Please help us to improve Mumsnet - join the Mumsnet Talk Testing Panel

[JustineMumsnet]

It’s no secret that Mumsnet is OLD and as such Talk can be a bit creaky and buggy, particularly when we release new features.

We've been working hard for a while now behind the scenes in preparation for re-platforming to a more up to date and agile architecture and code base. It's taken a while because MN is so big and old but later this year we very much hope to be able to move over to a new and improved platform.

We will be keeping the functionality largely unchanged for now (the aim will be to make updates and add more features once we're on the new platform) but we are planning some limited improvements to the user experience and to some aspects that don't function at all well or where there are large inconsistencies across the desktop and mobile versions of the site.

For example we'll be modernising PMs, image uploading and the way long threads load (to speed things up).

We are really keen to get this right and to minimise disruption, and so we'd love your help us to shape and test the new platform. Please click here if you would like to be part of the testing group, and we will be in touch soon with more details.

(nb At the moment we're just focusing on the web version of the site, so if you only use the app, then we don't need you to participate just yet - we'll be looking at that later.)

Big thanks.

I'm an IT Manager and happy to help with this if required.

Here’s some advice @MNHQ.....
There have been multiple requests for several years by many posters asking out of sheer desperation for just one section on Chronic Pain.

You STILL fail to acknowledge this, time and time again you come back with the classic fob-off of ‘Start a thread in ‘Chat’ yourself, gather some momentum, come back to us and we’ll keep an eye on it.

Absolute bullshit will you ever give us our own zone.

Shame on you - it’s this attitude that we have to fight daily. It’s not ‘just’ the daily pain, the medication, the brain fog, the hospital visits, the new diagnosis, the new prognosis, the new symptoms, the family members that have to endure what we go through.

NO! It’s your disgraceful attitude in failing to offer this support (where we can turn and help each other) that is the cruellest, hardest, most brutal and unfair fight of all.

You want to help us? Really? Start here.

Hi Mumsnet
You have so many different topics and sections but very little that actually relates to anything I want to join in on, which is parenting of twins and parenting of an 8 year old. Your parenting section is mostly filled with baby posts which are of no relevance anymore. Could you create more in the 'being a parent' section that is specific to age groups, as it is very difficult to find any relevant advice/chat on there. The problems of parenthood are so linked with age so going into a section about behaviour/development and seeing that it is mostly baby related posts is frustrating. Your sleep section is similarly filled with baby posts, when older children struggle too.

@BonesJones

When you get round to the app, the few issues I have are...

Please stop telling me I have a bad connection when it's something your end. It makes me so mad!

Can you make threads jump to the top when you click the arrow to scroll up, rather than the brain assault of getting to the end of a long thread and then having to sit there for 20 seconds watching text scroll at speed before your very eyes.

When you bookmark a thread, then use the flip function, I don't know what the hell happens but you can neither get to the beginning or the end of the thread.

Search function is DIRE.

I often can't post a new thread on the app, because it takes me to list of topics then won't let me select. Or it does, and then automatically starts the thread in the last topic I posted in.

When you click on a link to another thread within a thread, it takes me to the desktop version of mumsnet. So if I open a thread that is one in a succession, want to read the previous thread, I have to click the link, watch the thread on the desktop version, return to the app, open the thread from watched threads.

Put a 'watch /unwatch option' to a thread from the 3 dots on the thread list page. Currently there's just 'hide' and 'unhide'. Sometimes I want to watch a thread without opening it, watching it then coming striaght back out. A small thing but would be useful!

And if you've got the end of this wall of text, it's because the app doesn't let me do paragraphs! I put them in, they disappear. And then the joy of getting snarked at by posters who reply with 'paragraphs'. I am not succinct. Paragraphs help people not hate me!

I use the App and it has never ever told me I have a bad connection?

@BonesJones

When you get round to the app, the few issues I have are...

Please stop telling me I have a bad connection when it's something your end. It makes me so mad!

Can you make threads jump to the top when you click the arrow to scroll up, rather than the brain assault of getting to the end of a long thread and then having to sit there for 20 seconds watching text scroll at speed before your very eyes.

When you bookmark a thread, then use the flip function, I don't know what the hell happens but you can neither get to the beginning or the end of the thread.

Search function is DIRE.

I often can't post a new thread on the app, because it takes me to list of topics then won't let me select. Or it does, and then automatically starts the thread in the last topic I posted in.

When you click on a link to another thread within a thread, it takes me to the desktop version of mumsnet. So if I open a thread that is one in a succession, want to read the previous thread, I have to click the link, watch the thread on the desktop version, return to the app, open the thread from watched threads.

