Thoughts on tweaking MN

[MsAmerica]

Since the mods very cordially expressed a willingness to read suggestions, I put something together for you. I tried to think this through to cover as much as possible, although I admit I'm not an experienced poster here. So these are things I've noticed that you might want to re-think, but overall the main suggestion is just to tidy up the layout for clarity, and re-organize and re-name some forums, to make the posting process more user-friendly. Please excuse a bit of repetition, as the categories overlap. (Also, some small additions since my original failed attempt to post, with apologies to mods who were already kind enough to read the initial version.)

I haven’t been able to post this, possibly because it’s so long, but I’m now going to try it in sections, as suggested, and see if that works.

@Port1aCastis

I too would like an edit button but other than that I'm so used to MN as it is at all those changes would surely make a different site. Am very surprised that you OP would go to great lengths to suggest all those changes yet you still use a site which you consider needs so many changes and you've been using it for 8 years so I'm wondering what your game is as surely not many can be arsed to write the manual that you have unless they have a vested interest

Yes, I have been using MN for years - but very little. And just at some point, when I kept being aggravated again and again by so many things, I finally thought that although it's not likely that the mods will truly take suggestions, I figured I'd at least put it out there.

I'm just a problem solver, and I like things to work well. I've had a few funny experiences where I pointed out problems to a small store that would be undermining their own profit, and they politely said, no, they liked it the way it was - and next thing you know they went out of business.

@0blio

MN is unique. It would be a shame to change it.

^^This. I don't understand this need to change something that is so popular and well used - have you seen the stats?

A quick look at the home page would tell you this:

Twenty years later and who'd have thought it would come to this? Mumsnet is now the UK’s biggest network for parents, with around 7 million unique visitors per month clocking up around 100 million page views.

This is a good example of why I wish we had a brief editing period: I could have just added on to my post to you from a few minutes ago.

It just occurred to me, if you'll excuse me: To the best of my knowledge, MN is the only big general British-based forum in existence (and it's even debatable as to how "general" it is). If I'm wrong, please tell me. But if it's the only one, then there's no merit in having a lot of posters. Then it's the only game in town, with nowhere else to go.

Only game in town! 😂

If you visited a new town and wanted to have some food would you go to the empty cafes or would you go to the one that has a line of locals cueing round the corner for a table? (Obviously in a rush you'd put up with an empty one.)

🎶 Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where NOBODY knows your name 🎶

Oops first everybody should say 'nobody' too!

Please just stay the same. I like the ‘basic ness’ if that’s the right word. It’s easy to navigate, it feels a bit like a comfy jumper with the odd hole. It feels like ‘our’ mumsnet. There is too much slick stuff based on algorithms out there which then feels characterless and corporate and without soul.
Also I get a bit fed up of things changing and having new widgets all the time! Too exhausting. Mn is grand as it is.
And definitely no like buttons. If you like something you have to put a bit of effort in and write a comment. Much better.
Thanks!

I lost the will to live half way through your critique of the book section.

I like MN the way it is. I don't want it to be organised like Craigslist.

I stay logged in all the time. Saves time.

@CircleofWillis

Only game in town! 😂

If you visited a new town and wanted to have some food would you go to the empty cafes or would you go to the one that has a line of locals cueing round the corner for a table? (Obviously in a rush you'd put up with an empty one.)

🎶 Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where NOBODY knows your name 🎶

Oh and the locals are queuing not cueing.

(Still don't want an edit button - it prevents people from 'curating' their comments.)

@ArblemarchTFruitbat

I really dislike nested replies. It's such a pain going back and forth reading them. It's one of MN's huge plusses that it doesn't have them.

I don't understand what you mean.

There's no going back and forth. With nested replies, you read down a thread, just as you do here. The only difference is that when you reply to a particular post in the middle of the thread, it shows up under that post, not at the tail end of the thread. You don't have to waste space with quoting, and it's easy to follow a tangent.

@shinynewapple21

What a strange post! Why would you come on to a forum you don't normally use and then write pages in criticism? Didn't bother to read most of it - but what I did read - those things are different if you use the app anyway- and surely more people use that nowadays?

I come to different forums for different things, but I find that almost any forum could benefit from some tweaks.

But I don't think, for instance, that the section names are any different regardless of the device you use.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

This Is Indenting Gamerchick

No. It's not. I have no idea what you're illustrating.

This is an example of indenting:

forums.craigslist.org/?forumID=6

@alienbaby

Good suggestions OP. Agree forum names are ridiculous. Why isn't there a general politics forum instead of having brexit, feminism etc siphoned off?

What a bunch of sad sack responses on this thread though. Do people really hang around on the MN site specific forum waiting to pounce on anyone who dares to criticise their "safe space"? Guys, it's a business. Businesses change. Move on and dont bring a woman down for having ideas of how to improve it.

Thanks, @alienbaby, for your reply.

Yes, I'd love if if the forums were better named, better grouped, and all immediately visible, without the attempt to direct traffic to the personal melodrama.

@EmpressaurusWitchDoesntBurn

I think a good compromise on zombie threads would be if only the OP was able to update them.

I also think that people should have to get to the end of a thread before being able to post on it. I’m not saying they should be forced to read it all, but if they at least had to click through to the last page / scroll to the final post, they might be less likely to just reply to the opening post.

As for feminism & Brexit being in one big politics forum, the Mumsnet feminism board is huge, famous & legendary - to the extent that a bunch of trans rights activists and misogynists have been trying to get it shut down for years.

That seems like a strange idea to me.

If someone asks "What's your favorite book" - why should I have to scroll through what the favorite book is of 100 other people if I don't care?

I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't as clear as I should have been about forum names. Brexit is an important subject and it makes perfect sense for it to be a sub-forum on its own. But then maybe it should be part of Politics, but not randomly stuffed in there with Elderly Parents and Genealogy, and under Other, so it won't even be seen by someone looking at the main list.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees

Some people are positively proud of being a pedant (I include my DH in this).

I believe you. And I'm sure some people are proud of being successful cyber-criminals or cat-burglars. But I think it's not usually meant in a nice way. I also think it's one thing for an individual to proudly claim it - usually with some ironic humor - and another to shoehorn people into a category with an unflattering name. Like "Fat Corner."

@MrsSkimpole

Bloody Hell.

I've been here since 2006 and it's fine just as it is.

Sorry, the system wouldn't let me quote, but @saraclara had replied: I think you've just proved a point. A website that hasn't changed in 15 years is absolutely antediluvian. And absolutely nothing to support or be proud of.

But I'd like to interject that my suggestions have nothing to do with novelty for its own sake. My suggestions are mostly with the hope of clarity and ease.

Nope

@MsAmerica I've just received a PM purporting to be from you, titled 'indenting'. You are also asking me to click on a link to Craigs List.

Firstly, what's the point of a PM about this, when you could easily discuss it on this thread? (As have other PP)

Second, why Craigs List? It's a very dodgy site, so I'm never going to click on that kind of a link.

So I'm assuming someone has hacked your account in some way and have reported your PM to MNHQ.

Sense of humour failure alert.

This is, as you say, a mainly British site. All the samples of 'better' you give are not.

Have a think... no, longer than that. Maybe we like Pedant's Corner because it perfectly describes the content. Just as Flouncer's Corner does.

As it stands MN is simple, easy enough and lacking in faff. Maybe that's why it has lasted so long.

Most of your issues with finding stuff are easily solved, just use Active.