feature request AGAIN "ignore/hide user's posts"

[cyclepathic]

I've looked at a few previous threads requesting this and I'd like to request it again. Most social media sites allow a hide/mute/ignore/block feature for individual users. There are so many thread derailers and trollers on Mumsnet these days especially in FWR that it makes having a cogent thread nearly impossible. An OP posts a question, some antagoniser deliberately replies with something designed to shift the conversation to their opposing views and thread implodes.

Yes I know we could all just agree to ignore the poster but in reality people reply and the agitator comes back and 100 posts later maybe someone replies to the OP but usually not. So the proper conversation ends.

So please, can we have an option "ignore all posts from this person" either in a drop down or a link at the bottom, at least as a trial, and see how it goes?

And please don't tell me to report trolls/spoilers/fake posts etc. because of course these posters are sly enough not to be overtly breaking site rules, they just want to derail the convo enough so that a) people pay attention to them and b) people forget about the OP and the original convo.

Thanks.

I don’t particularly disagree with the idea, but don’t think it would be helpful for what you’ve mentioned. Surely if you’ve got a poster ignored you don’t see their post but everyone else on the thread does and could/would respond as you’ve said.

You’d have to have the majority of posters ignoring the same posters

Ohai there. Previously I would have said no to a block/hide/ignore poster function but latterly I have changed my stance. Yes please to this function. Thank you.

Yes I know we could all just agree to ignore the poster but in reality people reply and the agitator comes back and 100 posts later maybe someone replies to the OP but usually not. So the proper conversation ends

How would an ignore button stop that? You'd still see everyone else replying to the agitator.

And please don't tell me to report trolls/spoilers/fake posts etc. because of course these posters are sly enough not to be overtly breaking site rules, they just want to derail the convo enough so that a) people pay attention to them and b) people forget about the OP and the original convo.

You could try reporting and asking MNHQ to look at a poster's pattern of posting, rather than individual posts. They're pretty good about this ime. Sometimes needs a few reports saying "Look! They're doing it again! Clearly inflammatory, not posting in good faith" etc

Hi all

Thanks for the suggestion - we'll pass it up the ladder.

We had one for a while- not an official MNHQ thing but something you could view Mumsnet through so it was identical except with this feature. It didn’t survive various upgrades and it was useful but not enough to justify asking the person who had made it to make an updated version.

I've requested this before but got told no. It's apparently because it would ruin the flow of threads or something..? HQ can maybe confirm exactly why this request repeatedly gets ignored.

Honestly, the lack of this perfectly standard feature makes MN an annoying place to be sometimes and it's the reason why a lot of people have enough and have to deregister.

If we block posters and, (as MNHQ say we would), we suddenly find we're missing out on huge chunks of interesting and delightful conversation (snort), we could always, you know, unblock them as we can on every other site I've ever used.

Oh gosh yes I had forgotten that work round, it was Lenin or someone like that.

Agree with what's written above and yes I I know some/many people could choose not to ignore and instead engage annoying posters, but ultimately from what I've seen on other forums, the greater proportion of ignorers means troublemakers end up not being engaged much.

However I did suggest it as a trial, knowing that Mumsnet is a different forum structure and it may not quite work the same. For example, the ignore feature could probably be easily worked around by a poster namechanging constantly? As the ignore wouldn't carry across their namechange for privacy reasons. But worth a trial anyway to see if it can improve the signal to noise ratio on some topics.

Yes, if it ends up destroying the forum, HQ could always change it back. Could absolutely be on a trial basis. I have no idea why they refuse to consider this

Would be a good way to sort out the bots too, or has MN already figured out how to keep them out? Yet another thread derailed and destroyed today by someone quote/replying to every post like a childish AI bot. ChatGPT has shown just how realistic albeit boring these bots can write.

I would like this too as some people deliberately follow others around the site to stir.