Why is Mumsnet insisting that I log in?

[CrispEater]

I spend quite a lot of time browsing Mumsnet on my Samsung tablet, not logged in. I rarely post anything but if I do, I do that on my PC because I can type quicker on a proper keyboard.
Just now I was in Mumsnet on the tablet and kept getting a pop-up that insists I should either log in or join. As far as I can see, there is no way of getting rid of this pop-up except by logging in or joining or giving up on Mumsnet. It looks very genuine to me.
I really can't be bothered to keep logging in when I only want to browse and I hate being forced into doing something I'd rather not do.
Is there some reason why Mumsnet now wants everyone logged in all the time? Or have I missed something?

just another one to say I find the pop up annoying. However, I am relieved to discover that it's not a spam attempt.

Another annoyed user here. I don't want to have to log in if I am not going to post. MNHQ please stop this - or have an X in the corner so I can shut it down

Not RTFT but wanted to add that this is fucking annoying.

I mostly MN for a tablet and only log in for a prolonged MN session or if I have something particular to say. If I stay logged in permanently, I run the risk of my teenagers spotting my user name and finding out what crap I've posted over the years. Sometimes I only browse for 5-10 mins and I don't want the faff of having to log in - so much slower since Jeffrey with a full email address and long password - and having to remember to log off at the end.

Please change this MNHQ.

Adding my annoyance. I hadn't logged in since the hacking thing, I've only posted a few times in the 5 years I've been browsing daily (and viewing the ads so you are making money from me anyway). I look at everything, teenagers, elderly parents, infertility, relationships. Sometimes I even wander on to gransnet. I don't want to only see things that relate to the stage of life I'm in. I want to see the spectrum and I don't want to post!

usual. "I'm not sure that you leaving will bother MN much if you only ever lurk and don't actually use the site."

Lurkers still generate traffic, see ads and generate revenue. I'd rather have an army of lurkers than posters who have nothing unique to say cancel the cheque or placemarkers.

MNHQ needs to work out whether the financial loss of traffic from lurkers will be outweighed by the benefits of enforced log in. My guess is that lurkers significantly outweigh posters so this strategy could be seriously flawed.

And if they're analysing initial results, don't forget that there will be a flurry of log-ins to complain, who won't necessarily bother to return next time.

Seriously bad idea MNHQ.

We get personalised content by viewing the boards we are interested in.
I don't find it difficult to read little about "Longhaul holidays".

I tell you some personalisation I wouldn't mind though, less sticky threads and guest threads and threads by business partners at the top of Active. I don't like any of them!

(I don't actually mind logging in, I'm always logged in, it's patronising to hear it's to improve user experience though, when everything in the world is always about money, same as this test, no doubt.)

Hi Mumsnet, it's only so that it makes your site look busier. Total amount of signups=more ad revenue etc etc. Ka-ching!. Bless you, you must be short of the old wonga. Tinternet' isn't like it used to be, hey. People running forums etc got real greedy the last few years. People are still gonna lurk when they are logged in and most of us use adblockers, VPNs etc. 9 ads are blocked right now on the site and I cant see a single one :). Ban me if you like but at least I came out of the woodwork to say YABU!.

I totally agree with these points from MrsV

"I don't need inviting to join in/log in, if I want to I will.

This place has gone to fuck. That's why I mainly lurk now and browse WITHOUT logging in, because every other fucking thread you end up having to argue or defend something you've posted."

And all the comments from various posters about not wanting to be sold to patronised with personalised content. I already hide topics that don't interest me, and that works just fine for me until some fucker puts it in the wrong topic.

I keep being asked over and over to sign in when I already have! Very very annoying!

"Total amount of signups=more ad revenue etc etc. Ka-ching!. Bless you, you must be short of the old wonga"

I don't know how these things work but presumably MNHQ make money for ads viewed even when not logged in.

I've never bothered with ad blockers. I've always felt it's fair enough to tolerate a bit of advertising on the site.

It's a lovely site, Mardy as I've been here for tons of anonymous support in areas of my life i'd rather not go into at the moment. I know my lurking has generated lots of revenue, I'm really happy about that tbh as at least I could fly under the radar and they get what they wanted, no fuss. This just feels totally contrived and forced, in your face begging. Bad idea indeed.

MissMYOB. You're right. On the whole this is a great site, and I've had some great laughs and support over the years.

But the essential atone for me has changed over the last couple of years. There is less humour, fewer considered, intelligent threads and much more confrontation.