Put a 'watch /unwatch option' to a thread from the 3 dots on the thread list page. Currently there's just 'hide' and 'unhide'. Sometimes I want to watch a thread without opening it, watching it then coming striaght back out. A small thing but would be useful!

And if you've got the end of this wall of text, it's because the app doesn't let me do paragraphs! I put them in, they disappear. And then the joy of getting snarked at by posters who reply with 'paragraphs'. I am not succinct. Paragraphs help people not hate me!

Sometimes I want to watch a thread without opening it, watching it then coming striaght back out. A small thing but would be useful!

You can already do this!

Slide the thread title to the left!

@BonesJones

When you get round to the app, the few issues I have are...

Please stop telling me I have a bad connection when it's something your end. It makes me so mad!

Can you make threads jump to the top when you click the arrow to scroll up, rather than the brain assault of getting to the end of a long thread and then having to sit there for 20 seconds watching text scroll at speed before your very eyes.

When you bookmark a thread, then use the flip function, I don't know what the hell happens but you can neither get to the beginning or the end of the thread.

Search function is DIRE.

I often can't post a new thread on the app, because it takes me to list of topics then won't let me select. Or it does, and then automatically starts the thread in the last topic I posted in.

When you click on a link to another thread within a thread, it takes me to the desktop version of mumsnet. So if I open a thread that is one in a succession, want to read the previous thread, I have to click the link, watch the thread on the desktop version, return to the app, open the thread from watched threads.

Put a 'watch /unwatch option' to a thread from the 3 dots on the thread list page. Currently there's just 'hide' and 'unhide'. Sometimes I want to watch a thread without opening it, watching it then coming striaght back out. A small thing but would be useful!

And if you've got the end of this wall of text, it's because the app doesn't let me do paragraphs! I put them in, they disappear. And then the joy of getting snarked at by posters who reply with 'paragraphs'. I am not succinct. Paragraphs help people not hate me!

Also, there are paragraphs in your post?

@Loushome

Here’s some advice *@MNHQ*..... There have been multiple requests for several years by many posters asking out of sheer desperation for just one section on Chronic Pain.

You STILL fail to acknowledge this, time and time again you come back with the classic fob-off of ‘Start a thread in ‘Chat’ yourself, gather some momentum, come back to us and we’ll keep an eye on it.

Absolute bullshit will you ever give us our own zone.

Shame on you - it’s this attitude that we have to fight daily. It’s not ‘just’ the daily pain, the medication, the brain fog, the hospital visits, the new diagnosis, the new prognosis, the new symptoms, the family members that have to endure what we go through.

NO! It’s your disgraceful attitude in failing to offer this support (where we can turn and help each other) that is the cruellest, hardest, most brutal and unfair fight of all.

You want to help us? Really? Start here.

Crikey, that was way to harsh! Calm down...... That was bang out of order!

I also suffer from chronic pain but I don't see how a forum is going to help with pain?

Do you have a Pain Clinic in your local hospital? Ask for a referral.

*too

Please can I ask that you also review the talk guidelines and make them less vague and open to interpretation. Team MNHQ are always going to have to use some judgement however, I’ve seen some threads recently where seemingly inoffensive posts have been deleted (for example because of hearsay in the post, which is IMO should not be breaking guidelines as a lot of posts contain hearsay.....?!) and then very offensive posts have been allowed to remain. Thankfully none of my posts have required deletion recently but I have been frustrated by certain decisions. It would be great to have clarification on this and to also have some consistency in the policing of posts. Thank you so much.

@Loushome

Here’s some advice *@MNHQ*..... There have been multiple requests for several years by many posters asking out of sheer desperation for just one section on Chronic Pain.

You STILL fail to acknowledge this, time and time again you come back with the classic fob-off of ‘Start a thread in ‘Chat’ yourself, gather some momentum, come back to us and we’ll keep an eye on it.

Absolute bullshit will you ever give us our own zone.

Shame on you - it’s this attitude that we have to fight daily. It’s not ‘just’ the daily pain, the medication, the brain fog, the hospital visits, the new diagnosis, the new prognosis, the new symptoms, the family members that have to endure what we go through.

NO! It’s your disgraceful attitude in failing to offer this support (where we can turn and help each other) that is the cruellest, hardest, most brutal and unfair fight of all.

You want to help us? Really? Start here.

We’re so sorry you feel we fobbed you off. Obviously, something was amiss in our communication here because we're always open to user suggestions for a new section. We usually ask them to start some threads first to see if the topic has any traction because having many, many topics does make the site harder to navigate - we've had lots of feedback on that.

