Should MNHQ Keep the 'Similar Threads' feature?

[PiggyInTheLidl]

IMO this 'You might also like' feature revives Zombie threads, causes Active Convos to be cluttered up with threads that are no longer relevant (The wedding was 6 months ago, hopefully she found a frock!) and generally makes MN feel like a dentists waiting room full of out of date magazines.

YANBU - The feature should go
YABU - It enhances my use of MN no end, how did we ever manage without it?

In some ways it makes sense if people are looking for advice on certain issues, like potty training, bottles, special needs and health issues.

However old threads should be locked. Chat used to delete after 3 months. I do think it would make sense for some threads to be deleted after a set period of time.

Bottle feeding guidelines are different now to how they were when I had my two DC, with health issues advice can also change over the years as research is done.

However old threads should be locked.

I agree, and don't see why old threads can't be locked.

MNHQ claim the purpose of the new feature is to help those who come from Google searches to find answers to their questions / queries. These people read the thread and find this information without being logged in, so there's no need for a thread to be open to new comments. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To put it simply, threads can be suggested without needing the ability to post on them.

It's a massive pita for soooo many reasons!

I use the app so the only reason I know this feature exists is because active gets littered with out of date threads.

I always check the date on the OP as it's so common now.

I wonder how premium members are finding the site. Anyone feel membership is worth it?

They’re not even ‘Similar threads’, a lot of the time. They’re ‘Threads our algorithm picked up which or may not be of interest, or old, or wildly inappropriate’.

We’ve been asking this for days on the other thread.

steadfast refusal to answer by MN

And just have a look at the suggested topics on this thread.

there is no trace of the long running thread in Site Stuff. When it’s clearly the most relevant result.

I feel sorry for them too. Especially those whose abusive partners have installed spyware to monitor their emails, and who will now be able to see notifications of months-old resurrected threads which will give them the OP's MN username, so they can read all their threads on here. Like maybe one about them getting their ducks in a row and preparing to flee from their abuser for instance. The consequences of that are potentially horrific.

A handful of things might be useful, but not many. For instance in Gardening, someone trying to kill off the dreaded Japanese knotweed might like to read more threads on the same topic. But if they have posted a photo asking for a plant ID, they aren't going to want to know about umpteen other 'plant ID' threads, because the chances of them asking about the same plant are nil.

Baring in mind it's started as a parenting forum, parents have similar issues, potty training, weaning, Christmas ideas, teens, sports ADHD, ASD etc
Some issues are recurring and it might be worthwhile having similar issues pop up esp if a poster has come back and said what worked or what didn't.

But I'd agree things like what is this rash are only relevant to a particular thread and to me those should be deleted. While a MN thread isn't taking up the same space on a server as a Netflix episode it's still a waste of space keeping it there.

Bloody hell! That is a serious issue.

In some ways it makes sense if people are looking for advice on certain issues, like potty training, bottles, special needs and health issues.

Maybe replace this unloved feature with a button to bring up a 'similar threads' list so you can get it if and when you want it.

Or maybe even make the search function work properly again?

Or maybe even make the search function work properly again?

That'd be good, but a 'similar threads' would be a different thing.

We've all seen how the 'similar threads' algorhythm works now, haven't we?! The trouble with it is that it is too random, picks up some bizarre options, and doesn't show the date the threads were created either. Having it as an option might work, but only for certain topics.

No, it’s truly terrible and just creates lots of zombie threads.

People know how to use the search function if they want find lots of threads on one subject

Iaccgmooh

One of the suggestions?

‘Nub guess’

I can only imagine it is because ‘we’ve seen a couple of cocks in there’

Useful? Possibly not.

I say yes, but only if threads older than 6(4?) months are locked until the OP posts an update.

I say yes, but only if threads older than 6(4?) months are locked until the OP posts an update.

Good point. But I say "no" until everyone whose old content has been re-used has first agreed to it being dredged up again and made public to a new readership, and until everyone who doesn't agree has been given the opportunity to remove or hide their content.

Because this is creating a new set of site rules that the people who wrote all those old posts didn't know about or agree to.

It makes MN feel like a dentists waiting room full of out of date magazines.

^ THIS, exactly. Couldn't have said it better.

Good point. But I say "no" until everyone whose old content has been re-used has first agreed to it being dredged up again and made public to a new readership, and until everyone who doesn't agree has been given the opportunity to remove or hide their content.
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MN would argue If posters don't want old threads getting dragged up they should use the 30 / 90 day boards.
But I think old irrelevant threads should be deleted.
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Don't know why I have those stars

Makes it very festive @Dinoteeth

Update from the other thread:

YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet · Today 11:09
Hi everyone - thanks again for all your feedback. We're dropping in with a quick update.

The following changes have now been made and released:

the Similar Threads box is below the posting box for logged in users
only threads created within the last 30 days will appear in Trending

there are two new settings in Talk Settings - one to remove the Similar Threads box and a second to prevent threads more than 30 days old from appearing in Active.

We'll continue to monitor results and usage and improve things as we go along.