Should MSE Reopen The Arms

CoreSock

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

Money Savers Arms

Last ooorders!… We’re sorry but for now, due to resources, we need to close the Money Savers Arms.

It’s not easy to write this. We love the forum, but we also have a job to do to protect it, our users and MoneySavingExpert, and at the moment, with all our resources focused on Coronavirus information, and all the team at home, we don’t feel we have the resources to do a good enough job.

For four months, we’ve been struggling to cope with the huge volumes of messages we’ve been getting from Forumites – many of whom are in desperate and dire straits with their finances. The team have been working all hours to try and keep on top of it. At first we thought it’d be a short sharp spike, but it isn’t, it’s continuing, so we have had some difficult choices to make about prioritisation.

Unfortunately in, and likely because of, these stressful times, the Forum team have also been receiving an increasing number of complaints about posts made on the Money Savers Arms. The team have done what they can to try and walk the tightrope of balancing all the various interests, but for now we need to draw a line under this and temporarily close this Board, so we can keep the key, MoneySaving boards – where people are supporting each other through this crisis - running smoothly.

We know this board is important to you, but as the MSE stance has been forbearance throughout this crisis, now we ask that of you. We’re sorry. Of course you can post on other boards, but we’d ask you to stick to the subjects of those boards, and not use them as a surrogate Money Savers Arms. And as always please be kind and friendly to each other, especially any newbies.

Thanks
MSE Forum Team

Tigsteroonie

And somebody is now merging threads on the topic. To be expected I guess, although it does make it read a little disjointed. 

Funny how some threads get attention in Site Feedback and others don't.

Skint_yet_Again

Thats another thread gone already. I think the two have been merged into this one ?

[Deleted User]

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

 My guess is the reporting of posts is taking up too much time of the team checking and deleting them. That along with emails complaining about it they have to answer.  

 Assuming staff are still working from home too. 

LABMAN

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

That's part of the problem. People don't read. 

Jsacker

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

That's part of the problem. People don't read. 

Indeed, I didn't read it. But that's because it was put at the top of the page which made me mistakenly think that it was a description of the forum.

LABMAN

Jsacker said:

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

That's part of the problem. People don't read. 

Indeed, I didn't read it. But that's because it was put at the top of the page which made me mistakenly think that it was a description of the forum.

Where else would you put it? 

Jsacker

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

That's part of the problem. People don't read. 

Indeed, I didn't read it. But that's because it was put at the top of the page which made me mistakenly think that it was a description of the forum.

Where else would you put it? 

I don't think that I have a better suggestion to offer. But between CoreSock and _shel's post my query was resolved

ruperts

I understand why the forum team wouldn't want to have to deal with contentious political or social topics like Cummingsgate, the BLM protests and the like. Not sure that warrants the whole forum being shut down though. Not having a place to discuss the pandemic generally - the biggest global event in decades - is a shame.

But more importantly I'm concerned for the welfare of those who used the forum for social contact. Abruptly taking away people's social ties is not something that should be taken lightly, especially now when real life social contact is so limited. Seems to me that if you're happy to allow a social community to develop on your forum and to benefit from the hits and the member numbers, then you owe it to that community to look after them; to treat them like human beings and not an inconvenience that you can just brush away when you're a bit busy.

LABMAN

Jsacker said:

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

LABMAN said:

Jsacker said:

Why has it been removed? 

That's part of the problem. People don't read. 

Indeed, I didn't read it. But that's because it was put at the top of the page which made me mistakenly think that it was a description of the forum.

Where else would you put it? 

I don't think that I have a better suggestion to offer. But between CoreSock and _shel's post my query was resolved

The answer to your query was already in plain sight and you chose to ignore it, you and many others. That is why the 'Arms' has been shut.