This is why the Reply button should auto-mention the mumsnetter you're replying to

[catastroph]

If you look at the OP's posts on this thread it looks like she may have routinely used "Reply" rather than "Quote" when responding to people. However, she hasn't @-mentioned the person she is responding to, which makes her replies very confusing: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/4908580-headteacher-used-a-biscuit-in-maths-and-tried-to-feed-our-coeliac-daughter-and-when-told-not-to-laughed-about-it.

I'm guessing she is an inexperienced mumsnetter, but she's not the only one. What is the point of the "Reply" button if it isn't obvious who the reply is aimed at? Surely the person being responded to should be automatically tagged so that it's clear?

Yup. It makes threads very hard to follow at times.

There's a few threads where this is a real problem.

What "reply" button?

This one.

In between the thanks and the report button.
Are you on the app though?

Too right OP. I tried to use the reply button and thought it hadn't done anything because why on Earth wouldn't it automatically tag the person you're replying to - absolutely pointless.

It would make more sense to put the 'quote' button there instead.

Yep.

Not everyone likes to be tagged.

True.
Reply performs the exact same function as 'add post'. Not sure why the duplication.

Yes Reply seems pointless - make it quote or maybe tag (I have notifications turned off so that they don’t pop up).

I don't have that.

Mine is:

Add message / thanks / save / share / report / bookmark

I really do think that "quote" should be on that line (like it used to be). Probably instead of "share"

It’s pretty clear that lots of users don’t understand the reply button. It does seem
that it should indicate that you are replying to that particular post but it doesn’t.

Whereas the quote button is quite hard to find.

And the edit function (once you actually find it) is weirdly temperamental.

You can't reply someone who's already quoted

The quote button is hidden in the three dots menu in the top right of the post.

Surely the quote function is used more often than ‘thanks’. MN should have metrics on this. And it would be more widely used if anyone could find it.

You can quote someone who has already quoted. I just did.

Show quote history reveals the previous quotes.

It does make sense to automatically tag the person you're replying to (if you don't want to be tagged you can switch off notifications?)

This really annoys me too. I’ve went to use it a few times then had to scroll back to check the username because it doesn’t add it for me 😡

Yes I know where the "quote" button is. I just wanted to point out that I think it should be in a more prominent place (because it's useful)

i dont have a reply button, only a quote

so what is the "add message" button for? and what is the "save" button for??

It seems silly as it doesn't @ anyone

See here:

Agreed. I have seen many threads where the OP, in particular, has assumed that "reply" would, umm, reply to a particular post. It makes it very confusing, especially when there are a dozen of them in a row.

Def should at least at if not quote, it is a pointless button. And you lose your place too!

I think this is something that is not a feature on all versions of MN.

I'd assume OP is not on the desktop site, which does not have it. And hasn't realised from earlier replies that it's not the same for everyone