Please can people respond with the original message included

[Dahliasarebeautiful]

I've been on Mumsnet a while and I obviously use the "see all" function a lot, I think a lot of us use it.

It's absolutely useless to anyone who isn't the responder or the OP, if the OP just @ all the people in a multi response or just respond to the latest message they've seen on their OP.

I've actively stopped responding to or following those posters messages that do this because, frankly, I have a busy life and I just don't have time to read all the posts to understand the responses, and I want to respond in a way that the OP might be receptive to, if you respond by clicking the "quote" it includes the post from the responder to your OP.

I'm not including "Thanks all" posts in this obviously, or "roundups", or "general updates", but I've noticed more recently that OPs are responding only with a specific username or a response to multiple specific usernames, and I just think it probably alienates more than just me? Perhaps I'm wrong? Apologies if I am?

If I'm incorrect I'm sure you'll obviously let me know, but I can't be alone in this judging by various comments on individual posts I've seen.

I'm not here for hate and I understand responding to multiple comments is stressful and is cumbersome in stressful situations and I also appreciate most situations on Mumsnet are also not ideal, but I know I'm not the only person who thinks this and you might be missing out on valuable information or advice in times of conflict or need. You obviously don't need to respond to every single message on your original post. Just do a @ all.

I obviously have no issue with low stress low level general advice required, like when shall I plant my carrots? etc... no-one needs to respond directly to those... Common sense. (I appreciate these posts probably won't be on AIBU or similar).

I might be being selfish, because some OPs are in stressful situations (I understand that) but if you definitely want rounded advice from your posts, it's not hard to quote your responders, but I guess overwhelming to respond to everyone individually, so just do a blanket message to all instead please.

It makes no sense to anyone else reading the responses if using the "see all" function if responders messages aren't quoted.

Rant over. I've admitted it. I know many of you feel the same and if you're not bothered, fair play to you... Thank you

I quite like reading the sub conversations tbh. Some of them are cracking.

I agree with you 100% @Dahliasarebeautiful

While we're about it, can people also stop quoting the whole OP when they're commenting.

Your post is impossible to read. I think the kids call it “word salad”.

Wut? You want the OP to use the quote function, but also just do @ all? Which doesn't do anything AFAIK.

Only if they make sense!

If there is no quoted post, it's impossible to understand what the OP means.

For example, they might write:

@Wacqui "I disagree with you - my child never does that" ........... and nobody reading that would have any idea what was meant by the comment (unless they scrolled back to whatever had been said).

A thread makes far more sense when the OP responds with a fully-quoted post.

I understand exactly what she means.

I thought it was just me!

Me too.

This isn't an exam setting where you need to fully show your working, start your answer with the question and write in full sentences. Some people don't have the skills/time for that.

Mumsnet is full of a broad range of people with different ways of writing and and differing opinion yes sometimes you have to wade through some hard reading or pointless posts but what is the alternative? Ban poster who don't fit the format? Many posts aren't here to entertain you there are there to help an op with a specific problem.

I do agree with the quoting the original post though and think mn should take away the option! Ops are often long!

I also agree, I can’t stand an @ reply, quoting is there for a reason.

I agree OP. This is what the quote function is there for, and not for bloody quoting the first post.

I don't read the @ posts either as if it's a long thread I have to now scroll up to find that particular poster, just to work out what they are responding to.

Those who should use the quote function don't, while those who shouldn't do 🙈

I agree this is a pain in the arse but tbh in these instances where the Op is replying via @, I usually just copy the relevant username and put it into the 'find in page' function in chrome... Bit of a faff but less so than scrolling back up through what can be a lot of posts!

I just read the thread or the OP see all. you can usually work it out.

I’ve seen OP’s do this on AMA posts and it’s just so pointless. Like yeah great, you’re giving loads of answers I just have no idea what the actual question was unless I want to trawl through pages of responses

We know you can read the whole thread and work it out, OP is saying that (especially when the thread is pages long) this is pretty time consuming, so she is asking that people quote the relevant part of the post they are responding to rather than just the username of the post they are replying to.

I search in a web browser as well; not so easy when you're on your phone.

It's a bit strange to claim it's dull and bizarre when you don't understand what the OP is asking.

I think she means that if an OP is responding to multiple posts in a single message then they might as well use @ all rather than @ [individual poster] to indicate she's condensing all her replies into a single post.

For those that don't understand what OP means, here is an example.

OP - posts a question
Ann replies
Mary replies
Lucy replies
... many pages of replies
Sandra replies

OP comes back and replies like:
Thanks for replies.
@ Ann - I agree, but bla bla bla
@ Sandra - No that's not what I meant at all. It's his stomach.
@ Mary - it's 4 foot 5
@ Lucy - it's green, but I'll try the blue.

The reader who has filtered to read just the OP's posts will have no idea what OP's reply means. The posters (Ann, Sandra etc) will, but no one else unless they search through the whole thead.

Instead she could compose her reply as:

Thanks for replies.
@ Ann
You could try reversing into the space - I agree, but bla bla bla

@ Sandra
If it's his chest then you need this product
No that's not what I meant at all. It's his stomach.

@ Mary
How tall is the fence
it's 4 foot 5

@ Lucy
What colour is it, mine is blue and works really well
it's green, but I'll try the blue.

Yeah I mean there were a lot of words in it tbf. Probably over complicated it a bit

I think the format means it will always be difficult to follow conversations.

I prefer Reddit’s style, where responses are actually in response to the comment.

Also avoids the (annoying!) issue where you repeatedly get the same reply to a post even days later, as people aren’t reading the ongoing conversation.

I actually do too, sometimes, when I have the time for a more leisurely read, the tangents some of these posts go off on are wild 😂

Yes that's what I meant, sorry it was late and I've used far too many words in my post. I just meant for the OP to create a new message on the thread that everyone can see so technically addressed to @ all

I think the OP was something about carrots? I planted mine out a couple of weeks ago. They are coming through nicely now, but do need watering if outside. I am sure you are OK to still plant - especially as the recent rain has made the ground more receptive.