To find an interesting thread only to see it doesn't exist!

[Butterfly98]

Sometimes I use the search function to look for a thread on a particular topic. Lots of interesting threads often appear but when I click on what looks like the best ones (judging from the title and the first few lines) I would say a good 30-40% have been deleted! Sometimes there's an explanation such as a troll or PBP but often it's just left blank. Do people just randomly delete stuff after it's been there a year or two? Also, if a thread has been deleted then surely the whole thing should go including the title and first few lines of posts too. Otherwise, it's like being led up the garden path so to speak thinking you've found the perfect thread to get good advice etc only to find it doesn't exist anymore!

Are you clicking on threads in chat? I find that they surface a lot more regularly in search results for some reason. Chat threads are deleted after a certain amount of time, that's the appeal of postings there for
Some people

@DerelictWreck now that you've mentioned it I think a lot of them are in chat!

I find the "ooops that thread isn't there any more" message coming up more and more often when I use advanced search. They are still there - the search function is just barely working at the moment.

I find the search function really odd - I've literally just tried a search for something and the one at the top of the list was from 2016. You don't seem to be able to sort them so that the more recent ones are at the top.

Yes @isthatabloborwhat it would be good if Mumsnet could add filters e.g sort old threads in date order with newest ones at the top.

Yes, it's the ones on 'chat' they disappear after 30days IIRC

There seems to be a problem with the search function at the minute. I can barely view any old threads in a variety of sections.

Hi OP

As other posters have said, it sounds like the threads your stumbling upon have expired. 30 days only and 90 days only. They should clear off from search results soon enough.

That isn't the case for me lilymumsnet. The search function has gremlins.

Clicked on the first AIBU post on a search of my name. The oops page is what I keep getting.

@FabulouslyGlamourosFerret thank you, that explains its then, I didn't realise that threads in Chat disappeared after 30 days!

As other posters have said, it sounds like the threads your stumbling upon have expired. 30 days only and 90 days only

It happens with other topics and with posts thamt are recent too.

Advanced Search is rubbish but no one cares

I find if you click on the title of the thread it takes you in, but if you click on the comment, the first image that @ThisMustBeMyDream shared comes up in advanced search.

Eh? I thought threads on chat are no longer deleted after 90 days! I really don't think you've answered op's point LilyMumsnet.

I find the search function next to useless.
No way of sorting them in any order like most recent at the top etc, no filters.
Also click on them and a lot are not there anymore which is irritating.

Yes @gingerbread88 that's exactly it, I find it irritating when I click on a thread and it's not there anymore too!. In my opinion the thread should either be deleted fully with no trace of them left so people don't waste time scrolling through threads that aren't actually available to read, or just leave them there in the first place!

It would make sense for them to be deleted totally after the 30-90 days ... it's really annoying.

Is there any way of improving the search function on the app? Even if you could filter out posts over a month old would be good.

Worse is when you get a whole page of search results that are unclickable. It's as if it's just a screenshot of the results page. They can't be arsed to fix it though.

Advanced Search hasn't been working properly for ages. It's not just chat threads that aren't visible - most of the threads it finds come up with the ooops page no matter what topic they are in.

I find if you click on the title of the thread it takes you in, but if you click on the comment, the first image that @ThisMustBeMyDream shared comes up in advanced search
I.have the same. Samsung chrome

@ThisMustBeMyDream I hate that Oops screen with a passion! 😠

It's definitely not "old" threads as it's happened on one in a non time limited topic from May 22 this year

Can we have a proper reply to this thread please @LilyMumsnet?

I've found this recently too. You get the 'oops, deleted' message if you click in through the actual post (in the list of search results) but if you go in through the thread title it's still there. Annoying if you want to go to an actual post.

Agree with Carrie, get the oops message if you click on the specific post but cab access thread clicking on thread title.