topic A Friendship Hub in Welcome and orientation

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 07:53:41 GMT

I’ve been observing members, including myself, trying to form friendships and connections with each other on our BeyondBlue Forum.

This trend is evolving and as such, doesn’t have a format to provide space for people to develop these associations.

Each thread has a topic which can and has progressed into long term support which is fabulous; some, including me, are finding it difficult to keep to topic as well as nurture this growing desire for a closer connection.

Another issue is of course anonymity/privacy and how this important aspect supports the sites reputation as a safe haven for sufferers of mental health disorders and related concerns.

As this site can have up to 70,000 views per month, it might be interesting to create a simple (one off) user survey. Information and statistics gathered could encourage BB to further develop its value to the community.

An added bonus is the consultative process itself. Users who fill out the survey are providing information as a holistic approach, that’s inclusive and representative of individuals having a voice that matters.

Identifying trends/gaps could be useful in supporting a new type of forum structure or a whole different section of BB, allowing members to converse similarly to a chat room; or at the least, have a forum ‘hub’ where members can create their own space to request time with specific users for instance.

I’d like to hear (read) what members and moderators think of these suggestions. Please submit your thoughts as they are valued and worthy of recognition. New members are very welcome to add to this thread as well.

Kind Regards…Just Sara

Definitions

User:
Anyone who views the BB site for information as well as forum participants

Member:
Read-only forum users or those contributing to forum threads.

Moderators:
ChrisB and Sophie_M

A Friendship Hub

kanga_brumby — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 08:30:47 GMT

Sara this seams to be a good idea.

But at the same time thats what the BB cafe was started for.

It wouldn't be obvious to a newby. They might actually think it is a cafe. Not a place to drop in and have a chat. About the weather, cricket, Kids, football, work, that rotter at the supermarket. You know the one {lol) . But to a new person this could be a great start. In finding some sensitive people to chat to. Which would be a big help to all. Cludoes to you for thinking about it.

Yours in friendship Kanga XXXOOOXXX (Peter)

A Friendship Hub

Doolhof — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 08:52:28 GMT

Hi Sara,

This is a great idea, to allow people to have a say.

I agree that sometimes the topic does change as a thread develops. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. As long as the original poster does not feel as though they are being pushed aside and not having their needs listened to, maybe that is okay.

There have been some threads as well where only a few people or even one or two communicate a lot between each other. Some people may find this intimidating, not wanting to join in with that thread.

It may be important for all users to know they are welcome anywhere on the forum as it is now.

Having little hubs may work well for some, while others may feel left out.

Sometimes when my BPD pops up, I feel invisible on some of the posts. I know that is not so. If I feel that way, others may as well. So like I mentioned, everyone needs to feel like they can join in with any thread.

I don't remember all the info that is supplied to people when they first join this forum.

It is a great idea to have an open thread for comment.

All the best, cheers from Dools

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 08:54:22 GMT

Hi wonderful Peter K; PeeKay? lol

My first reply!! Yay..thankyou so much friendly friend.

I get exactly what you're saying Kanga. Kazzl's Cafe is a successful beautiful hub for silliness, respite from the seriousness and fun, not to mention the dalectible food and beverages.

What I'm talking about has come up in conversations I've had from some who'd like a more intimate (friendly) connection to discuss more personal stuff, maybe even in private. As we can't have access to emails etc, a new 'contact' section might work.

I've asked for suggestions or comments on things like the survey, a chat room or what else might work. (or not)

Thankyou for posting PK...

Sara xo

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 09:02:50 GMT

Hi and thankyou so much Mrs D...you so get it!

Everything you've said is how I feel, and thankyou for the addition (feeling left out) which gives major food for thought. I'd actually like to hear more about this issue. I mean that's the reason we come here to begin with isn't it?! Feeling isolated from our loved one's, friends, colleagues etc due to our disorders or confusion.

Consultation with members (and BB users) helps to feel it sort of belongs to us. Not to mention being heard and validated.

You're wonderful fellow CC and all round 'good guy/gal'

Sara xo

A Friendship Hub

Croix — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:15:36 GMT

Dear Sara~
Thank you for this -a great idea.

I'm not sure if you are ready for concrete proposals yet, however here two to get started (there are more)

- if you do not want me to continue at this time please sing out - Croix

This is Post 1 of 2

Content of these 2 posts:

Contacting other members

Conversing with other members

Proposed Definition: Long-Term User = user with 100+ posts

Contacting & exchanging information with other members
------------------------------------------------------------------

Reason:
I have on a number of occasions wanted to converse with members who are not normally in the thread I inhabit.

This has been to ask a question, give information - or for social reasons.

