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"

I would also be interested in taking part in testing.

I hadn't noticed the reply button until this thread!

though I had noticed the quote button had been moved.

whats it supposed to do?? Sounds like it should do what the quote button does??

That's exactly the point.
It's supposed to be a quote function, but it actually does nothing.
Try it and see.

MNHQ have moved the quote button, which is causing confusion.

various user opinions

I wonder where the opinions come from? Have users really expressed a wish for a reply button that actually adds a new post? It seems pretty unanimously not required as far as I can tell.

I take it that's a no as well then?

Im glad they got rid of the share button, that thing was useless.

The reply function should tag a user, but it should be hidden in the menu settings like quote is, and replaced by quote. You can see it is the post popular function in terms of response to PPs so why MN try and hide it away baffles me.

I really don't understand why MNHQ think this is a hard to solve issue?? Exactly what part of it is difficult, we've basically all told them exactly what the solution should be?

Adding my voice to this, 'reply' is confusing and pointless, agreed swap it for 'quote' please!

Im glad they got rid of the share button, that thing was useless.

Did they? I still have the pointless share button

I really don't understand why MNHQ think this is a hard to solve issue??

It's not a difficult problem to solve but it's becoming clear that MNHQ don't actually see it as a problem. MNHQ don't really use the forums, so they don't expereince the frustration of the I agree with this or Yes you're right posts, with no actual reference to the post they're replying to. So because it doesn't affect them they don't see a reason to change it.

This is an interesting take on the situation @HebeMumsnet .

Usually MN Admins & Techies decide to make an update to the web version and hang the rest of the options that are out there. The large majority of users are using the web version of MN, they aren't using the MN App as that is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

There is coding that runs when someone clicks on the "Reply" button. There is also coding that runs when someone clicks the "Quote". You could get the techies to comment out the code that runs on "Reply" and paste into that area the code that works when you click "Quote" - thereby not removing any code at all but simply hiding it and copy & paste existing code. If that doesn't work you simply remove the copied & pasted code and remove the commented out option for the reply button.

It might take a decent software developer a while to locate the specific sections of code but once they do, it should be relatively straightforward....I would have thought.

Why do any suggestions on improvements generally take so long to even test/bring to fruition?

It's so frustrating this isn't just being actioned. I've read so many threads recently where the OP is just replying nonsense into the ether because they are presumably hitting reply on an individual post but when they write their reply, it doesn't tag or quote the post they are replying to. So the OP then gets flamed for not making any sense!

I thought ‘reply’ was intended to automatically insert the username of the MNer you wanted to reply to, rather than quoting their post (which is what the ‘quote’ button is for)? Same as it does on other sites. From the nature of replies on threads, it seems that’s what other posters think it does/should do too.

At the moment it just works as a ‘reply to thread’ button and is pointless and misleading.

Why do any suggestions on improvements generally take so long to even test/bring to fruition?

I've genuinely no bloody idea. It's not like this issue is new it's been going on for blooming ages now so there's been ample time to fix it.

I just don't see why it's taking so long unless they genuinely have no plans to actually fix the problem in which case for goodness sake just fudging say so.

I still have the share and quote button on my page

I thought ‘reply’ was intended to automatically insert the username of the MNer you wanted to reply to, rather than quoting their post
That would be a reasonable assumption, and certainly is the assumption many make. But not only does it not do that it appears it was never designed to do so. MN have never said it's broken so it is working as designed. Which means they deliberately created a button that doesn't do what it says it does. Which is baffling.

Totally useless and unnecessary @DappledThings

How strange! I genuinely thought it was a bug and an error in coding but MN haven’t ever said that it’s broken? That’s just so weird

I know.

Here's the thread I started over a year ago first trying to get this changed where MNHQ confirmed Reply has always worked this way, i.e. not created a reply but seemingly not seeing why that's an issue!
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/4639568-reply-doesnt-do-anything?reply=124128266

It's been that way for forever but is way more bloody annoying now we have a quote option and everyone naturally assumes it will quote the bloody post you click on it for.

And yet the reply button (and the quote button) almost surely have text in them dictating their formatting etc which will say "reply"/"quote". So in all likelihood all they need to do is ctrl F for "reply" and have a look through til they see the right bit of code.

I guess maybe the fact that the back end of Mumsnet appears to be a pretty messy beast makes it harder but that reason has been the reason for years now.

The 'Reply' button has always worked this way - on the desktop site, the mobile site and the app - it will always add your post to the end of the thread.

MN’s response on your original post OP😂 so yep, the Reply button is just there for no reason. I doubt they’ll do anything about it

Here's a recent example MNHQ - this poster just sounds madder and madder because she is clearly hitting reply but never quoting anyone or using their username.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4938842-my-partner-of-23-yrs-has-been-meeting-one-of-the-mums-in-the-playground-for-15-yrs?postsby=olderchildrenhorsesanddogslady

It wasn't a problem before we had a quote function but they seem to have missed the fact that people now use the site differently (because of a function they introduced!)

I’ve just realised that, while using the web version on my iPhone shows ‘reply’, using the web version on my iPad shows ‘add message’. Factor in the inevitable variances of android, desktops for Mac and PC, app and various operating systems, you don’t even have consistency across the user base.

Now, I can understand why there’s a need for a simple post-response that neither quotes nor names a user, but FFS if the UX is as infinite as the universe how are you ever going to gauge what one size will fit all?

Any update @HebeMumsnet @LilyMumsnet ?

Here's another thread where every "reply" from the OP is just a new post so none of the thread makes sense. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4945751-to-think-he-doesnt-really-want-to-get-married?page=8&reply=130853564