We're merging some sections into the Parenting area

[MichaelMumsnet]

Hi all,
We’re doing some work on making the Talk boards more useful and user-friendly for both regular and new users. After looking at some stats for the site, we think we could boost activity on the whole by merging some of the lesser used sections.

We’re proposing to fold this section into the general Parenting area.

This should increase the number of topics in the section - and hopefully lead to more posts and responses to members.

[RedSkyLastNight]

Another vote to please keep the Teenage section. I find it beyond irritating when there is a post about a teen and you get a response from someone whose oldest child is 3.

[TeenTimesTwo]

I bet @MichaelMumsnet wasn't expecting this level of response.

[NigellasGuest]

Just posting today what a thoughtless idea
I have one teen, but it long ago I had three (two are now in their twenties). NOTHING like dealing with toddlers. I've been through self harm, anxiety, psychosis, morning after pill, emotionally abusive relationship and more. It doesn't relate to nappies, breast feeding and controlled crying, important though they were at the time.

[Onlyaprawn]

I agree with everyone else. Please don't do this.

[Viebienremplie]

Well, that went well @MichaelMumsnet!

Can you confirm you'll have a rethink?

[WotNoLoobrush]

Please don't do this MNHQ. For all the above reasons.

[onedayallthiswillbeyours]

Please keep the teens section separate for all the reasons outlined by the many PPs! Parenting teens is a whole different ballgame to parenting younger children

[RevokeRemainiac]

No offence (as my teenager frequently says before offending me) but MNHQ have become awfully dim in recent years. This is a parenting forum - so why get rid of a topic that covers one of the most challenging periods of parenting? If it's not used enough (in the opinion of the MN think tank) that's probably because AIBU dominates active convos with people "posting for traffic".

Further proof of how dim they've become is the fundraising fiasco earlier this year where MN was going to match donations to the tune of several thousand pounds. The response was dishearteningly underwhelming because MNHQ hadn't bothered to consult with its members to find how which causes they wanted to support (clue: not the Princes Trust which got less than £100 pledged)

Justine did listen to us when she was considering hooking us up with some GP service, hopefully she'll start listening more.

[MichaelMumsnet]

Thanks for all the comments. It's just a proposal at the moment - we looked at the data and the section seemed fairly quiet. But we're absolutely not doing anything without talking to the people who post in the group. And if you want to keep the group and it's super-useful, then I'm sure we'll slowly back off.

[GoldenRuby]

Please retain the teenagers section. I don't want to be swamped with baby and toddler issues when trying to get support for teenage behaviour and mental health issues. It is totally inappropriate and is going to marginalise part of the MN community.

[RevokeRemainiac]

Thanks for getting back to us @MichaelMumsnet but how about engaging properly with our recommendations instead of plopping and running? Your members have got plenty of ideas how to improve this site for its users.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

Please keep it separate. It's very good, when my teens are at their worst, for just scrolling and reading and absorbing other mothers' insights.
I like chickens but that board is VERY slow. Merge that one instead, please.

[Waterandlemonjuice]

Please don't just 'slowly back off' - confirm you'll leave teenagers as a separate topic! Please and thank you.

[MichaelMumsnet]

We definitely intend to engage properly. This is part of a large project - so please bear with us whilst we have a rethink.
Ideas for improvement are always welcome - I'll gather all of them from this thread.

[Mrsjayy]

Aibu dominates active the techy people could look at promoting the other boards people post on forums because they want/need a response just because teenagers isn't busy doesn't mean it isn't needed.

[BIWI]

Mumsnet positions itself as 'by parents, for parents'

This kind of move makes me wonder if MNHQ are even parents these days - it certainly doesn't seem (given this suggestion) that any of you are parents of teenagers.

What are you thinking @MichaelMumsnet?!

It's a community for parents, so it makes complete logical sense to split everything about parenting out into separate boards. Much less sense to have eleventy million boards about the minutiae of pet-keeping.

As a researcher, I'd also suggest that you don't just look at your quantitative data - you need to explore this qualitatively as well, which, as PP have said, means truly engaging with your users. Not just bitch plopping ideas and then 'backing away' if people don't like them.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Which other boards have you got your eye on 'merging'?

Hands off Weather. I mean it. The only place that should be going is into a more prominent position.

[SoupDragon]

Loads of these threads saying "we are going to merge..." popped up yesterday. One child families was one.

[Samcro]

just because a subject is a "bit quiet" doesn't mean its not needed.
I have all the parenting topic hidden. as mine are now adults and I have no grandchildren I know nothing about small children. but I do know about teens, so keep that incase I can help.

[BIWI]

And lots of the boards are quiet because posters insist on posting in AIBU or Chat 'for the traffic' and nothing is ever done about that. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Quiet does not mean useless.

[colouringinpro]

I also don't think parents of little ones need to trawl through threads on teens with mental illness etc!

[Woventabby]

Parenting teenagers are completely different from parenting younger ones. They shouldn't be merged.

[marmiteloversunite]

Teenagers as a stand alone please.

[PCohle]

MN is meant to be a parenting site...

There would seem to be a lot of other areas to focus on before this one. The food section has both "baking" and "cakes and bakes", as well as "infant feeding" and "weaning".

Why not enforce the use of sections rather than letting everyone post in AIBU and chat?

[Davros]

I agree, keep "Teenagers"!
I wonder if it is possible to encourage more people to use "favourites"? I don't even know what section my favourite topics are in, they're in my list and I rarely go off my list. I also think a way to remind people of what topics exist would be good, particularly when they first join as it can seem like a maze and many people just don't look for the most appropriate section where they should, in theory, get the best responses