What is this ‘You might also like’ clutter?

[PalatineHill]

Hi MNHQ. Please just take it out. Or let me opt out of it? It looks a mess.

If here’s something that I might also like to read, I’ll find it by using the search function.
These suggestions are just encouraging the posting of the same points on multiple similar threads, and that will discourage healthy normal thread death.

It’s really distracting to look at visually, I really liked the uncluttered ‘clean’ MN format compared to other forums.

It's awful. Please make it an opt-out feature.

Also, it’s not entirely true to say it’s based on searches for information on a topic, is it? You’ve based my example on the fact my posts suggest I have a teenage boy, hence the suggestion of a thread on the Christmas topic.
Don’t get me wrong, I accept trackers and cookies are a Thing, but the algorithm is set up based on what they have told you about me, not just the choice of thread I might be currently looking at.

If you insist on introducing this can it at least not be used on the more sensitive topic boards? I was reading a thread in Bereavement and all the “you might also like” were zombie threads that I really don’t think the posters would appreciate being brought back.

It's all a bit patronising. If someone is looking for an answer then there is a search bar at the top of the page. I'm sure we are all capable of using that rather than be told what we "might" be looking for. As my old dad used to say "if it aint broke, don't fix it". Give us something we actually ask for, like an edit button.

Oh god, that’s awful

just because there might be an algorithm for something, it doesn't mean you have to add it to the site

THIS.
Thank you for coming on YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet. I can appreciate the intention of the new feature, but surely the problem is solved if the poster just uses the existing search function? Searching by hand is likely to be much more tailored to what is wanted, than an algorithmic suggestion would be. This seems like MN have bought into the idea that algorithms will know more what we want than we do, which is not always true and not just a question of training your algorithm better.

How about MN promotes the search bar at the bottom of every page if people aren’t sure about how to find threads they want?

The problem with an algorithmic solution offering multiple threads, is that with-the-blessing-of-MN it encourages users to treat other posters just as a resource. It encourages posters to post on out of date threads or to post umpteen times on umpteen similar ‘suggested’ threads with the same one issue.

That approach will make the site much more annoying and crap for the rest of us. I haven’t got time to wade through crap to see how old it is before I post and I resent posting on irrelevant zombie threads. However, I do like topical chats with people on MN. So I rely on older threads falling by the wayside and not being resurrected as part of how I use the site.

I only want to see what’s the most topical thread to users in general and at that time appear at the top of topic lists. So I don’t want to see 15 posts on one small aspect of the topic because someone wanted advice on that one thing. Or the same specific questions appearing on very non-specific or unrelated threads, just because the algorithm suggested to them these threads all cover the same topic- when actually, they don’t. See bootcamp example above.

Obviously someone could just search and do all this same annoying stuff with the results they get…but that doesn’t happen in general. Personally I haven’t seen ever that. Whereas by providing ‘Threads You Might Like’ that’s really encouraging a poster behaviour which will ultimately exhaust the goodwill that gets people the answers or the contact they want from MN.

I guess it goes back to the usual point of MN posters providing the content for the site for free, meaning MN needs to balance making it easy and rewarding to use for regulars, as well as being used as a helpful info or advice resource for some of its users.

This feature is primarily meant for those searching for information .

I'm not searching for information though. I click on active threads and scroll down.

I'd like to point out that a discussion that I'm on has "You might also like" a thread that was last posted back in January 2022.
I'll say that again - the last post on the thread that I might also like was in January of 2022.

It's no wonder there are so many zombie threads being bumped up of late if this was being tested before being put into the production environment.

Was it responsible for any of the recent spate of zombie thread revivals???

The placement of it bothers me more than the feature itself. Who thought the best place would be after the last post but before the reply/text box. Hideous and utterly user unfriendly. Seriously, has the person who thought this was a good idea ever used a forum??

I don’t know how you access MN but, if on iPhone safari, you double tap the time in the top
left and it takes you to the top of any Internet page, if that helps.

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet YetAnotherBeckyMumsnetThis feature is primarily meant for those searching for information
We already have a search tool. You are not planning to get rid of it, are you?

I genuinely hope not. It finally works and works really well.

Stop trying to reinvent the wheel here MN Admins. Stop trying to overcomplicate the chat forums. They work well at the moment (before this new 'addition').

Yes. I don't like it.

I'm posting on the infertility board and my final embryo transfer failed last week, but I got a 'you might like' suggesting of 2 'due in...' threads. 🙄

Oh my goodness Grannies thank you! That is literally life changing info!! Thumbs rejoice

It really isn't working. On a thread started by somebody worried about making a recently-bereaved employee redundant, at the bottom there's a list of several other threads about dead mothers on offer that we might also like.

This is really not on.

No!!! That's disgraceful. That is really bad.

And don’t most of us just head to Google with our search and add “Mumsnet” to the search term to get all the threads on, say, kitchen renovations or noisy neighbours or whatever?

Blimey, it’s getting worse and worse

Did you not anticipate an algorithm doing this, MNHQ? It’s sort of what they do….so…..?

I don’t like it either. Reading the “live” thread about the black pudding in the cafe and all I’ve got underneath is suggestions about various other threads about cafes, the top one dating back to March this year.

@VenusStarr

I'm so sorry to hear that.

MN should be hanging their heads in shame.

Is this issue just on the website or app too?

Hi all

We've removed the feature on fertility and bereavement based on the feedback on this thread.

There’s another thread on this issue suggesting that’s why all the zombie threads are being resurrected recently and the recommended threads underneath direct us to more threads about zombie threads. The whole site is going to eat itself.

Hard 'no' to this new feature.