"Can you help by posting an answer?" asks MNHQ

[haddockfortea]

No, not really.
@MNHQ is this some new thing you are trying out? I've had an email from Mumsnet this morning with this title. It mentions that there are some unanswered threads, and suggests that I might be able to help by posting an answer on them.

Except the threads it suggests are totally random and not topics I have any interest in nor would normally go anywhere near. Questions on prams, virtual interviews, paint, sleepless toddlers and kindles.

No point in asking me about those, sorry.

Hi OP

Thanks for raising this - these emails should be tailored to topics that you're active in. We're taking a look at want went wrong here. If you'd like to turn these emails off in the meantime, you can do this in your talk settings.

Thanks @LilyMumsnet

I've not had any more emails yet, but I'll leave settings as they are for now and see what happens.

Yes, I had one of these today, with stuff that's absolutely either nothing to do with me or anything I've posted on:

How long did your toddler hitting phase last?
Baby arching back in highchairAny thoughts?
Surrender tenancyWoodford Green vs South Woodford to raise children
How would you treat Stamp Duty for % house ownership

I don't have a toddler or a baby.

I don't rent a property.

I live nowhere near, nor know nothing about, Woodford Green or South Woodford.

This email was developed in response to some feedback we had from Mumsnet user interviews. These users told us they'd like to know about unanswered threads that might be interesting to them, so that fewer threads are left unanswered.

It looks like we haven't got this quite right just yet, so apologies for that. And thanks for the feedback - it's really helpful and will help us adjust and make it more accurate.

It would be great to know if there are any types of threads you would be interested to receive in this way? Feel free to PM me if you have thoughts on that.

Yes, I've got one about toddler play equipment, my children are adults and I have no grandchildren so nope, I won't be much help with that.

I like the idea, and often prefer to answer a thread with less replies. I have had similar emails today and yesterday. I too have had threads suggested which I likely have never been on- toddler hitting phase, baby arching back in highchair etc. Unfortunately, I can't have children, so seems very unlikely I would have clicked on those types of thread topics previously.
It does seem that the system generating the emails needs some tweaking.

@KatyMumsnet and @LilyMumsnet I've had another email today, again with threads and topics of no interest to me whatever.

How about linking this feature to the topics people follow on their feed? If we're following topics of interest to us, then we will get an email about any unanswered posts on those boards, which we might not spot otherwise.

I had 2, had to turn mine off because they were so odd, I don't mind answering something helping others, eg about weaning v blw from ds's 15 years ago, but I've never owned a silver cross pram.

I think Tech (or whoever wrote this) needs to go back to the drawing board @KatyMumsnet! Seems like some very basic errors here.

Agree with @BIWI in that the tech people need to go back to square 1 with this.

Great post.
"tweaking" is the key as you are aware IT is a very complex business and even massive organisations have teething problems
Looks like MNHQ is endeavouring to address this