I understand that posts are merged so there aren’t dozens (or hundreds or…) of posts on the same topic. At the same time, I find the merged posts cumbersome and wonder if I’m in the minority here.
I used to be an active participant on these forums, and enjoyed giving and recieving feedback. But after a while, since there are often only so many topics that get discussed, posts were getting merged left and right. So we ended up with a bunch of discussions that had hundreds and hundreds of comments going back many months and it became a lot to sort through, and the posts were around so long that they no longer seemed timely.
I’d enjoy this forum more if there weren’t so much merging of posts. Sure, people will ask the same questions as have been asked many times before, there are always new people, and nuances to the situations.
edited to add: Reading through hundreds of past comments on a post I’m interested in is… a lot. So if I do want to respond, I’m more likely to respond without reading all the other many responses, likely repeating the same thoughts that many have already stated earlier on. While I’d likely be saying the same things on a new post, at least it would be… a new post.
I agree 100% and was thinking about writing starting a thread about this myself. I can appreciate the intentions behind merging, but sometimes it feels like things are merged too quickly and too broadly. As you said, there are some nuances to posts but they all get lumped together. I can think of a couple recent threads I saw being merged which I thought should stay separated.
It feels like merging keeps dredging up years-old threads with 100s of posts that no one is going to sift through. Merging probably also buries the new thread and it seems like the merged threads wont get much visibility; personally, I am not clicking on the same four threads that I am always seeing at the top of the “new” posts section. Seems a bit like throwing new discussions into the void. On top of that, it does seem to make it harder for newer members to search for their questions among existing posts. And even if we do see a couple threads with duplicate topics, maybe that can be a signal to the THS team to improve their documentation in some areas?
The cynic in me also wants to point out that with all this aggressive merging, it’s harder to see all the threads that pop up talking about their negative experiences with the 5-applicant limit…
You bring up an interesting point: the merged posts are invariably the topics that have the most interest and the most important topics. They’re the topics that come up all the time, but because they’re older posts with often hundreds of comments, they might be the posts least likely to get attention and new responses.
I agree. I think far better would be to just send a link to where the question has been asked before without merging it, then close it with an explanation.
Completely agree. Sometimes the new question isn’t even quite the same as the topic it’s been merged into which means the questioner is expected to sift through a long chain of replies that may or may not address their specific question. It also means everyone is faced with seemingly new conversations, sometimes with hundreds of replies from years ago. It’s a very strange community model. I get people can search but this isn’t an FAQ, it’s supposedly a forum.
Agree. It’s also way easier to read through 5 shorter threads on similar topics than one long one going back and fort the same topic.
In a forum like this, the same topics do pop up in a regular intervals, that’s discussion. Encouraging the use of spy glass to search similar topics is great, but too “aggressive” merging does not make the forum easier to read. If let alone, the discussion would develope more organically, and some threads would just dry our quite naturally.
I’m also not a fan of closing off a thread too fast. That seems to happen more often to any more difficult topics. “Stay on the topic or the thread will be closed” seems a bit like a kindergarden strategy if control, and does not foster honest and open discussion.
I would like to see that the question is answered/commented on first, then merged. If you want to see the post that is merged you have to go to the place where it’s merged to, then go to the bottom to find it before you can comment.
I have only been on the Forum for about a year, and the frequent merging and closing of new questions has been a major irritation. New people deserve a chance to have their question answered. Things change over time and punting the repeat questions into a years or month old does a disservice to the new members.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and concerns about the merging of posts on our forum and to @GardenCat for raising the subject.
We truly understand your perspective and appreciate all of the feedback which we will take on board when looking at ways to strike a balance between keeping discussions organized and timely, while respecting the individuality of each conversation and acknowledging the value of new perspectives.
While merging posts helps prevent clutter and maintains a focused discussion, we recognize that it can sometimes make navigating through extensive comment threads a challenge, particularly when they span over a long period of time. We want the forum to be an enjoyable and engaging space for everyone and exploring alternative ways to manage the merging process is something we are continually looking at.
