It just seems everyone is posting different topics on aibu so the point of having different topics/boards is lost and those of us who've hidden some topics still see them all over 'Active Threads' because of this.

Perhaps there should only be AIBU? seeing as people post almost anything there for traffic. Get rid of all those othe underused topics.

Fairyliz Agree with this totally!

@ImaHogg

I would like to see a ‘What would you do?’ section. Sometimes people just want some gentle advice and tend to put on AIBU for traffic and then end up getting shot in flames.

I am sure there is

or at least there used to be

@Inthevirtualwaitingroom

or at least there used to be

I'm with you on this, I'm convinced there used to be a WWYD section. But I can't find it now. I guess it didn't get traffic and was removed.

Where were people posting for traffic before aibu?

Chat I think... 🤔 It was such a long time ago. AIBU was started by popular request due to the number of "am I being unreasonable here..." threads in chat.

Everyone would just go back to using Chat like they did before aibu.

However, back in its infancy, MNHQ used to move threads that weren't asking about reasonableness to other topics. I remember deliberately starting one to poke the complainers that was "AIBU to ask which way round bubble wrap goes" It was swiftly moved to chat.

Now it seems those complainers were right as it's got out of hand.

AIBU hasn’t always existed, if I recall correctly - it was brought in to allow the more robust discussions to be kept in one place, rather than them being on all the boards. I think it was felt some topics needed a gentler approach, and this would ensure it.

As far as I remember, it worked well when it happened, and I don’t think it would be beneficial to have AIBUs everywhere.

Would you run the risk of threads turning into AIBU bunfights even if the OP had only posted for advice or support?

No because they'd have ADVICE or SUPPORT on the title. So any goady comment gets removed by MNHQ.

I do think this is asking too much of MNHQ but it would work if implemented.

I think new posters shouldnt be starting OPs on AIBU until they have been here long enough to take the opinions they will get

@Fairyliz

Christ almighty we are already locked down with Covid. Don’t remove that guilty pleasure that is a bun fight on AIBU

YABVVVU - it's not all about you. Why do you think you are entitled to that guilty pleasure then? How selfish!

I think it’s shit that everyone is so accepting of the bullying and nastiness that goes on on AIBU. It’s often not robust or ‘straight talking’ it’s just plain nastiness a lot of the time. So I’d like to see it gone.

I like AIBU - that you do come across random things you'd not thought about that you probably wouldn't if only looking at more focussed threads.

If given a choice I would get rid of the AIBU police that appear on random threads squawking "What's AIBU about that?" when if rephrased there clearly is an AIBU question - and even if not, can still be an interesting thread. (to someone - even if not me!)

If they deleted AIBU and removed 90% of the existing boards, then people might have reasonable conversations on specific topics

This. It boggles my mind to see people in Site Stuff asking for MORE pointless topics that nobody will use. There are way too many; most forums have fewer than 20.

People will always just post in whichever was the busiest sub forum on the site “for traffic”. You’ll just love the problem elsewhere.

Move

People will always just post in whichever was the busiest sub forum on the site “for traffic”. You’ll just love the problem elsewhere.

But if you have a sensible number of topics, on a site of this size they will ALL be busy. At the moment there are so many silly topics that the Owners of Ginger Guinea Pigs with One Leg topic gets no views, so even people who have ginger guinea pigs with one leg don't bother posting there and go to Chat or AIBU. If there was one large 'pets' forum, it would get reasonable traffic and people would use it.

I think AIBU is fine as it is. But I agree far too many sub topics never posted on. They could streamline these and nobody would notice.

I'm always amazed at people wanting to police where people put their posts and thinking it is of any importance to anyone.

Why does it bother you OP? To the point of namechanging and all. Do you honestly spend so much time here that it matters? I don't even notice what section I'm in. I just click on threads that look interesting.

I think MN would lose its traffic and revenue.

(and I was here before Aibu and I never noticed then either)

You could just completely render AIBU obsolete by having the heading 'please remember different people have different lives, feelings, experiences and priorities' at the top of each post. That would cut down 80 - 90% of posts?

Re-name it Petty Gripes!