? Disappearing Sub-Forums Alert! ?

Here it is again, hope it works
www.gransnet.com/forums/site_stuff/1314495--Reinstate-the-Benefits-Forum-Please-Sign

LilyGransnet

Hi all,

Sorry for the confusion here.

Pensions and benefits had very little engagement, so we combined it with legal and money (which is far more active).

We have moved the threads from pensions and benefits into legal and money and we will be renaming it 'legal, pensions and money' very soon.

Doing this has lots of benefits, including searchable results in google - so it's better for user experience.

Your reasons do not make sense to me. If you do not mention "Benefits" in the title, people will not know to look there.

Many general areas have already had a lot of effort put in. The very helpful GNetters who did this may as well not have bothered.

If they are not part of this conversation, it's unlikely to occur to those looking that "benefits" come under "Legal, pensions and money" (which title would make me think of investments, not benefits).

I understand you want "engagement". However, every GN member who needs help or support, particularly now, is just as important as those with money to splash around, aren't they?

Petition won’t open so can’t sign Fanny.

Benefits shoukd be a separate thread, there are many which are hardly used and this is more relevant than many which remain.
Woukd also ask why some posts do not even appear on the Active list (specifically that which is about hip/ knee replacements) which is on its second 1000 run. If posts don’t appear then there will be people who miss out on what has been a very helpful and supportive thread.

Please, HQ, take a long look at your demographics here on GN.
And then, look at headlines everywhere talking about Austerity, rising fuel bills, rising food bills and how so many will find it well nigh impossible to make ends meet this winter.

Benefits are playing a vital part in people's lives currently.

It is essential that this site offers help and advice, even more so latterly.

People in need have to be able to find this help and advice immediately - just look in the forums under B for Benefits snd Advice.

I have signed your petition FC

And now there is no mention of Benefits at all.

I don't think the GNHQ reason makes sense given that there are loads of little used threads.

It was a direct and obvious title too. Everyone knew what it was about. I think it should come back.

I have started a petition thread
www.gransnet.com/forums/site_stuff/1314495--Reinstate-the-Benefits-Forum-Please-Sign

Exactly Jacky
None of this makes any sense whatsoever!

There are oodles of forums (Grandad’s Shed, Webchats, Classics (!) - loads more) that haven’t been posted on for months if not years.

So true. What doesn't need to be changed is often fiddled about with, whilst serious requests for sensible improvements are ignored.

LilyGN I’m sorry, but like FarNorth I find the ‘lack of posts’ explanation rather difficult to swallow.

There are oodles of forums (Grandad’s Shed, Webchats, Classics (!) - loads more) that haven’t been posted on for months if not years.

I looked at ‘Gransnet Local’ and that seems to be totally defunct.

I’d find it easier to believe that it was deleted by an IT based accident.

If you are looking for specific advice and information , to have it all under the ‘Benefits’ heading is most useful (especially if people include the topic eg Carers Allowance in the title).
I remember that one specific poster was extremely knowledgeable about the Benefit System, and she started a very informed and informative thread.

MissA's Diary of a Benefit Claimant closed recently on 1000 posts.

That's a lot of engagement on one thread. Does that not count because it's not several threads?

You had no record of anything being changed and now you tell us it's a good idea?

The name had already been changed to Legal Pensions and Money - no mention of Benefits at all .
How is that helpful?

If there is not a great number of Benefits and Pensions threads, it's all the more important that they are easy to find instead of being swamped by other Legal and Money threads.

People liked it the way we asked for it - a separate board that can be easily found for info on Benefits and Pensions.

Please restore the Benefits and Pensions board which we asked for, and we want.

Even if it were only very little used, it may have been very important to those people who came in anxiety to Gransnet to try to find advice about Benefits.

IIRC, MissA's Diary of a Benefit Claimant closed recently on 1000 posts.

With respect, I really do think that Benefits should stand alone.
Money and Legal may well cover house transactions, bereavement, estrangement, wills, all sorts of very valid issues.

It was my experience that the Benefits attracted so much targetted advice, much based on personal experience or background training.
This was able to reach readers quickly and simply without having to wade through so many other issues.

The forum only came into existence in October 2021.
Was it really so poorly used?
I worry that posters needing help, often very quickly, may fall by the wayside before being spotted by someone who has the appropriate advice.
What do others think?
I would ask FN to please re-instate the stand-alone forum.

I’ve just emailed Mumsnet and asked them to have a look.

Btw, isn’t it quiet on GN at the moment? ?

This is one of the threads started by Pammie1
I’m not sure if she is still on GN www.gransnet.com/forums/legal_and_money/1303190-Anyone-need-help-with-applications-for-PIP-DLA-AA

DaisyAnne

I don't know how anyone is supposed to know that Legal, pensions and money includes Benefits.

Why make it more difficult, especially at a time like this?

Doodledog I think this answers your question.
If you are looking for specific advice and information , to have it all under the ‘Benefits’ heading is most useful (especially if people include the topic eg Carers Allowance in the title).
I remember that one specific poster was extremely knowledgeable about the Benefit System, and she started a very informed and informative thread.

I’ll see if I can find it …

There's far too much stuff in Chat that belongs elsewhere. Look at all the Corona threads in there, when there is a forum specifically called Coronavirus

‘Morning all
Well, I’ve reported the thread.
I don’t hold much hope for a reply anytime soon though, as spam that I reported two days ago is still up.
I’ve found that the best thing to do to get a swift response is to email Mumsnet.
So I’ll do that later when I cba!

What was the NPD thread which did / didn’t disappear?
Was it the Flying Monkey one? That’s still on the go

StarDreamer I thought Other Subjects had morphed into AIBU???

Has Other Subjects been submerged as if into strawberry blancmange in Chat?

A better search facility would solve the problem, and make a lot of other things easier at the same time.