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Original poster

could we please have a petition topic

12 replies

threesocksonathreeleggedwitch · 16/10/2012 08:54

now that mn hq seem to allow them

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MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 17/10/2012 15:40

@ZombTEE

When did they become allowed?

We don't allow them. Just to be clear.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 17/10/2012 17:59

@threesocksonathreeleggedwitch

sorry they are, I reported one a couple of weeks ago and was told it was being allowed !! so i assumed in the act of fairness that they would all be

Well, that's odd. Was it a thread started purely to puff a petition (which is not allowed) and a thread that mentioned a petition at some point as part of discussion?

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 18/10/2012 11:09

Morning. There is DEFINITELY one rule for all.

Threads started exclusively to promote a petition are not allowed - and it says this in our Guidelines.

However, we don't necessarily see them all, as MN is not a pre-moderated board.

Please do feel free to report petition threads to us and we will then zap them.

The only time when we might not is if it is a discussion about a topical issue of particular interest to MNers, and then we might do something like edit the OP to take the petition link out (so it's a discussion thread, rather than a 'sign this petition' thread).

Hope that clarifies things a bit.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 19/10/2012 13:22

@ZombTEE

Well I reported it but I haven't heard back from HQ, which isn't like them at all.

Probably cos we haven't got to your report yet, ZombTEE

Please bear with us.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 19/10/2012 16:53

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

I think you should have a petition/vote for me topic, then petitions would have to go there, or would be moved there.

Petitions annoy but I have a heart and would feel a right bitch reporting a petition thread that starts "I just watched my nephew die from a brain tumour"

Or a vote for me thread that says "just 100 more votes and terminally ill DD can go to Disneyland"

I am a bitch aren't I ((skulks away))

No, we get it.

We don't really want to create a Petitions topic because we fear that might open the floodgates!

But we probably do need to put on our thinking caps and think of something that works a little better than it does now...

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 20/10/2012 10:56

@BustersOfDoom

But what floodgates? That was the reason you gave when you zapped my childhood brain tumour awareness petition thread at the beginning of this year and I've seen very few petition threads since then. Surely by having a petitions topic you are giving us forum members the choice to either sign or not and raising awareness to certain issues. If I don't agree with something then I won't sign, if I do I will and I'm sure that goes for everyone else here.

I don't understand what difference it makes to the site. You could have a disclaimer at the top of that topic saying 'this is not endorsed by MN, all signatories do so in a personal capacity' or whatever - in the same way you do on the Relationships thread about posters not being experts in dv/relationship matters, seek independent advice etc.

Yes, you do need to think about how to manage it as your currently policy just seems a little mean spirited. There are lots of people on here working hard to raise awareness/do good for often overlooked causes and the blanket ban on petitions just seems out of step. We are grown ups after all and can choose to click on a thread title or not.

We do appreciate your POV, BustersOfDoom.

But then we also know - from the number of reports that fill our inbox when a petition thread goes up - that a good number of MNers really don't like them, for one reason or another.

We're sure we can find a solution that's neither annoying for those who don't like them nor too mean-spirited for those who don't mind them.

Please bear with us while we try to come up with summat suitable.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 20/10/2012 13:17

@BustersOfDoom

Thanks Helen. Apologies if I was a little ranty. Medicinal wine had been taken.

Ha! Thanks but no need, really

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 22/10/2012 11:12

@threesocksonathreeleggedwitch

it was, sorry , I was told by mn hq it was being allowed

That doesn't sound like us, threesocks.

The only thing we sometimes do - if the thread is very active and the issue is a core MN one that's very newsworthy - is edit the OP to remove the link to the petition. This way, we can allow the discussion to continue without the annoying petition link.

Is that what happened in this case?

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 22/10/2012 13:43

@threesocksonathreeleggedwitch

I was told something along the line (sorry email long gone) that it was something that people were very keen on. (not those exact words obviously) and it was left.

Thanks, 3socks. From what I can gather , that was one where we edited the petition link out of the OP (see our previous post).

Looks like we explained that in our reply to you but maybe we weren't explaining it very well. We'll look into a way of explaining things better.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 24/10/2012 12:45

OK, here is our solution.

It's a Petitions noticeboard.

Like our Charities noticeboard, there is no fee to list your petition there - and to explain a bit about it. And others can post on your thread, too, if they like.

And people who don't like Petitions thread can hide the whole topic.

Hope that suits most folks.

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 24/10/2012 17:24

Thanks Hecate.

And yes they would!

MNHQ

HelenMumsnet · 25/10/2012 11:12

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

I guess you would report them and the thread would be moved?

Indeed.

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