To be frustrated at how often threads are being deleted

Hanooooooo · 2022-03-10T20:47:24+00:00

I know others have complained too but it seems to be more frequent by the day. Just now I was reading one about feeling the financial squeeze from price rises and starting to feel out of touch with podcasts and friends, clicked next page and suddenly it's gone! Even if there sometimes is trolling, does that mean it wasn't a useful space for everyone to share their feelings in common? Similarly, "bun fight" threads are deleted if there is robust debate (although I do acknowledge sometimes it's overboard. Or the OP has a privacy concern. It is frustrating when a thread is offering some solace or you are invested.

MNHQ

EstherMumsnet · 10/03/2022 20:58

[hops on. deletes thread]

Hello! So you know we don't allow threads about threads right?

So what should I do here? Any chance you can discuss how this makes you feel without discussing specific threads?

We'll pop back on shortly to see whether this works...

Kanaloa · 10/03/2022 21:00

It is annoying, really annoying. Especially when the issue is that the op doesn’t like the answers so suddenly has ‘privacy concerns.’ Maybe consider your privacy concerns BEFORE posting.

Obviously if a thread is nasty/just set up to be horrible about one group of people etc no point letting it stand but some of those deleted there seems to be really little reason why.

Kanaloa · 10/03/2022 21:02

It can also be frustrating when one is deleted as a troll. I can understand if there was a totally hypothetical troll about children/inappropriate situations etc obviously fishing for people’s stories, although I’m still shocked people (hypothetically) give them. But if it’s an impersonal question thread like what do you think of people who do x or similar then why does it matter if it’s a troll? People’s responses of ‘oh I don’t actually think people should smoke inside’ don’t mean less because the person who asked for them wasn’t genuine.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 10/03/2022 21:03

I agree with you OP, it’s frustrating. Quite often it seems to be requested by the OP if the thread isn’t going in the direction she wanted.

Obviously I wouldn’t mention a specific thread but for example if someone asked about her child snatching a toy from another child and OP didn’t give the toy back to the first child. And the response is unanimous that OP is in the wrong.
And suddenly (for example) the thread is deleted for “privacy concerns”.

ButtockUp · 10/03/2022 21:07

There have been far too many of late. Some of these threads seem fairly innocuous too.

Quite often I'll click onto a thread and find that it's gone already.

Something dark there lurks.

announceno · 10/03/2022 21:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

FlowerTomb · 10/03/2022 21:12

Hugely frustrating. The frequency sometimes makes me want to find a different forum. The most infuriating one for me was when someone had multiple threads about the same issue over a long period of time and poof MN deleted the latest one as they "felt OP had received sufficient advice". The OP of that one ended up coming back some time later and actually said she was a bit scared to post in case they deleted her again, it was really unfair.

MNHQ

EstherMumsnet · 10/03/2022 21:14

Back! We are going to move this to Site Stuff and we'll make sure the team sees this and has a think about any issues that come up.

Hawkins001 · 10/03/2022 21:15

@EstherMumsnet

[hops on. deletes thread]

Hello! So you know we don't allow threads about threads right?

So what should I do here? Any chance you can discuss how this makes you feel without discussing specific threads?

We'll pop back on shortly to see whether this works...

How would it be better to discuss deleted threads if hq don't allow a thread about a thread ? I'll admit sometimes it is frustrating and I know theirs a balancing act and different reasons ect.

Hawkins001 · 10/03/2022 21:17

@EstherMumsnet

Back! We are going to move this to Site Stuff and we'll make sure the team sees this and has a think about any issues that come up.

Just read that bit, at least this thread hopefully helps people, and not about a specific thread but rather than clicking a page and it's got x replys, can we bring back the 1000 post thread option that used to be available back in the day please ?

Hawkins001 · 10/03/2022 21:18

@FlowerTomb

Hugely frustrating. The frequency sometimes makes me want to find a different forum. The most infuriating one for me was when someone had multiple threads about the same issue over a long period of time and poof MN deleted the latest one as they "felt OP had received sufficient advice". The OP of that one ended up coming back some time later and actually said she was a bit scared to post in case they deleted her again, it was really unfair.

I'd say then it's up to the op to decide on that one on how much is too much advice, if people are happy to post etc

TotalRhubarb · 10/03/2022 21:20

I find this frustrating too, especially the ones that go on for pages and pages and you take ages to read the whole thread and post advice, and then it gets deleted because the OP doesn’t like the answers she’s got. There seems to be more and more of them.