It would be possible to leave a post in a currently communal area such as the chillout lounge or cafe, however this has drawbacks in that that:-

(a) the contactee may not frequent those placed sufficiently often and
(b) the contact request message may have scrolled so far back due to intervening posts as to make it not readily apparent when the contactee does inspect the cafe etc.
(c) it does not provide a default location for the information-bearing post or posts.

Solution:
A possible solution would be for each Long-Term User to have his own thread (titled with his/her username) maybe in a new zone**

This would allow the contactor to leave a message to the contactee or place the information-bearing post itself there directly.

**A new zone because are about 200 threads in the area I first thought of (the BB Social Zone, so the intrusion of a large number of new threads (i.e. 1 per l-t user) would make the retrieval of a mix personal and normal threads hard. A similar argument applies to the Welcome & Orientation area.

As threads are presented in chonological-use order it would not be possible to group them together with identical unusual characters at the start of each name (eg:"zz") meaning they could not be placed 'out of the way' in any existing zone

Note: This method should not impinge greatly on system resources provided such resources are not already near maximum capacity

Continued in Post 2 (Conversing with other members)

A Friendship Hub

Croix — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:16:34 GMT

Post 2 of 2

Conversing with other members

--------------------------------------

This would allow nearly real-time interaction between a small group, perhaps up to 3 or 4 members

The idea is merely an extension of above.

Two or more L-T Users agree to meet in one of the L-T User's thread at a given time and exchange messages in sequence. With more than 2 participants a courtesy protocol for post order would be needed

Note:
It could be regarded as a 'poor mans' chat-room, it has the advantage of not requiring additional server facilities.

Whilst not exactly real-time I have always found that chat rooms are bogged down by typing speed - I can never type an error free sentence under pressure and feel that this would give sufficient ability for ideas to be exchanged in an eficcient manner

Any comments welcome

Thanks

Croix

A Friendship Hub

Croix — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:24:13 GMT

Comment: The big problem with all of the above is the effect on system resources (which includes bandwidth). It may be that above hogs too many resources and might not be viable, or need to be only allowed in off-peak periods.

Should either be entertained then a trial period would seem essential

Thanks

Croix

A Friendship Hub

SubduedBlues — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:30:21 GMT

Hi Sara

I concur that some method of establishing a private connection with others would be nice.

I think it would be great if we could post messages to each other directly via a moderated private message. This would enable us to initiate that more personal communication, but at the same time maintain the safety of the posters. For this to work, I would hope that I could select who can and cannot send me private messages; I don't necessarily want them from everyone... only those that I think I can trust to not step on my feelings.

thats my 2c

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:59:06 GMT

Hey Croix!

You little bottla! Talk about do my job for me! lol

It's concise, referenced and relevant. I love it! Especially about the forum server stuff, it's practical thinking. Some great ideas and comments re contact and conversing. I hate chat rooms too because of the delay with the enter function and typing speeds.

What do you think about a survey to get stats/info/ideas? From an admin perspective, this works for me. They're great for demographic specifics too such as cultural and religious needs.

Actually, it's 'Blue Sky Thinking' all the way...it's only limited by the (lack of) imagination.

I'm so happy you contributed Croix. You mentioned this on my thread a little while ago and I took notice. It was probably the empetus for my head spin-out...luckily! Otherwise we wouldn't be doing this.

Sara xo

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 11:47:17 GMT

Hi SB;

Thankyou so much for your valuable comments. I really like the idea of a moderated PM function. With regard to privacy and choice of member contact, it could be you who makes contact instead. A 'locked' function would be a simple fix to limit others contacting you.

You and I haven't really connected very much in the past either have we? Maybe that can change in time to come.

Kind thoughts..

Sara xo

A Friendship Hub

Guest_322 — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:44:07 GMT

Hi Sara,

This Friendship Hub is an awesome brainwave of yours. It seems as though many people are embracing the hub and have lots of ideas re: improvements, etc 😊

It really is wonderful to hear you sounding so excited and lively. I'm happy that you're sounding happier.

Anyway, I just wanted to drop in to say hi. Hi to everyone else too!

Love ya,

Dottie xxx

A Friendship Hub

Chris_B — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 22:55:14 GMT

Hi Sara,

Thanks for this. We already conduct an annual user survey which we use to evolve the forums and identify trends/gaps. The next round of this will be occurring in March/April and all registered members (of which there are over 70,000) are emailed and invited to participate.

With regards to private messaging, this is not something we can support at the moment, either with our forum software or (with regards to moderation) staff resourcing. We can include it as a question in our next survey to see if there's a broader desire for a feature like this as it would require quite a bit of investment to support it.

We do hope to upgrade the forum software this year to include a number of features that are standard on many other forums. These features would resolve many of the issues raised in the various posts above, for example - a tagging feature that would alert a member that you wish to bring them into a thread; ability to follow another member's posts, and others.

