Really excited to reach out today with an update about your forums. To cut to the chase, we’re undertaking significant work to upgrade and re-design the platform to be a space that better supports you and your needs.
I’m aware there have been some announcements like this in the past, which haven’t resulted in the change you were hoping for, and we appreciate that can be very disappointing.
However, while there is always the chance that things don’t work out as planned, this time around we are confident that we’ll be able to deliver significant improvements to your online experience. This has us really excited here at Beyond Blue and we’re so happy to start sharing with you more about what we’re working on, how we’re working on it, and when you’ll be seeing changes.
What we’re working on
Simply put, we’re setting up a brand-new technology platform to power these forums. We’re working with a great technology partner, who specialise in forums, to deliver a more modern experience with improved features (many of which you have been asking for for a long long time).
In setting up this new technology, we have a lot of work to do to make it align to your needs, to make it a safe space and to make it really valuable to you. But at the end of this process, we hope to launch with a fresh, modern website which looks and feels like a warm, supportive space, and which allows you to really get the most out of your interactions here.
To say we’re excited about this, truly is an under-statement 🙂
How we’re working on it
We know we cannot do this without your input and feedback. Beyond getting deeply acquainted with the existing feedback you’ve provided in these forums, we’ve also set up a ‘community group’ with seven of your peers to support this project. At the moment, we’re meeting weekly to talk through a range of questions, workshop out ideas and ensure we’re really representing community need with the work we’re doing.
From this point on, we’ll be using this space in the forums to provide updates on the work that’s in play, to get your feedback and comments and really bring you along this journey.
While we know we won’t get everything right the first time with this work, we know that involving you along the way, will help create a much better outcome in the end.
Please look forward to seeing more posts (hoping to update you all weekly) in this space!
When you can expect changes
At this point, we’re hoping to deliver the new platform in 2022 and are working hard to reach that goal. We’ll of course be updating you along the way if that changes.
Given we’re moving to a brand new technology platform, a lot of changes will come all at once, and this could be a bit of a shock when you log-in. We’ll be doing our best to share sneak-peeks of the platform as we’re working on it, so you can see ahead of time how things are shaping up and to help smooth that transition.
Although there will be new things to learn and explore, we’re confident that the platform will provide much improved functionality and really improve your experience overall.
Interacting with this thread
We would love to hear your thoughts, feedback and questions! While we can’t respond super quickly to all questions, the aim is to send answers to any questions we’ve received weekly on Fridays - so be sure to check back in then
Next week, we’ll share some early updates on some of the new features that are coming with this platform and start talking about what we’re currently working on.
Thank you so so much for your support and we’re so happy to be finally making improvements to this space for you.
I was involved (with many others) in providing input for improvements/changes to the forums in 2017-18-19. It did surprise me that the last entry made from the 'Project Team' was December 14 2021. Im sorry you havent had a response...yet...
I hope you can stick around the forums Baileybasil.....If we dont have ongoing participation from new members the forums would cease to exist. Thankyou for being a part of the Beyond Blue family 🙂
Thank you all so much for your passion, support, and willingness to contribute to the new and improved space that will be launched in early June. We are excited to be able to announce that we will be able to share this new platform with you all and that it will make connecting and sharing so much easier.
We want to thank you all for your suggestions and comments in this thread, across the forums, via email and through our community consultation process. As always, we have looked to centre the lived experience of our users to ensure that we have the best possible site.
Some of the great ways we are improving are below which you can check out. We are also making a range of improvements to the site ‘behind the curtain’ to ensure we can continue to support all users when they need us.
Why are we doing this?
We have embarked on this journey because we believe in supporting a peer-led, digital mental health space that allows you to share how you are feeling and connect with others. We know that this is a helpful and empowering action to take.
Most importantly, we have done this for you, the members and readers of this Forum. We know that what you share is powerful and so we want a beautiful site to match!
What will change?
This move will improve on lots of the things you’ve told us matter. Here’s a few of the things you’ll soon be able to enjoy:
Notifications! You’ve been feeding back to us for a while that you’d love for the platform to notify you when someone responds to your post or thread. The new platform gives you the ability to change your notification settings and preferences.
A better experience for anyone using the Forums with a mobile or tablet.
The option to “follow” and “support” discussions and posts so that you can show your support even if you aren’t able to share a full post.
The ability to view profile – you'll still have all the privacy you currently enjoy, but you’ll be able to view badges and past posts all in one place.
A better search function. Find what you’re looking for more easily.
When will this happen?
We will be launching the new Forums soon. We’ll keep you updated as we go right here, so stay tuned!
Hi there, Im so sorry if I posted this in the wrong thread, im not too sure on where to ask this. I just wanted to make sure that this is forum discussion is free right? In terms of making an account and posting on here? Thank you!
