I would like a reply to the "Reply" issue

[DappledThings]

Just thought I'd start another thread to get more attention on this again as there has been no answer as to whether it is even being looked at.

A few comments on MNHQ's recent thread about the new feature pointing out nobody asked for that but a lot of us have asked you to fix this.

To summarise: The button marked Reply does not do what it says. It adds a post, it does not do a reply. MN has no reply feature but, bizarrely, chooses to have a button that pretends it does. This leads to threads full of "replies" that have no context and are impossible to follow. Plus posts saying "sorry, not sure why my reply didn't work, I clicked reply"

Another bump in the hope that this issue is given any attention by MNHQ...

I'm not holding my breath though, I'd be blue long before a response of any kind was issued.

The only way we'll get a response!

Although of course on most forums, bookmark is automatic and when you re-open a thread you go straight to the last post you read. I am always forgetting that it has to be done manually here.

Thanks for you feedback, everyone. We do understand that it's frustrating waiting for what may look like a simple change, but the reason it's taking a bit longer is that it isn't as straightforward as it might seem.

This is part of a bigger project that we are currently working on where we want to analyse and understand the uses of all of the navigation buttons. It's a complex issue because it affects a lot of users and not everyone agrees with how it should work, even on this thread. We are in the process of running tests to understand what the best workable solution will be for the majority of users. Once this has happened, we can start development work to implement the change, but the whole process will take some time.

We do appreciate your patience and we'll update as soon as there is any news.

It's a complex issue because it affects a lot of users and not everyone agrees with how it should work, even on this thread.

I disagree. It's clear that the vast majority of posters are using the reply button as they expect it to reply to a specific post / message. The users who know it doesn't work like that don't bother using the reply button.

Exactly. Surely it can't be complex to disable it while you figure out the rest of your redesign. If that leaves a bit of a messy gap where it used to be that would still be far better than the mess there is now where you have a button that lies about what it does.

Still not even any acknowledgement that it is really unhelpful to have a button that doesn't do what it says it does.

Well exactly. It's not a huge mammoth task at all. People use reply because they think it responds to that specific post. Either make it do just that or better yet just replace it with the bloody quote button. There's no need for consultations or tests or development work.

Sorry MNHQ but you're making a mountain out a very small mole hill here.

we want to analyse and understand the uses of all of the navigation buttons.
Surely you should understand the uses of the buttons you implement before implementing though?

Personally I don’t rate the reply function (when working) anyway, as you have to scroll back up to find the post that the person is replying to, and if that Pp has posted multiple times it’s not always clear what post it could be referring too. Unless there is a navigation to jump to said post, that would be useful. Or just be done with it and put the quote function there.

Personally I don’t rate the reply function (when working) anyway, as you have to scroll back up to find the post that the person is replying to
That's the point. The Reply button has always "worked" in that it replies to the thread but it has never replied to a post which is what everyone assumes it does.

Exactly. This is why it's so frustrating because that's it's specific purpose. It was only ever designed to post a comment on the thread and therefore 'reply' to the thread not the post you clicked it on.

Its not broken it's doing it's job but it's job is fucking pointless.

JUST PUT 'QUOTE' BACK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POSTS LIKE IT WAS UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO FGS

Sorry for "shouting" but I just don't get why you've deliberately fucked up a feature that people used all the time and now insist it is Terribly Complex to un-fuck it.

Ridiculous.

Like...you didn't consult with anyone before you moved the "quote" feature, so now everyone thinks it was a shit idea to move it why wait for "consultation" to put it back?

Coming up on a year and quarter since I first raised this as a problem. I think I was hoping for it to be fixed as a Christmas 2022 present. Such naivety!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4639568-reply-doesnt-do-anything

I use ‘save’ and ‘bookmark’!! Please don’t
change those - but I agree re ‘quote’/‘reply’. ‘Reply’ is redundant when you have ‘add post’.

I can understand the shouting to be fair. I honestly don't understand why the whole thing needs to be so bloody complicated. Just change reply to quote and there will be zero bloody issues.

..................not everyone agrees with how it should work, even on this thread

@HebeMumsnet That is not really true, though. So far, everyone on this thread agrees that the REPLY button doesn't do as it says and we've suggested that you put the QUOTE button back where it used to be.

The THANKS button has caused this IMO. You've put a THANKS button on, which does nothing useful.

And it makes me irrationally angry to see thread after thread where the OP writes what looks like a series of completely random posts, thinking they are answering someone specific.

I've actually started hiding threads where this happens because my autistic brain can't cope with it.

You don't even need an autistic brain to find it hard to cope with to be fair. The repetitive ramblings of 'oh sorry I thought I'd hit reply' or 'reply doesn't seem to be working' are enough to drive most people to the edge.

I've started hiding them too because what's the point in engaging when the poor poster thinks they are replying to certain points and is instead left looking like a mad women monologuing into the void.

And while we are at it can we have a like button that everyons can use instead of people doing 👏 all the time in another post

Why is it that every issue with the site is "difficult and is being looked into?" I've been waiting for the Android app to allow you to create a thread for about 5 years. Apparently they are still looking into it, and "will be updating it soon'

...........looking like a mad woman monologuing into the void

@HebeMumsnet Can you tell us what user research/service design methodologies you are using?

What tests are you using to determine the best workable solution for your users?

Maybe we can help with this stuff.

People on this thread don’t agree on how it should work - of course not.

We neither have access to your user research, nor do we even have a consistent baseline to compare experiences. Part of the problem from a user perspective is the lack of consistency across channels in MN’s service design.

Yes! How is this in any way difficult? Unbelievably annoying.

It is baffling that the functionality of the forum is so different across platforms, yet so many 'feature updates' are made that have little positive impact on the usability of the forum. It really is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while it's sinking.

@HebeMumsnet @LilyMumsnet I really think MNHQ need to pause all new developments and features, then systematically go through all the things that we've been telling you since the 'big move' and fix them.

1. You have user tags that can't be deleted, yet threads that can't be posted with errors in user tags;
2. people hitting reply, thinking that they are replying specifically to another poster, but instead adding a post to the bottom of the thread;
3. number lists that only correctly number (on the website) if the poster numbers each thing on the list "1."; 1. discrepancies between web and app, android and apple;
4. Your advanced search counts a space as a character in the 'username' field, so if a user typed 'Lougle ' in the username field they would find no threads at all, but if they type 'Lougle' the threads will be returned.

It's all a big mess.

The biggest problem, imo, is that you don't test features before you roll them out. Then we raise the issues and get told that there is 'no easy fix'.