Links in posts to mumsnet site sections

[popehilarious]

Noticed a few posts mentioning things like alcohol and reviews and they'd had links added to relevant sections of the mumsnet site. Wondered if this was an automatic thing. I used to see it in the Guardian and it would drive me mad!

I thought the link to children’s bike seats on the naked bike ride thread was particularly inappropriate. If you’re going to do this, you need a much better algorithm.

I'm on the app so can't see this but on sites where this does happen, I just think "spam" and move on. It makes them feel less trustworthy.

Over on the gardening boards there was a post about bedding plants. 'Bedding' was highlighted somImclicked, expecting to see a pic about the plant being referred to.

Nope, it was sheets and duvet covers

*so I clicked

Aaaaand it's done it again!

Yeah. I will just plain stop using the site if this feature stays. It stops any discussion, even one that isn't particularly sensitive, feeling at all useful and just makes it feel like you're talking to a spambot. Plus it is beyond maddening to have something ill-advisedly "interpreting" your posts to garnish them with links.

Awful.
Irritating and unhelpful.
PLEASE knock this initiative on the head, nobody here seems to want it.

Really disappointed to see issues have been raised before, including inappropriate links on sensitive topics, yet it was still rolled out without these issues being addressed.

It dawned on me overnight...because you can't see the links on the app, if I post things I don't know if you are adding links to my posts. I exclusively use the app. So you could be adding links to my content and I wouldn't know about it despite the fact that it could impact responses I get

This screws up links that people actually choose to post - as soon as one of these keywords features in a link address, the click through text gets inserted into the middle of it, meaning it doesn't work.

It's a terrible idea to do this.

As others have said, how are people supposed to know whether the links have been inserted by MN or the poster?

I've taken to posting transparent links such as:
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcpvn15h9#?date=2019-07-14 so that people can see where it has come from and that there should be no malicious code in it. I started the habit when posting on the Westminstenders and Trump threads where the potential for mischief is high.

ohyou I've been doing that since this was last rolled out after a link appeared in a post I made that was inappropriate and I got messages about it and there was no way to prove I'd not done it.

That must have been a bit grim Becca!

That's the thing, it's actually really sensible to be cautious about clicking on links to unknown places.

But even if I put a link in plain text, that contains a trigger word, will it screw up the link??

For example:
www.next.co.uk/shop/category-suittrousers-category-trousers/?dp=a&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpavpBRDQARIsAPfTwixpz1rhcjd4JIL-obnL3TB2kD7ve_4AZ6TxmkmRmsj7Tu5EarpEk9gaAuDJEALw_wcB

Yup, so basically, and link that contains any of the words MNHQ have turned into clicky links now doesnt work....

Apologies for this folks - the aim with the auto-links is/was to be helpful in pointing to relevant MN content but there's clearly a few bugs in it and it's appearing in lots of places it shouldn't. We'll take it down and do some more work on it!

Its not helpful, just annoying.

Justine I think you are going to need a far more sophisticated algorithm than you currently have (which just appears to be word spotting). It is going to need to be very context specific and board specific too. Personally I would think there should be far more useful things your developers could be spending time on.
For example, if when you check you can see someone is a PBP, then you should be able to stop them signing up in the first place.

For example, if when you check you can see someone is a PBP, then you should be able to stop them signing up in the first place.
Yes, surely getting rid of trolls, would be far more helpful.

This was awful last time you trialed it and it's still awful.

Please stop it.

... or fixing advanced search...

Look, please don't bother being disingenuous about this. You're a business, you need to sell users to advertisers; I get it, the staff and the servers don't pay for themselves. But the object of this isn't to help users in the abstract, it's to sell shit. I'm fine with that, but it needs to be a lot more helpful and a lot less intrusive and damaging to conversation than it is now.

the aim with the auto-links is/was to be helpful in pointing to relevant MN content

'Helpful' to whom? Seriously?

I agree with everything @cmdrcressidaduck says
So annoying when a clear money making idea is pitched as a favour or service to us users...

This is deep linking, for search engine optimisation. If you have a blog you can install a WordPress plugin which would automatically link when a word is used. Something similar is being done here.

Auto inserting deep links into your OWN content saves time and makes sense. Inserting them into people's posts on a forum is really dodgy.