A ‘cancel the cheque’ button

[PlumpAndDeliciousFatcat]

I understand why MN posts aren’t editable.

But please could you consider some kind of setting where the OP can ‘pin’ a post to the top of their thread giving an update or explaining that an issue is resolved? It would overnight get rid of the ‘cancel the cheque’ type threads where multiple posters only read the OP before responding, despite the fact that the matter was resolved on page 3.

Surely this is what the "see all" button is for?

If there is "see all" but no "see next" then it is immediately obvious that the OP hasn't come back to the thread even though there are hundreds of posts.

Using a 'see all' button would require posters to actually think about whether there has been any update.

The 'cancel the cheque' type people don't tend to look for updates, otherwise they'd have seen them.

@Parpophone

Surely this is what the "see all" button is for?

If there is "see all" but no "see next" then it is immediately obvious that the OP hasn't come back to the thread even though there are hundreds of posts.

People aren’t using it though 🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree 'see all' is very useful. Long goady thread where the OP has never returned-you can do that and not bother posting.
I believe on a very long thread the least you can do is read all the OP's contributions even if not being arsed to RTFT. Save looking stupid with the 'cancel the cheque' comment.

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't actually read a whole thread, they just comment on it, despite it being pages long.

Maybe we could just have a huge cancel the cheque stamp we could put on the posts if people too lazy to read at least the OP's posts??

I'd like a big red pen!!!

'My 3year old does xyz'

1st poster - how old is your child 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

@NiceTwin

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't actually read a whole thread, they just comment on it, despite it being pages long.

I don’t mind admitting that I don’t always RTFT.

I do, however, always use ‘see next’ to jump to the OP’s posts, and if I have a specific suggestion I will do a ctrl + F search of a key word to see if it has already been suggested multiple times.

@SpikyJugs

Using a 'see all' button would require posters to actually think about whether there has been any update.

The 'cancel the cheque' type people don't tend to look for updates, otherwise they'd have seen them.

@SpikyJugs

Yes, exactly!

There is no need for any other sort of button/pin as the people who can't even be bothered to read the updates (let alone the actual thread!!!) won't even look. They are too important and must jump in and comment immediately without even bothering to see what may have transpired since the OP.

The same is true for Zombie threads. They just make it clear that posters haven't read the updates and don't even have the curiousity to look at what the most recent posts are saying (which is usually ZOMBIE)

@FantasticFebruary. Yes, you are spot on.

There is one recently where several people have jumped in with the usual snarky "and your DP isn't doing anything why exactly?"

Which, if they bothered to read what the OP had written in the first place place you would see that the answer is "because he's fucking dead".

Some OPs are prolific and in long-running threads there can be a lot of updates. I’m suggesting allowing just one to be pinned.

Sometimes it's just easier to give long running threads that you haven't been on since the start a miss. It's probably all been said by that point and it's doubtful there's anything new to be discussed TBF.

There is no 'see all' on the app.

I do try to read but admittedly can miss posts if scrolling on my phone. Usually if there's 100+ posts there's no point posting a reply to the OP because 99 people have probably already responded with the same idea. I usually flip to see the most recent posts to check where the thread is before bothering to read all 500+ posts let alone reply.

@Parpophone

CcFantasticFebruary. Yes, you are spot on.

There is one recently where several people have jumped in with the usual snarky "and your DP isn't doing anything why exactly?"

Which, if they bothered to read what the OP had written in the first place place you would see that the answer is "because he's fucking dead

Yes, it's usually really bloody irritating! But sometimes it's SO much worse than that. I've seen threads where the OP's DH/child have started out unwell & have subsequently died & people are still posting 'is it an accident or an emergency? No it's not, they'll be fine, Book a GP appointment' type thing. It's just awful.

@FantasticFebruary

Yes, those ones are awful but there are still the "what are you, the thread police?" posters who take exception to anyone who points out zombies.

As it happens, I don't have notifications turned on, but it must be harrowing if you do and then some idiot resurrects your distressing thread many years later just to say "any update OP?" and remind you of times in your life from which you have moved on.

@Shuffletime - there should be a little funnel at the top of the thread page on the app. You can see all posts by the OP (but you have to be a subscriber to read anyone else's comments in the sort function bit).

[quote iklboo]@Shuffletime - there should be a little funnel at the top of the thread page on the app. You can see all posts by the OP (but you have to be a subscriber to read anyone else's comments in the sort function bit). [/quote]
No funnel on my app. I'm android if that makes a difference?

Ah ok. I'm on iPhone.

OK, so here's a live example. The current 'should we go to a & e' incredibly detailed constipated DP post in Chat (which the DP in question apparently has no idea about, but anyway...) has 445 posts, 61 from the OP. One of those posts has the DP's diagnosis which resolves the thread. Very few people are going to go through 61 posts to find it. If the OP could choose to pin it to the top of her thread then she would get fewer 'cancel the cheque' useless posts and potentially more input from MNers with the same diagnosis, making the thread more useful to her.

We're going to flag your suggestion for discussion. Thank you!

Very few people are going to go through 61 posts to find it.

But why not?
If a thread is of interest then surely you just...um...read it to find out what happened.

If people really are too busy/important to read more than one paragraph then maybe MN isn't the right forum for them.

@Parpophone

Very few people are going to go through 61 posts to find it.

But why not?
If a thread is of interest then surely you just...um...read it to find out what happened.

If people really are too busy/important to read more than one paragraph then maybe MN isn't the right forum for them.

Well, you can police that if you want to but in the mean time the OP of that thread is getting ‘helpful’ suggestions about prunes from people who haven’t read everything.

I find it strange that you would be resistant to a fairy simple measure because you have such fixed ideas about the right sort of people you think should be on MN. The cancel the cheque crew are here and they aren’t going away.

Some people wouldn't read it even if you made it Nethun's-style neon with 25 flashing stickers and fairy lights around it.

You'll be much happier if you train yourself not to be bothered by 'cancel the cheque' posts.

Generally if the OP has 61 posts on a thread there's already going to be 7/800 posts.

If you're not willing to read the OP's posts you're wasting everyone's time (and thread space) because a thread that long almost certainly will have developed and, let's be honest, you're not about to say anything original.

We should just have a 'RTFT' button where MN reviews and deletes posts that get 10 'RTFT' presses if the poster is being an idiot, to allow for more thread space.

I think it would be good if they could add something to the top of the thread yeah, either pin an update like you say or a message saying the op has updated. Although I'm not convinced even that would work because I think there's only so much you can do to mitigate against people being a bit stupid.

I'm not resistant.

Makes no odds to me.

I don't have "fixed ideas" about who should be on MN, I am merely curious about why anyone who is using a forum that comprises written posts wouldn't be interested in seeing what has actually been written.

If your suggestion does put an end to all the "cancel the cheque" nonsense then that would be brilliant, but it shouldn't be necessary in the first place.

If MN do run with your suggestion it will be interesting to see how it works out.

I wonder if a colour change could help. If an OP comes back and marks a thread as 'resolved' it changes colour, or gets a different coloured border, or all OP's posts change colour.