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.

First rule of marketing is that it is alot easier to keep your current people happy than to go chasing new ones.

And cheaper.

Arcane you'll get stuck in a never ending spiral of threads I'm on that disappear only to appear again months later. MN purgatory.

I’ve just read Dante’s inferno again

I think it could be finding myself in a new circle with the click of a button jane 👿

@MNHQ are you seriously leaving this feature? It's absolutely ridiculous and annoying having these old thread in threads I'm on.

Well, @JaneJeffer, it would appear that they are.

Comment from @HebeMumsnet:

HebeMumsnet · Today 12:46
Afternoon, everyone. We're still tweaking this as we go and are reading and making a note of the comments here, too, to feed into the tweaks we're making. Thanks for the continuing feedback. It's all useful.

... on this thread

So not only are they not just removing the feature they are now not even bothering to respond on this thread to keep us updated...

They must have paid someone shit tons of money for the new feature, it's the only reason I can see why they haven't just given up on the whole idea. No one likes it, no one needs it and it's doing more harm than good!

They're tweaking my chain.

The repeated disingenuous thank yous and claiming the feedback is useful keep making me think about Daisy in Spaced with her performance art based on the interview she fucked up. Which is a bit niche but might amuse some others

Hello again,
As promised on Friday, we've been taking a further look at the impact of the 'You might also like' feature and what we can do to make it work better.

The first thing to say is that telling us about sub-optimal results is really useful. There are nearly 1000 threads created every day on Mumsnet, about every topic under the sun, so creating an algorithm that gets it right every time is tricky. It doesn't just use keywords - it looks at context too - so, for example, a recent thread about Iceland the supermarket only showed in threads about Iceland the supermarket, not Iceland the country. But every time there's result that doesn't make sense, we learn a new user case and can improve the algorithm accordingly. So over time it will most certainly improve.

It's clear that it's a popular feature with some (there have been over 78,000 clicks on it by over 33,000 different users since release) but it's also clear from this thread that it's a pretty unpopular feature with others!

So here's what we're going to do about that:
First we've already moved the Similar Threads box so that it shows below the posting box, not above, for logged in users.
Secondly we've changed the formula for the Trending box so that only threads created within the last 30 days can appear in there
We'll will also introduce two new setting in Customise
One to turn off seeing Similar Threads at all and one which ensures you only see threads in Active that have been started within the last 30 days. We're aiming to release both of these changes in the next week or so. Thanks for your input and for your patience.

LinkedIn says MumsNet has a new Chief Data Officer as of this month, I sincerely hope this is not a sign of further "features" to come.

It's clear that it's a popular feature with some (there have been over 78,000 clicks on it by over 33,000 different users since release)

I'd wager at least half if not more of those have been unintentional but I suppose you can make data say anything without proper context.

It seems very odd that you're now having to introduce more controls and features to counter the new feature when you could just remove the similar threads feature altogether.

It's got vibes of when someone makes a mistake at work so they can spend the whole day correcting the mistake and not actually doing any meaningful work.

@JustineMumsnet how will those fixes help the mother who came here yesterday desperate for help and the end of her rope who had to encounter a list of text that went "Am I a bad mother? Am I terrible?"

Her answer would have been an emphatic yes at that point. This is emotionally harmful. I always thought the point of MN was the support and caring for parents, this seems to be prioritising clicks over people and making this a very unsafe place to come for help.

It's clear that it's a popular feature with some (there have been over 78,000 clicks on it by over 33,000 different users

That doesn't mean its actually popular. So many threads right now have newer posts stating they didn't realise the date on first post as it was in trending.

@JustineMumsnet but why has it been introduced at all? What's the point of it? I can't see it has any redemptive function, it's just created an utter pain in the arse situation.
People will be clicking on it because they don't understand what it is, not because they actually like it or find it useful.
It's about as useful as Amazon telling me that people who bought knickers also bought toothpaste and 19th Century novels. No shit!

Clicks =/= likes

And how many of those are people whom are also on this thread looking at the results and clicking on suggested results to see just how ludicrous/ancient/inappropriate they are?

Given how many people are annoyed by it the number of clicks is no indication as to how much it is wanted or found to be useful.

I've clicked on it by accident a handful of times - the obnoxious and intrusive placement makes this inevitable. It doesn't mean users like it or want it to be there.

Actually the placement makes clear that Mumsnet know people don't want it and would never choose to use it if it weren't shoved in the middle of functions that are actually wanted.

Another pointless list of recommendations on the DH wants me the give up pork thread

Just because people are clicking on it doesn't mean they're liking what they find on there. You can only see how old the thread is after you've clicked. So if I've ever clicked it, just know that I was disappointed with the results every single time. You seem to have confused "clicked on" with "liked the results" if you're using the word "popular".

Secondly we've changed the formula for the Trending box so that only threads created within the last 30 days can appear in there.

This however is a good step forwards. Thank you!

Thanks for the reply Justine but I’m not sure that creating an opt-out to this going to be a fix. Because even if some people know that they can go to customise and turn off:

• seeing Similar Threads at all

-seeing threads in Active that have been started longer ago than the last 30 days…

Not everyone will do that or will know they can do it, especially as time goes on, so you will still have all the same problems of these features- inappropriate ‘similar’ threads being recommended, multiple zombie threads being revived, and overall, the encouragement by MNHQ of a much slower-moving site with even more of a myriad of similar threads on the go, with some of those current but some way out of date.

None of which seems like a great first-time experience to encourage coming back if you’re a new visitor - nor a great long term experience if you’re already a long term poster, which is the group that provides a lot of the posted content.

I had thought that backwaters are not encouraged on MN- aren’t the quietest cul-de-sacs of MN culled every so often if they don’t get much traffic? Yet this feature (even with an opt out) would seem to facilitate a massive drag on the momentum of discussion. As well as causing all the other very concerning problems that everyone on the thread has been pointing out. It still seems like it would be better and easier to pull the feature entirely.

OK, that's good at the consumer end. But what about the other end - how are you managing contributor consent for a new use of their historic data? MN posts include sensitive personal information that is at best semi-anonymised. Threads going out of date and it being unacceptable to resurrect many of them has been part of the MN operating model for years and it has helped to maintain confidentiality.

Sorry to nitpick but I spend a lot of time at work managing half-baked ethics. Hopefully your new data officer can advise.

And I suspect a considerable number of those clicks have been from us on this thread, trying to prove our point.

Formatting went wierd in my post, sorry.

I’m confused whether the change in ‘Active’ is by going to customise to make active opt out or not, now. Maybe I misunderstood that bit?

It's clear that it's a popular feature with some (there have been over 78,000 clicks on it by over 33,000 different users since release) but it's also clear from this thread that it's a pretty unpopular feature with others!
Why not do a poll in AIBU @JustineMumsnet?