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 very tempting @LookItsMeAgain …

Isn't it just.

I'm honestly getting so fed up with having a few minutes to spare and spending it inevitably clicking on out of date threads. I can't even just use the threads I'm on feature properly to check on updates to recent threads as anything that's been resurrected now pings to the top.

There's a thread in the Gardening topic at the moment from somebody posting a photo and asking for help in identifying what the unusual plant is.
The thread title is 'Plant ID', which happens to be a really common thread title in the gardening topic, as you might expect.

The suggested threads at the bottom read:

Plant ID
Plant id
Plant id help
Plant ID

I mean - what are the chances that any of those are going to be even remotely approaching anything that resembles it?

Answer - 0% . I checked.

Perhaps the idea is you can wander round your garden logged into MN identifying various different plants, if you don't already know what they are?

The thread title is 'Plant ID', which happens to be a really common thread title in the gardening topic, as you might expect.

I can't even begin to imagine how a random (new) user to MN would stumble across the site with such a generic thread title, let alone why they would stick around long enough to click other random threads with the same title and different plants.

Yet apparently this is exactly why the new feature was implemented...

The message is loud and clear, but I will summarise for MNHQ

users do not like this feature
users do not want this feature
if the feature is meant to assist new users, everyone else wants to be able to opt out of it
the positioning of the feature onscreen is intrusive and annoying

the reasons for this are:
the crude algorithm renders the feature useless
the feature consistently brings up zombie threads
the prominence of the feature is highly annoying as most people don’t want to use it

And of course, the question that has been asked so many times, but remains unanswered:

if the feature is so good and is wanted by so many, then why does it not appear on Site Stuff?

To be fair, it's the weekend.

I wouldn't expect any of the decision making staff to be at work and prioritising this on a Saturday or Sunday.

On this thread
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4681576-that-theyve-been-gone-over-an-hour
Where a mother is worried that her husband and young kids have not returned from a walk...

This thread is suggested
www.mumsnet.com/talk/coronavirus/4458919-Faintest-of-lines-just-after-the-30-minute-mark
From January. About covid testing.
Totally irrelevant and unhelpful

I also get this thread as a recommendation (again not relevant and a zombie from March) but also potentially upsetting given the nature of the topic

www.mumsnet.com/talk/conception/4502547-No-line-progression-in-48hrs-worrying

i don't think the way to deal with this is to deliberately sabotage the boards. Why create even more harm and frustration to MNers than has already been dished out.

Frustrating as it is, and this has been the most ill-conceived new feature ever launched on here, not least of all the lack of recognition that it just doesn't work no matter how much they try to tinker round the edges with it, there's no need to be spiteful.

There are already many plant apps for that. And thousands of books. And posting a photo of your plant in the hope that one of the experienced gardeners and houseplant experts on MN can identify it for you. In any case, there are over 300,000 species of plants, and countless hybrids and varieties. And almost all of the time, the plant looks different depending on the time of year. You could look at all the 'Plant ID' threads ever created and never find the one thing you want.

Yes, that was kind of the point I was making, hence the 'confused' emoji.

Oohhh goody it's that time of year again
it's Justine mansplaining to us all how we are all too stupid to understand why we don't understand why the latest crock of shit HQ have come up isn't the BEST THING EVER
comes round quicker and quicker
already had it for the new format earlier this year and here we are again
maybe we could have themed pyjamas and justine eve boxes themed specially for it

Maybe it's a MN rouse to help members get stuff done. I have never been so productive since all this 'you might also like'/invitation to reanimate zombie threads 'upgrade' was installed and made the site so irritating.

Example 3 of my day:

Adult children, rent and cooking

Thread from August. A new poster has just come along and asked her own brand new question and restarted the whole thread. From August.

Yep, it's been constant since the new feature was added to the site. So many threads from months ago are being ressurected.😔

Like I said this morning.

3 - 6 months may not seem like a lot compared to threads from 2011 or 2007, like we've had recently. But there's no reason to bring up issues, problems and situations that are months out of date. It's shit for those who started the threads as they have to be reminded of a thread that they've moved on from, and it's shit for the posters replying as there's a very good chance the thread topic has been resolved or is now irrelevant.

MN is a forum that is popular because it's advice and comments given and made in real time. What's the point in sticking around if a good amount of the threads are months out of date?

You might also like / Suggested threads is a shit feature and doesn't even serve the purpose @JustineMumsnet claims it was implemented for. New users aren't going to find answers to their queries when so many of the suggested threads have nothing to do with the threads they're shown on.

I understand MNHQ want to try new things, but sometimes those new features don't work. This is one of those times, and there's no shame in admitting they got it wrong.

If they want a new project, how about an edit button. A timed edit feature was even suggested by MNHQ as a perk back when Premium was announced, but nothing has come from it since.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/3874618-Mumsnet-Premium-membership-please-support-us-if-you-can?postsby=JustineMumsnet

Oww looking back it was actually @JustineMumsnet who mentioned the edit feature. (Gosh was it really so long ago, 2020, how time flies.😯
I guess Premium members will have to wait a little while longer as MNHQ were busy tweaking the suggested threads feature. 😅

I freely admit this might be some kind of confirmation bias on my part, but I do seem to be noticing more of the goady type of poster popping up on contentious threads and I wonder if this feature is making it easier for them. E.g. they post on one benefit-bashing thread and then another three benefits threads are presented to them.

Does your algorithm literally look at keywords and a dictionary...?on This Harry Potter thread, there's a Link to Prince Harry at the UN and a cat called Harry (Litter Tray) ....

Whoever created your recommendation algorithm must have done the absolute minimum of effort.... And if you bought it, demand a refund!

I’m still smarting at the weight watchers suggestion for watching Bake Off.

It maybe didn’t help in the way it was meant. I’ve bought a sticky toffee pudding and a cake of chocolate.

No unidentified plants were harmed in the creation of this post 😉

Shall we play ‘your algorithm failed’ bingo? Here’s one I’ve just stumbled across about dogs sitting on train seats.

I love MN for many things but one of the things I love most is how absolutely sassy and salty posters get about changes to the site which have, in real life, almost no impact on them whatsoever. Always when MNHQ makes changes people are like WE WILL RIOT!!! and then they say they’ll think about it and it all goes away and we go back to arguing about how many times a week we wash our towels.

In reality, this is going to make almost no difference to anyone and anyone who says they’ll flounce will go away for a bit then sheepishly name change and come back again.

If it was merely annoying I'd ignore it.

I was very concerned by the parent looking for help at the end of her rope today being faced with a list on her thread that went:

Am I a bad parent?
Am I terrible?
Am I a bad mum?

That isn't annoying, that's really bad. It's against everything I thought MN was actually for. Not In The Spirit to put it mildly.

I can't see anyone actually rioting, they'll probably just use the site less because they're fed up of all the trolls/ Zombie resurrections and inappropriate thread suggestions.

Agrees. No one is flouncing in frustration but I'm definitely using the site less as I'm sick of clicking on old threads that are irrelevant and I'm guessing I'm not the only one.