Introducing AIBU voting

[TomMumsnet]

Hi all,

We're testing out a new feature on AIBU. From today, a few randomly selected Mumsnet users will be able to access a voting function on AIBU posts.

We're testing the vote function because in user feedback lots of you asked for a quick way to answer an AIBU post (essentially; YABU or YANBU).
The general thinking was that this would encourage more interaction - so we're trying it out from today, let's see how it goes.

It won't show on all AIBU posts but you should see it on a few - and importantly, the OP will be able to turn on (or off) the voting function themselves.

Hopefully you'll find it useful - and as ever, we'd love to hear your feedback - so please give it a try, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Oh, and if you really aren't a fan then no problem, just head over to your Talk preferences and you'll be able to switch off (and back on) the voting feature.

Thanks
MNHQ

I really don’t like it. The voting buttons are a troll magnet as has been said, encouraging posting and competing for likes. And very importantly on a supposedly supportive site, this is DIScouraging people from posting on issues they think might be unpopular.

AIBU and the joy of it is that it isn’t a poll or a vote, it’s a discussion with points raised for and against. The button works against that.

A lot of social media is based on likes and clicks ratings and we all know this has a bad effect on mental health- so why introduce this concept here? People come to MN because it’s different.

I don’t want to have to know which poster is popular or not or what topic is going to be popular or not- also a reason why the new ‘trending’ feature is such a bad idea.

I don’t like that the vote button is labelled ‘YANBU’ or ‘YABU’ either- ie the site owners taking on the language the users have made.

I am perfectly happy with people just posting ‘YANBU’ or ‘YABU’ on an AIBU thread. It can be deadpan and adds to comic timing a lot of the time

I also use it as a placemarker when I don’t have much time to engage but I want to come back and read and possibly post more later.

I won’t do that with a vote button so I will be doing less viewing and clicking on pages that have had this function put on than I would have done without it.

Really torn.
If it reduces the reiteration of points brought up ad nauseam by posters who don't RTFT, it has some appeal.
However, it will reduce proper debate and I keep envisaging crowds in the Colosseum holding thumbs up or down.

If a simple YABU/YANBU works, MN, why not just make this a simple YES/NO thread?

On the whole, I'm a "NO".

Perhaps a third option of “this isn’t an AIBU”.

Anything to get rid of the annoying ‘posting for traffic’ stuff that doesn’t belong there.

This too.

How do I do it?

Surely emojis are ‘dumbing down’ as well. Was there an outcry about them?
This Site needs big changes and it’s the ‘old gaurd’ stopping them. They moan about everything

Why not just have a poll/vote board?

Can you add it to threads where it actually makes sense? Atm, there's one about alcohol oiling the wheels of social interaction. The OP wants to discuss whether or not it does. OF COURSE, she's reasonable to want to discuss this. There's no AIBU about it. What's the point of the voting. Makes no sense whatsoever.

@MNHQ are you reading this thread?

Agree with pp there’s so many that ask ‘AIBU to ask...’

It’s so clunky, and not an upgrade

@MNHQ Can we have something that says 'Voting has been enabled on this thread for those in the trial' or something. It is annoying people talking about voting when you can't even see it is happening ...

I enabled voting but can't see the way is swinging on my own thread.
Only other posters can see it.

Likewise I can see it on other peoples threads.

I enabled voting but can't see the way is swinging on my own thread.

You have to vote. It feels a bit weird to vote on your own thread and I think MNHQ should change this. I quite like that I can't see the results on other threads until voting as it might create some bias.

@eurovision I did vote. I saw it that once and now I can't see it at all any more. And there's been 90 votes since then.

Ooh that's odd then!

I think it might be more useful for those looking for a straight answer rather than a fight.

Can we have something that says 'Voting has been enabled on this thread for those in the trial' or something. It is annoying people talking about voting when you can't even see it is happening ...

Everyone can see it (unless you've disabled it or are on the app)

Soup I can't see voting, and I have neither disabled it nor on an app?

I could see it earlier (using the thread linked below where I knew there was the voting option) but then turned it off. I now can't see it (despite turning it back on) so heaven knows what happening. I don't particularly care as I don't want to see it anyway.

If you go to the aibu section a handful of threads have the vote option visible next to the title.

I can't see it even when i turn it back on. I could before though!

I post a comment and vote

Am I being greedy U

There is even a vote button on the DH called me fat thread

The weight shamers are likely having orgasms over this.

And it hardly shows MN in a good light.

I turned it off but it’s still visible to me. I don’t want to see it.

Oh!! So it’s not the OP wanting the vote option on the thread? It’s mnhq deciding which threads get a vote option? That’s even worse.

I can't see anything to do with voting anywhere.
Why am I being missed out? [sobs]