I'm another who logs in from one gadget (tablet) but not from my phone. I like a browse on my phone when I'm at work, will sometimes mention the site to others but the log-in demand means I'll be looking elsewhere for my casual lunchbreak browsing.

the 10 pages is balderdash had a client cancel so am in my provate office so can log in but tried to browse without just to see what happenned after yesterday and bang went from home page to active conversations then chose 1 had read OP then up popped the log in so my first page unless you count home and selecting page even so it would be 3rd page not 11th ( ie after 10)

for many people it is a nuisance to keep logging in and logging off when away from home you said morethan 50% access via phone so possibly a lot of these are not at home as most at home use the larger screen of a tablet

i've no objection to the reminder provided there is an "X" in corner or at not now button

I am yet another person who mostly lurks logging in to say how much I dislike this, for all the reasons already listed of privacy, faffing with passwords, not wanting to be in a filtered bubble etc. I've browsed and occasionally posted here for almost 10 years under various usernames/accounts. I am quite happy to see adverts but I don't want to log in. I won't be back if this continues. It feels cynical and business-driven and not in the original spirit of the site.

@MrsVamos

Goes quite against ....'by parents for parents'.

I have a horrible feeling HQ know that though and don't really care.

We definitely do care and just to reassure folk - we are reading everyone's feedback and taking note. It's very important to us that Mumsnet remains useful to parents. One of the considerations in setting 10 pages as a trigger was so people could access Talk first and then log in once they'd been browsing a little while.

The 10 page limit persists from one day to the next which may explain why some people are finding themselves blocked today but we'll continue trying to replicate that issue.

It is very much an experiment and hearing about issues such as the need to browse privately at work is really valuable.

Re the 'filter bubble' as Justine says, personalisation is more about not wanting to show irrelevant content such as ovulation calculators to everyone rather than restricting the threads you can see. We wouldn't want to reduce the diversity of opinion and interactions.

Am logging in again to complain but think I will be giving mumsnet a miss for a while

Since the Daily Mail has started publishing posts from the site it is less anonymous anyway

Mardy

Agree with your post @ 09:27am.

Jessica

Sorry to say this but it doesn't feel like you care, certainly not as much as you used to, anyway.

Posts and threads that are being allowed to stand that would have been zapped, goady fuckers and trolls everywhere, the 'ist' issues, which HQ's stance on recently has been frankly appalling.

Changes made to the site, changes made to access the site, without consultation from your 'regular' users and when complaints flood in its the same response "we are listening".

'You' are not listening. Posters have left and are leaving and will leave in droves because of changes you are making.

HQ must be able to see that due to some changes, this place has massively become dumbed down. As I said, its a nasty place now, and does not, in the main, provide the support 'by parents for parents' that users used to feel.

I know others will pop up and say that this place has always changed, and that its kind of cyclical.

Not always a good thing though. I stand by my feeling that quality of poster is always better than quantity.

If I felt that by making pps log in HQ were attempting to stop the trolls and gfs it would be different. But you're not.

I find it annoying to have to keep logging in. I can never remember my password, so have to ask for a reset. It is not practical to stay logged in on a tablet as others in family have access to that. It means I browse less and post less.

Just want to add, that due to the changes and overall tone of 'talk', I think you'll find that HQ's stance is actually driving pps away, not encouraging 'us' to stay.

This is why I mainly lurk now, and don't post, even on the tennis threads where I used to be quite prolific, because of the changes that seem to have occurred. Its also, actually, one of the last places I would turn to for support or advice, even though it used to be the first.

Everyone risks getting their arse handed to them on a plate, it feels, it doesn't matter what you post about.

MNHQ, please listen to the majority of your site users. Even just a simple 'x' in the corner of the popup, maybe for the first 10 times or so before you have to log in will at least feel a little user friendly to the people that have stayed loyal to the site (lots of people even turn off ad block for sites they like!) for years. Give and take. A big in your face popup won't endear newbs to your site either. People like to stay anonymous on sites like this for various reasons. Sometimes, websites become a little too unfriendly for the sake of hit counts and revenue, tbh MNHQ, you had a cracking popular website anyway, why go and break it?. Rant over. Sorry if I come across rude.

Yes absolutely MrsVamos and GasLight.

I'm logged on permanently at home, but won't be logging on on my phone or iPad which i use to browse. If it becomes compulsory, it'll be goodbye Mumsnet. There are plenty of other websites out there.

My support lifeline on here is now not accessible to me. I have posted private and harmful information on here and can't risk logging on to the home iPad or office computer in case I accidentally leave myself logged in. When I only have access to these devises I now don't have access to the support I need.

Hadron21 Sorry to hear that . It's such a shame that the support 'network' is now abruptly cut off for you and others. Okay, we all have to accept change, websites change all the time and that's great but this just seems so...commercial. Not even introduced gently. :/