Why aren’t we allowed to post plain text links any more?

[Slothtoes]

Why can’t I just post a plain text link any more without a massive preview image?
I really value Mumsnet for its clear, plain text, and clean looking posted links. It’s not Facebook or Twitter and I really appreciate that.

MN threads will get way too long, way too quickly when they’re full of links with images and for me it really breaks up the conversation flow. Much harder to reply to specific posts anything more than one or two posts back if you have to scroll way back. It just creates visual clutter. The new feature is even mandatory when just posting an internal MN link onto another MN thread. And I wonder what happens if anyone has the gall to post two or more links into the same post, as references?

This new feature will really negatively impact the quality of discussion on factual and resource type threads where posters share information. Off the top of my head- FWR, politics, health topics, parenting topics, recipes, F&B, Telly addicts….. or any support or discussion thread with a factual, informing, or evolving/updated evidence type of basis.

Decreased quality of discussion can equal decreased quality of support for parents which is the aim of the site. Please MN- stop trying to shape our conversations. Please could you remove this new feature.

huh? like this? https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4769505-why-arent-we-allowed-to-post-plain-text-links-any-more

is it an app thing?

Hello,

Thanks for the feedback - we really welcome any feedback (good or bad). You are able to remove link previews when posting a thread or reply. When you paste a link you should see the preview below the text editor, and you should see a rubbish bin icon which will allow you to remove link previews from your post.

But I understand your wider feedback on this, about it not being appropriate in certain circumstances and in certain topics. It's something we will be keeping an eye on.

Thanks

MNHQ

It is a PITA.

Giant ads, giant MN videos/promo stuff, giant photos, giant gifs and now giant links. It all takes up a lot of screen.

But it's still called 'Talk'!

Ah ,I didn't know you could delete the preview thing .Something else to learn .Good oh!

like this @TeenDivided

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culottes#:~:text=The%20term%20%22culottes%22%20in%20French,like%20calling%20them%20%22bottoms%22.

@rileynexttime That's horrific!

Well if you think that's horrific ..have a look at why I was posting a link to explain that culottes has a different meaning when used by the French firm Benetton .

You have to click on the blank bit in that attachment .
MN has suddenly got too complicated for me .Must be a way of deterring us old people .

OK thank you for the response, now I realise only if you scroll down below the text of your post there are some controls-
eg let’s take two links:

https://www.vogue.com/article/the-ups-and-downs-of-culottes-a-brief-history-from-paul-poiret-to-hedi-slimane#:~:text=First%20worn%20by%20aristocrats%20and,mobility%20and%20role%20in%20society

And

https://www.bustle.com/articles/104171-the-history-of-culottes-goes-beyond-those-weird-stretchy-capris-you-wore-in-high-school

with these two links you can choose which one you want the preview to appear for, and it can only be one of them. And there is a bin button for deleting the preview.

Are we meant to be psychic and know that then?

I'd wondered why there were awful pictures cluttering up the screen. I don't think it's an improved "feature" at all.

JanineMN thank you for your post. In general when there is a new feature, it would be really helpful if we could have a sticky at the top of Active for a few days so that we can see what you’re trying to change and why, get to grips with it, give you some feedback on how it’s working etc. Sorry if I missed anything like that but MNHQ just going live with new features can mean irritation and confusion.
There have been previously new feature introductions that we have just been told to suck up, at least initially, so my assumption is now that new things that appear are going to be mandatory.

For me it doesn’t work for MNHQ without any warning to be putting new controls for new functions below the text box that we normally post in- personally I would never scroll down past that text box because I am just writing my text post as normal and so why would I scroll around?

I still question the need for this function at all, because having it can. fill a page up quickly and that will inevitably make a conversation harder to follow

https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/trouser-trends-2023/amp

For me it doesn’t work for MNHQ without any warning to be putting new controls for new functions below the text box that we normally post in- personally I would never scroll down past that text box because I am just writing my text post as normal and so why would I scroll around?

I agree.

I still question the need for this function at all, because having it can. fill a page up quickly and that will inevitably make a conversation harder to follow

Agree here too.

Hello,

I posted in site stuff on Tuesday when we released this feature here which included info about how to delete the preview, but appreciate this has gone unnoticed.

In general, if we release a new feature we will post in site stuff to communicate this, so it's always worth keeping an eye on this topic, but I'll feed back that we should also pin in active for a number of days.

I think the feature would be much better without the pictures.

The other problem is that Site Stuff doesn't jump up the rankings in Active or Trending, and it isn't a quick link in the drop down menu so I have to purposely go hunting for that board. I would rather have a quick link to Site Stuff rather than Conception, in the drop down quick links, for instance.

Can i ask what was behind the thinking of adding a picture to the links since we can always add out own pictures if we felt the need?

Nvm, I found out the reason 😂

The hope is that this gives you more visibility over links being shared before you decide to click them.

And how many responses has that post in Site Stuff got...? 😂

this is a horrible, ugly feature. The previews are far, far too big and intrusive and add nothing.

I think it’s a bit off or at best deliberately not very transparent that Site Stuff threads don’t appear in Active or Trending.
There shouldn’t be any problem with users seeing other users’ comments about the site, should there?

Wait hold on- that post did make this thread pop up in Active, so that’s great.

They do appear in trending and active. However, they generally aren't as active and get lost very quickly. Hence the 2 days with no comments on the "hey, this is what we've done!" thread.

Agree with other posters. This is an ugly, unwanted and unasked-for feature that hinders talk and slows thread loading.

For crying out loud, just stop the everlasting tinkering!

Ugh. It’s making MN look really cluttered and messy.
Just like on Hunsnet where everyone has a individual saying or motto under their name, plus the names of their kids, or how long until their baby is due, plus some little emojis or whatever. And by the time you’ve taken all that in, who cares what anyone is actually posting about

I was wondering this too, it certainly isn't clear you can do that.

Instead of being able to turn off a preview image if I post a link, why can't I turn off viewing previews for the links other people post?

That would make more sense.

People should be transparent about what they're posting. Or not click on links they don't know where they point to

Yes to being able to turn it off in settings!

no one needs a huge picture to tell them what a link is.