That said, there have been a lot of requests for a dedicated chronic pain topic (not just back pain). It’s clear that for some posters this would be really significant so we’re happy to say we’ll be launching a Chronic Pain topic in the next couple of weeks or so. Thanks for your patience.

It’s clear that for some posters this would be really significant so we’re happy to say we’ll be launching a Chronic Pain topic in the next couple of weeks or so. Thanks for your patience.

This is excellent news!

The adverts that you can't close are super annoying! I've just closed you, don't pop out and follow me into the margin!!
Also an edit button on posts would be useful.

Signed up. I spend far too much time on here so doing something useful while I’m here would make me feel less guilty!

The “what thread are you on” option... if I click on it I want to go back to the post I made so I can see new posts, but instead it takes me right to the beginning or right to the end of the thread.

Would also be nice to somehow filter out PR, feels like some posters are paid for their content. Not sure how you do that though!

Otherwise the search engine isn’t great as pp have said.

@Backstreetsbackalrightdadada

The “what thread are you on” option... if I click on it I want to go back to the post I made so I can see new posts, but instead it takes me right to the beginning or right to the end of the thread.

Would also be nice to somehow filter out PR, feels like some posters are paid for their content. Not sure how you do that though!

Otherwise the search engine isn’t great as pp have said.

We do allow the option to bookmark a post which should then always take you to that place in the thread until you bookmark another post.

But that is a good suggestion that we can consider for future optimisation.

I just wanted to clarify what you mean about filtering out PR? We do have a number of sponsored threads and guest posts, but these are clear they are not by regular members - these are usually stickied to the top of active or the topics.

However, if you are not interested in ever seeing posts like these in your active list, you can choose to hide these topics by going to your talk preferences here www.mumsnet.com/Talk?call=Preferences

Most of these topics sit in the 'Product tests and surveys' section or in the 'Mumsnet stuff' section.

There are no additional paid for threads on site, and we never pay posters for their content.

@JanineMumsnet

we never pay posters for their content

That's a shame

Search is rubbish. Apart from that I like it really! Am almost exclusively an app user so will hang back!

@Backstreetsbackalrightdadada

The “what thread are you on” option... if I click on it I want to go back to the post I made so I can see new posts, but instead it takes me right to the beginning or right to the end of the thread.

Would also be nice to somehow filter out PR, feels like some posters are paid for their content. Not sure how you do that though!

Otherwise the search engine isn’t great as pp have said.

As @JustineMumsnet said, you can already jump straight to where you left off if you bookmark before you leave the thread. Very useful on long threads.

No I don't see paragraphs in my own posts to those who asked, but do see other people's paragraphs. Also can we have an option to name change on the app please! And have working links and images that you can enlarge. I'm generally super happy with mumsnet generally, I like the format etc but it just has lots of wrinkles that need ironing out!

@BonesJones

No I don't see paragraphs in my own posts to those who asked, but do see other people's paragraphs. Also can we have an option to name change on the app please! And have working links and images that you can enlarge. I'm generally super happy with mumsnet generally, I like the format etc but it just has lots of wrinkles that need ironing out!

You can already name change on the app

@Loushome

Here’s some advice *@MNHQ*..... There have been multiple requests for several years by many posters asking out of sheer desperation for just one section on Chronic Pain.

You STILL fail to acknowledge this, time and time again you come back with the classic fob-off of ‘Start a thread in ‘Chat’ yourself, gather some momentum, come back to us and we’ll keep an eye on it.

Absolute bullshit will you ever give us our own zone.

Shame on you - it’s this attitude that we have to fight daily. It’s not ‘just’ the daily pain, the medication, the brain fog, the hospital visits, the new diagnosis, the new prognosis, the new symptoms, the family members that have to endure what we go through.

NO! It’s your disgraceful attitude in failing to offer this support (where we can turn and help each other) that is the cruellest, hardest, most brutal and unfair fight of all.

You want to help us? Really? Start here.

This. Multiple times. If you had a bit more respect for us it would help. You allow multiple bloody RF/ Covid/ Brexit posts but don't give us a chronic pain board. I'm too exhausted to do your job for you

@Sooverthemill

There is a topic! MNHQ did listen!

Here

@BIWI thank you

@Sooverthemill

Sorry you are suffering too.
I do think there is a hidden agenda now behind MNHQ’s reason for this because every fight for this has been dismissed....which is exactly our issue in RL...the battle against being heard.