Thread gallery causing confusion

[DoneAndNotDusted]

Having the thread gallery appears to be causing some problems with posters thinking that the pictures are of the OP.
This is particularly evident in the thread in Style and Beauty "I stopped dyeing my hair in 2021 but it makes me utterly miserable". Several posters thought the photos were of the OP but they are of another poster who contributed to the thread.
I'm not sure what the solution is. Is it really necessary to have a thread gallery? It worked fine before this feature was introduced, and I would be interested in opinions on this.

Oh I didn't know about the thread gallery. Is this something new?
I looked at the example in Style and Beauty that you gave OP and I see what you mean: it's very confusing . I don't like it at all and it certainly puts me off even looking at that thread.

I agree OP. It's not a bad idea in theory but it needs to be completely demarcated away from the OP.

Actually it is always going to cause confusion keeping the pictures separate from the posts so on second thoughts, can we get rid of it?

Hi there @DoneAndNotDusted (and others). We've had a look at the thread you mention in S&B and can see there has been some confusion there.

We haven't had much confusion about the thread gallery generally, since it launched, but we can see how it might come about and are keen to hear what others think. We'll keep reading this thread for your comments and will give it all some thought.

I like the thread galleries and didn't find them confusing, it clearly says 'thread gallery' - I'm on the desktop, not the app if that makes a difference.

@HebeMumsnet What are the criteria for a thread gallery appearing, as I have noticed they don't appear on all threads that include pictures?

@HebeMumsnet Thank you for your comments. I did realise that the thread gallery here didn't refer to the OP as I've seen it in other threads; the problem is, it did cause confusion to some. (Most of the confused posters were corrected by others saying that OP didn't post any photos). As @Sethera said, the gallery doesn't always appear and I would also like to know what the criteria are.

It seems a really weird bolt-on. It looks like it is there just because some other platforms have similar functionality, rather than being there because it makes sense on the Mumsnet platform.

It always makes me think of the similar collections of photos at the top of Amazon reviews, which kind of make sense because you are interested in one particular product, which is the subject of all the photos. Not many MN threads have a similarly clear role for pictures.

Perhaps it could be restricted to Sporner Corner, where users seem to value pictures above all else.

Perhaps it could be restricted to Sporner Corner, where users seem to value pictures above all else.

Oh, no. We need it on the litter tray for easy auditing of kitten tax 😻

Oh thank God it's not just me! Not seen that thread but there's been a few others that have made me wonder what on earth these pictures are all about, and then I realise its the thread gallery.

I must say I've always liked MN because it is primarily text based and generally not pictorial.
I realise that photos are necessary in some posts and some threads but if inclusion of photos is being encouraged and becomes more important than the written word then I would most certainly stop using MN.
I think the inclusion of photos detracts from the anonymity of the site.

Does this mean that if you post a photo on a certain thread it can appear on a completely different thread in future?

I've not seen this happen so far. It's only the photos on its own thread.

I use the app, not the desktop site, so, despite being one of those who begged for years for an image gallery (kittens, S&B, kittens, what-should-I-do-with-this-floorplan, kittens etc) I don't get to see it. But surely if you click on an image in the gallery it takes you to that post? Seems obvious!

I use the app as well. I need to check this out on the mobile site

Morning, everyone. To answer a few questions, no, the photos stay on their specific thread; they won't pop up at random elsewhere. At the moment, the gallery only appears on some boards, so you won't see it everywhere, and it doesn't appear until there are a good few photos there, so you won't get a gallery appearing if only the OP has posted a pic, for example.

Hope that helps.

Thanks @HebeMumsnet