Chocolattay · 10/03/2022 21:26

I think sometimes trolls (as long as they aren’t about sensitive subjects) sometimes start up interesting discussions and should just be allowed to stay. Or threads that are obvious tongue in cheek.

Chocolattay · 10/03/2022 21:27

*I mean some troll threads end up with interesting discussions. Yet the thread is deleted

CecilyTheWake · 10/03/2022 22:01

@Chocolattay

I think sometimes trolls (as long as they aren’t about sensitive subjects) sometimes start up interesting discussions and should just be allowed to stay. Or threads that are obvious tongue in cheek.

You can’t allow some troll threads and not others based on an entirely subjective assessment of whether or not they are ‘interesting’.

MN is full of troll threads. Some are stupid and harmless, a few are catfishing, the majority are perverts or posters with an agenda.

It would help if people reading MN used a bit of common sense and used their brains before responding to Hairyhands2468 asking for stories about when women have peed themselves to help ease —his— her embarrassment. But no, they have to pile in with stories to feed the pervert’s wank bank. Likewise the posters who get sucked in to a CF post and sit there hitting refresh while begging for updates then post a ton of threads wanting to know what happened when it gets deleted.

FlowerTomb · 10/03/2022 22:17

@Hawkins001 Indeed, iirc she was quite shocked at MN reaction and didnt feel she was "allowed" to talk about this particular issue. Such a pity because there was so so much incredible advice that benefited others as well - the deletion left a sour taste.

Hawkins001 · 10/03/2022 22:27

[quote FlowerTomb]@Hawkins001 Indeed, iirc she was quite shocked at MN reaction and didnt feel she was "allowed" to talk about this particular issue. Such a pity because there was so so much incredible advice that benefited others as well - the deletion left a sour taste.[/quote]
That's understandable, plus as long as the thread is in good spirits and has useful information, it should be left for others to learn from too.

Duracellbunnywannabe · 11/03/2022 08:23

@TotalRhubarb

I find this frustrating too, especially the ones that go on for pages and pages and you take ages to read the whole thread and post advice, and then it gets deleted because the OP doesn’t like the answers she’s got. There seems to be more and more of them.

Or moved to 30 days only not at the request of the OP. Just because MN think it should be.

LovedayCL · 14/03/2022 00:12

I took this thread as being a general thread about threads being deleted, with an example. I think it’s a fair point. It is annoying and really frequent.

I know the other ones that have been referred to as well and found it an odd decision. I felt sorry for the OP, and me too, as I’d invested time reading and thinking about the scenario. And that’s the crux of it really, our views, clicks and posts are what we give to the site - in effect, our attention is out side of the bargain. So when content we’re actively interacting with is removed too often and perceived as being arbitrarily done, then it’s frustrating, feels like a waste of our time and a bad customer experience.

Graphista · 14/03/2022 19:37

Yea the ones where it's obvious the op has requested a deletion because they don't like the answers they got - that's just tough really! And these are still useful for others reading who may be in similar situations

I've posted threads where I've absolutely had my arse handed to me! One ended up in the paper and Reddit and all sorts! Still didn't request a deletion I mean get a grip people!

As for "privacy concerns" yea usually a cop out on the part of the op. I suspect most people posting - especially about controversial topics - alter some details anyway.

I change details on things to keep it anon

Removing threads cos a poster has posted too much on that topic but is needing support and advice? (I never saw that thread I don't think) that's not on imo.

JennyHogon · 14/03/2022 19:45

I think it's a shame when troll posts are deleted (unless they're pervs). There's often a wealth of really useful advice/personal experience on those threads. Perhaps MNHQ could intervene and say the OP is a troll and that they're not accepting any more comments - but leave the existing thread to stand as it is? It would be quite a good way to deal with trolls, really - they write a troll post, provoke a really useful discussion, then the useful bit is what's remembered. They might be a bit less trollish if they thought they were actually serving a useful purpose.

saraclara · 14/03/2022 20:14

Over the last couple of days there've been deletions that are neither trolls nor requests for deletion from the OP.

MN seems to be just deciding that "this thread wasn't going too well" and deleting. It's annoying when you've just spent ages writing a thoughtful post.