New feature: suggested thread titles when posting

[KatyMumsnet]

Hi all,

We’ve made a small change to the thread-creation page that you might notice.

When you start a new thread, you may now see a suggested title based on what you’ve written in your post.

The aim is simply to make posting a bit easier. In user research, quite a few people told us that thinking of a title can feel like a small blocker when they just want to get their question or situation posted. The suggestion is there to help with that - you can use it, edit it, or ignore it entirely and write your own as usual.

Clear titles also make it easier for other users to understand what a thread is about and find discussions later on.

Just to be clear:

• It’s only a suggestion, not something you have to use
• You can change it or delete it completely
• Your post content is not changed in any way

We’re flagging it here so people know what it is if they spot it.

As always, if you have feedback about how it works in practice, we’d love to hear it.

Is that using AI? (Just wondering)

MN user research fascinates me

I agree. I never remember seeing surveys on these new features.

To be honest I bet half the time it is software developers doing what they fancy. Used to happen a lot where I worked (in software development).

This is a sad development.

Slippery slope, MNHQ. Slippery slope …

I’ve just been playing around.

The suggested titles are uniformly shit and obviously AI.

At least it will tell me which thread not to open.

User research seems to be the excuse used whenever changes are made to the MN site. Like pp I don't know how they conduct this user research and generally the changes are ones that make the site less user friendly rather than improving it.

I think we are being treated like brain dead sheep if MN really thinks posters are incapable of thinking up thread titles for themselves. If someone is so incapable of thinking up their own thread title perhaps they shouldn't be starting a thread at all.

Is this the start of the slippery slope, where we just type a few prompts and our posts are AI generated? I do not agree with using AI when even a basic or faulty human title would work just as well.

Is there an option to turn it off? I know we don't have to use the suggested title, but AI is still being used to suggest it and I don't think it's a good enough reason to destroy the planet.

Small tweak, MNHQ: Could you get the AI to decide and compose the content of the post, too, then we won't have to make any effort at all. You could also get the AI to read posts and respond to them. You could call it Botnet.

Seriously, this "useful" feature feels a bit horrible, regardless of how good or bad its suggestions are. I'm already sick of having AI content served up to me by Google and similar, without me asking for it.

Surely we are here because we want to do a bit of word weaving. I don't really see the point of inviting us to outsource any part of our chat.

Is this likely to be why I've had about 8 unsuccessful attempts to post a new thread (in the RF board) today?

Not a particularly controversial thread, no attached photos, and when I hit post it circles for a bit and then nothing happens.

(Safari, iPad).

Incidentally, the AI feature wasn't able to suggest a title.

I mean, it has to improve titles like "AIBU...?" or "has anyone got one of these?" or other totally mysterious non-titles.

Even if it just tells me it is going to be something about babies / cars / clothes, that would be a hundred times better than now.

Any news on making the quoted bit smaller on a thread please?

If I quote the op, the post is shortened, but it's not for other quotes

I think what you really need is to reduce the amount of words allowed in the thread title. Seriously some of them read like a book and use 4/5 lines taking over half the active page, they put that much info in their title that there's nothing left to write in the message box ! But no they only go and write exactly what was in their thread title !

It is true that there are some rubbish thread titles around. But I'd rather chat to rubbish humans than slick AI.

My favourite thread titles are the ones in the AIBU topic that just say "AIBU?"

Second favourite are the ones that state the subject of the thread and then add a trigger warning that essentially repeats the title. E.g. "Vast hairy spider in the bath. Trigger warning: vast hairy spiders."

For some reason I am seeing more and more thread titles that barely make sense at all. Like the poster was really struggling, perhaps due to fat-finger typing on a small phone screen. Perhaps this is the sort of issue that makes a few posters ask for AI titles? If this is the case, it would be better to improve the mobile interface rather than dehumanising conversation.

The titles that irritate me are the ones trying to be clickbaity that stop halfway, like ‘AIBU to think that…’

I agree with this. The amount of energy being consumed for silly little things is becoming ridiculous considering we, as a planet, are supposed to be throttling back on anything that uses energy.

I am interested in why MN are faffing around with things like this instead of sorting out the multitude of problems that already exist, eg going slow, text box not clearing, constant refreshing so you lose the post, adverts creating instability etc etc etc. Constantly rearranging the titanic deckchairs doesn't work in the long run MN.

What fresh hell is this? This is not a change I've ever seen anyone mention wanting. I certainly don't want it.

I tried to delete and enter my own title and it won’t let me change the title to one I have written myself.

That sounds very dangerous! What if it writes something that could get you banned?

This is not a good move. Who are the mysterious user researchers?

I think that you have to click on the AI-suggested title first, at which point the suggestion is 'promoted' into the thread title box. Then you can delete/edit it. That feels like a crazy way of doing it -- you have to accept it in order to delete it!

It very much feels like the system wants the AI title to be the default. For those who prefer their own titles, they now need to click, highlight, delete and then compose.

What a faff.

Having a suggested title appear by default seems like a bad idea as others have said. You could add an option to get a suggestion for those who can’t think of one.
And goodness knows what the poor AI will make of some OPs… I dare your devs to run some of the Bluestocking OPs through it😂)

I think this is despicable.

Most users are grown ups and certainly dont neet AI to tell them what to write.

Moreover you didn't consult with us. We are the users. We create the content that makes the site popular.

Not AI.

Its a total insult.

You could have done something useful in your role and making the site workable, rather than presuming to editorialise.

eg install a spell checker.

And it is virtual censorship to only allow AI approved titles.

Not only should this be immediately withdrawn but MNHQ should provide some sort of explanation as to the thought process behind this totalitarian approach.

You aren NOT editors.

Talk about an own goal and insult to your users.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5502250-mnhq-ai-wont-let-me-title-my-thread

The aim is simply to make posting a bit easier. In user research, quite a few people told us that thinking of a title can feel like a small blocker when they just want to get their question or situation posted

What kind of numpties do you have in your user research group?