The Forum is getting a new look

FindMyWayBack

Please bring back the hover over posts to see content

Pollycat

For those posters complaining about negative comments, you may be interested to read this 15 page thread from 27/4/2023 announcing the 'new text editor'.
The Forum is getting a new text editor - Page 15 — MoneySavingExpert Forum
So many complaints/issues that this change was reverted on 3/5/2023.
I hope 'lessons have been learned'.

Whoops! Forgot to add the link...

cathybird

@GingerTim with the cutting down alcohol and no spend days challenges the emojis (which are really small gifs) act as brownie points in that you set a target and then if you achieve stages along the way and then your target you get awarded with one of the gifs to note that fact. They are weirdly motivating and the main reason the challenges are effective. It's slightly different from the way emojis are generally used in forums. The last update only allowed for pics to be centered and you couldn't place them all in a row as you can now, so in effect it killed both challenges stone dead, and I was hugely relieved when that update was quickly withdrawn. Hoping whatever the new update is that it is a bit better thought out!

Cherryfudge

KeithP said:

oceandreamer said:

Can I just ask that the cutting down/giving up alcohol thread is considered when changes are made.

Whilst I understand the problem you mention is a very real one, is it a moneysaving issue?

Off topic, but since it's been asked, I'd imagine yes the price of booze ( @maman) but also the knock-on effect of alcohol dependence in terms of economic productivity and the impact on health which in turn can reduce the ability to earn, while using health resources that cost us all.

So in a way it's very much a moneysaving issue, as would be any other area where economic productivity is affected.

Some interesting points are being raised on this thread so I hope admin is reading.

cathybird

Cherryfudge said:

KeithP said:

oceandreamer said:

Can I just ask that the cutting down/giving up alcohol thread is considered when changes are made.

Whilst I understand the problem you mention is a very real one, is it a moneysaving issue?

Off topic, but since it's been asked, I'd imagine yes the price of booze ( @maman) but also the knock-on effect of alcohol dependence in terms of economic productivity and the impact on health which in turn can reduce the ability to earn, while using health resources that cost us all.

So in a way it's very much a moneysaving issue, as would be any other area where economic productivity is affected.

Some interesting points are being raised on this thread so I hope admin is reading.

This is a good point - I googled the cost to the UK of alcohol misuse and found the following from Drinkaware: "A 2016 Public Health England evidence review estimates the economic burden of alcohol as between 1.3% and 2.7% of annual UK GDP (approximately £21-£52 billion)." The link is here. 

J_B

I'm sure it's too late to say, but could we have 'closed' and 'new' in different colours?

SanguineGina

Fingers crossed that the MSE team are listening/have listened re how the emojis are used on certain challenge threads, especially the alcohol free one.

They (the emojis) are inexplicably very motivating, please do not change it so that they cannot be used as they are now on those challenges.

Thanks.

HillStreetBlues

Under 24 hours to go, and the silence is deafening. 

KajiKita

GingerTim said:

KajiKita said:

GingerTim said:

KajiKita said:

GingerTim said:

Please ban emojis!

Why? I’m genuinely interested.

KK

That was posted only slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I genuinely think they clutter up the forums and don't serve a useful purpose. I realise I'm likely in the minority here, though!

Hi GingerTim, thank you for responding. 

Forgive me, but in the nicest possible way, I disagree with you 😊 Emojis allow expression of emotion and response in a succinct and clearly understood way. Some of us, including myself, are very visually driven and emojis are a useful hook / clue to the emotions of the writer. I also think they make the forum less intimidating. When I first started here I was quite nervous (bear in mind that I am a middle manager in a large organisation and wasn’t in too bad a financial or emotional space when I started here, so I would imagine I was reasonably confident coming in here) and emojis served to make the space more friendly and open, less formal. I would imagine for those who are really in significant difficulties, emojis would carry even greater emotional security to offset the shame, anxiety and ‘feeling stupid’ that many people arrive here with. 

I apologise for the visual ‘clutter’ they create for you 😉 but if you see them as being the equivalent of a ‘cosy cup of tea and a friendly biscuit’ for those less confident with direct data and numbers etc who come here, hopefully they will be slightly less annoying for you? 😊

KK

Not a problem to disagree, and I completely appreciate all your comments. I should probably have added that I'm a miserable so-and-so and that probably accounts for a lot of my view!

You can’t be that miserable! You’ve literally had me laughing and that’s after a session at the dentist this morning! 😊

KK

Blulu

Hmmm, my hopes are high, but my expectations are low. If that sounds negative, it's based on experience of what happened previously when things were changed here.