Our member’s input is invaluable in shaping the forum and as a team we are committed to finding solutions which benefit the whole community.
Thank you once again for raising the subject and for all of your comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further suggestions or feedback.
Hi everyone, another factor which may have contributed to the appearance of an increase in merging, we recently reorganized and reduced the number of categories without deleting any content which necessitated merging topics into their new and most appropriate category, this project has now been completed.
It’s interesting you say that because if I see a new post I will click on it. Once I see it’s been merged, a lot of times I will hit the back button because I don’t want to read through long old posts.
I just had a reply about the application limit which was directly related to the topic I posted on… What happened 10 min later, post merged…
It’s starting to feel like censorship and very rigid. It’s highly irritating and annoying.
If I wanted to post on the 90 million replies for the application limit, I would have done so. I posted in that thread because I want to express myself and get more awareness.
I understand if my reply was off topic, but it wasn’t.
I think moderators are to quick to merge/move posts. Honestly I feel it’s done to streamline/box in/suppress complaints/critical feedback
@Catin88 Splitting and merging seems to happen almost everytime, when the 5 applicants limit is mentioned, no matter if the post related the topic discussed or not. Yours was totally along the topic. The annoying thing is, that because the 5a -topic is locked, no one is now able to answer to you
I just read your last paragraph in your last response and I honestly feel that way too. I’m not a cynic, I’m an optimist.
The merging and moving around of posts definitely feels very aggressive to me. I feel it’s to stifle complaints which is very sad.
The way that a complaint post are moved/merged with a quickness, I wish the same speed and initiative could be taken with the improvements to the site lol
I agree, placing a link would be much better than merging, or delay the merge instead of doing it so fast. I hate trawling through merged posts, trying to scan past all the fluff. I usually back out of whatever I was looking at straight away, and more times than not I leave the community forum as the amount of merged content is a little overwhelming to scan through just for 1 answer, and so my head automatically needs to switch off for a while.
Also, it’s titled ‘community’ forum! Sometimes a more personable response is needed to a specific question or thought. Rather than merging it to help with just one aspect, as merging doesn’t take into account the heart felt anxiousness, worried, or distressed feelings the writer has.
It’s like peoples concerns are being surpressed, when their concerns are quite often regarding pets, not necessarily THS itself.
The merging of topics/posts is done to organize and streamline the forum. In general, posts are not censored unless they are mean spirited, and even these are sometimes left as is, reveal personal identifying information or should be referred to Membership services.
Because the forum has now been around for a while, there are often many posts on a given topic and plowing through them can be drudgery.
Maybe the topics can be divided by year? For example, Who’s on a house sit and how’s it going-2021; Who’s on a house sit and how’s it going- 2022 and Who’s on a house sit and how’s it going- 2023? And new posts can be added to the current topic. Topics from past years would have to be accessed by a search. And maybe there could be some indication that the topic is a continuation. For ex., Who’s on a house sit and how’s is going (Part 3 of 3).
That is what I did too in long threads. But since then I found the slider at the right (on the web interface). With that, I can quickly move to the recent entries.
(I agree that there probably is too much merging going on.)
@Mars thank you for your help, direction and feedback …
@HappyDeb thank you also for your feedback. As you work around the Forum you will see that we will add links to other topics where applicable but when there is a very similar, almost identical question merging increases the opportunity for engagement and gives the second poster the advantage of existing feedback, ideas and support from the community.
Managing threads this way also encourages peer to peer support with members helping members.
To your concern about the member who may need extra care and support. All the Admin team are pet parents and sitters who understand member’s need first hand, more importantly from personal experience and we will go out of our way to address any specific concerns or worries members may have by connecting via the Direct Message option. If necessary passing their concerns to the Membership Services Team for additional one to one help and support.
We know how important it is to have a sense of community and for members to get the assistance they need. So whether it’s through the open forum or a private conversation, we’re committed to providing the help and support our members deserve. After all, we’re not just admins, but fellow pet lovers who understand the value of a personal touch.