Please feel free to keep posting suggestions for how to improve the forums - we have a thread for that here which allows us to keep all these suggestions in the one place.

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 21:11:52 GMT

Thankyou for replying Chris;

The purpose of engaging people in this way was due to comments from regular posters. The survey you're talking of relates to BB infrastructure, and yes, is an important aspect of developing and maintaining the site as a whole.

I created the thread in Welcome/Orientation due to new posters having quick access to see how regular members are being involved with their forum, as well as having an opportunity to contribute their thoughts on ideas presented.

As a user myself, I'm aware of the importance of not only having a voice, but also being heard. Consultation with peers gives me, posters and other CC's for instance, information we might not have access to otherwise.

Developing further connections or relationships with each other is the main focus. There's been some great input and thankfully people have warmed to the issue's with enthusiasm. The way I see it, information gathering is a positive step in any direction.

I really appreciate your constructive views Chris. As a moderator, you being involved can only serve to enhance the thread as it continues.

Kind regards;

Sara

A Friendship Hub

kombitop — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 04:28:40 GMT

Hi all,

I'd like to see the very things Sara mentions. Forums are to an extent limited in their capacity as opposed to chat rooms and the like. Having said that, I'm also aware that unmoderated chat can diverge from threads or topics to a point of irrelevance. As a newbie, I'm grateful for the forums and moderators.

Thanks

A Friendship Hub

Doolhof — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 21:05:03 GMT

Hi All,

I have not had anything to do with Chat rooms so have no idea how they work.

One thing about this forum is that everyone is anonymous, for some that works very well, for others I can understand the need for a more personal style of connection.

Is that what people are looking for? Wanting to feel more connected? If, so then I get that as well. I'm also wondering how this might all work.

With the system working as it does now, everyone is "Safe". The moderators do a great job of making sure everyone is kept with in the boundaries.

Quite a few posters have mentioned shutting down Facebook due to feeling bullied, harassed or ignored. Would or could such things happen with an unmoderated Chat Room as well?

I'm all for people feeling connected, accepted, appreciated and forming friendships. We all have that need within us.

Maybe another Chat style thread could be started like the BB Café. There are quite a few already people can join in with. Some seem to take off and others slow down.

Not sure where my brain is going with this...

Cheers all from Dools

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 00:05:36 GMT

Hi and welcome kombitop;

Thankyou for your input! It's great to see a new member contribute valuable words of encouragement and information. You seem to have some experience with forums and chat spaces, so anything you put forward is welcome indeed.

I hope your time with us so far has been a pleasant one that ticks all your boxes. Please continue posting or starting your own thread. Btw, your articulate manner is much appreciated Kombi.

Kind thoughts;

Sara

A Friendship Hub

kombitop — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 00:39:57 GMT

Hi Sara

Thanks for the welcome, and I appreciate your comments. My experience with chat/forums has been that they are limited to a level that seems more electronic than personal, and therefore I support your suggestions. My time here so far has been ok............any releif from my mind is helpful!

Keep well

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 01:08:18 GMT

Hey Mrs D;

Thanks so much for posting your worthy opinions and ideas. And, I think your brain's fine!

Not quite understanding the concept of how BB could allow closer connections isn't a bad thing. It means I/we need to explain things a little better, so I'm grateful you put this in.

Risk management is always a beneficial topic in regards to safety of identity and personal information. So this discussion will benefit the user, BeyondBlue and its reputation.

Social spaces like Facebook rely on numbers for profit. They're not interested in people's intent or saving anyone. They've evolved just like BB has, only with a different agenda. Actually, learning from the mistakes of other sites gives us heads up with what 'not' to do.

Bullying and harrassment - we have the benefit of a Report Post button. This ensures control over what we or moderators feel is inappropriate. Whatever form of 'connectedness' is proposed, reporting something should still be available.

You've spoken about other people, but what do you want? Could you benefit from closer connections to certain individuals? Would you use this function if it was available, safe and user friendly?

The Cafe is good as a place for some silliness and time away from seriousness. Trying to catch up with particular people/posts though, means having to scan pages back and can be tedious.

I'm personally grateful you, as a long serving CC, have contributed to this thread Mrs D. Good on you!

Much appreciation;

Sara xo

A Friendship Hub

Just Sara — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 01:19:01 GMT

Hey Kombi;

Most welcome! I may run across you on one of our threads; I'd like that. This is a wonderful place for support and encouragement along your recovery journey. Stick with it!

Could you please expand on your comment; 'My experience with chat/forums has been that they are limited to a level that seems more electronic than personal'

I'm not grasping the electronic/personal concept. So any info or advice will be appreciated.

Very interested...

Sara