How can we improve the forums? Your suggestions and comments please

[Chris_B]

Hi all, this thread is a running commentary for all members on things for improvements to the forums. This can be anything from how it looks, the categories, to moderation, community rules etc.

While we might not be able to implement everything straightaway, or keep everyone happy all of the time, we'd like to hear about what you think we can do better.

This is not a thread for discussing the moderation or editing of individual posts - if you have questions about this please contact the team offline via email modsupport@beyondblue.org.au

To avoid repeating suggestions already received, below are some results from our last user survey giving an indication of which new features people would like to see on the forums. This survey was answered by 1,597 users:

44% - Email notification when I have a reply on the forum
39% - Access to the forums via an app
27% - Ability to block seeing posts by specific users
25% - Ability to contact users privately
25% - Ability to use emoticons
25% - Ability to follow posts by specific users
24% - Ability to share links
23% - Forum posts visible only to registered users
22% - A profile, viewable by others users, where I can introduce myself
21% - Ability to quickly access all posts by a particular user
15% - Ability to tag users in a conversation
10% - Ability to share images
6% - Ability to share videos
17% - None of these

Update July 2022 - This discussion has now been closed. Please go to the updated version below to share feedback and follow our updates:

How can we improve the Forums?

[Guest_1643]

Hi Summer Rose

I very much understand you and value your sharing.
I am in deep admiration of the work you did to assist your daughter. I hope your daughter is doing better and I believe in recovery and life after pain. We all deserve a chance to heal. Thank u again for sharing. Many young ppl go through what your daughter has.... and need ppl like u to show that they are worth getting better.

[eight]

if you want emojis on desktop just go to emojipedia and copy paste from there. i dont see the point discriminating between "kind" and "rude" emojis but my real point of contention here if they heed your suggestion and add on-site emojis they better not automatically convert text to emoji if i put a cynical :)))))))) and they turn it into 🙂))))))) i WILL be very upset its an instant mood-killer

would also suggest if images are added please let us add alt text as well for low vision people who use screenreaders, people with visual processing issues, people who have trouble reading facial expression/intention/non-verbal cues in image, people with limited internet that can't load images well/if the image breaks while posting, and also typed transcripts are usually easier to read than screenshots. i've been trying to get into the habit of transcribing images/videos i post online or those i see untranscribed and it makes things a lot easier for me so if we can post images id like to add/edit alt text.

[Guest_4643]

Hey eight, I like your suggestions. I think they'd be very helpful and I never thought of those, so I apologise.

What I meant by nice emojis was hearts, happy things, etc. Rude emojis I meant like middle fingers or something that may not be allowed to be published here. I wasn't trying to discriminate them, the same with images.

[geoff]

Hello Tayla, I agree with Sleepy 21, (sorry going back a few comments) if the site did have a professional to advise us about taking AD's and what type they suggest 'it would be risky to u to follow the advice', simply because the dosage might not be correct and you may have an unusual reaction, so there's no way you can contact them straight away and liability enters the scene, that's not what BB want, to be mixed up in anything legal.

Hi Summer Rose, you have my heart, trying to understand OCD and what it may cause for your daughter, especially at her age 13, it would be difficult to know why she is displaying these needs that have to happen and her beliefs that reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.

It would be horrifying but with your unconditional and inexhaustible love, I hope that this journey has lessened.

I wish you all my best.

Take care.

Geoff.

[Summer Rose]

Hi Geoff and Sleepy

Thank you for your kind words. This is off topic but wanted to let you know that life is much better now.

My daughter has learned to mostly manage her condition and she does life her way (eg part time study, makes time for exercise, no wild partying). COVID threw her for a loop but working her way through it.

Kind thoughts to you

[Lillylane]

Firstly, a heart-felt thank you to all who make the forums possible.
Sorry if the following has already been suggested. I haven’t read every post in this thread.
Is it possible to have another tab, like the ‘My Threads’ one. Somewhere you can kind of bookmark threads that you haven’t yet responded to but want to come back to?
Sometimes I can’t remember the title of a post to be able to search for it.

Best wishes
lillylane

[Matchy69]

Hi Lillylane that is a great suggstion about being able to bookmark a thread.What I sometimes do is put a quick hi on a thread when I don' have time to respond so it comes up in My Threads.

[Lillylane]

Hi Mark, thanks this is very helpful. I will keep it in mind next time.

[quirkywords]

Summer Rose,

I think a way we improve the forums is people honestly sharing their stories and lived experience as you have, so it is on topic I feel. If people find it hard to share but see others being open it helps them and some may find the courage to share theirs.

Lilylane, the bookmark is a suggestion that has been looked, and Marks suggestion is a good one,

I sometimes write down the title and the section so I can search for it later .

[Sophie_M]

Happy 2021,

While these forums are moderated 24/7, even over the holidays, we don't always have the time to fully address every point that is made here in real time. There are several issues you've raised over the festive season that we would like to address.

Let's start by pointing out that our online forums themselves are simply the "place" through which we together have built this wonderful community over many years. This particular "place of assembly", or forum, was set up so community members could make practical suggestions on how we shape this, our shared space or place, to best build and serve our community. (For example, @Not_Batman made an interesting suggestion about nesting replies, which we are considering.)

Communities are made up of their members. We all have a role to play in shaping and maintaining this incredibly caring and helpful community of peers.

The community rules are here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/community-rules.

They do form part of your user agreement when you sign up so it's important you're familiar with them. We're sorry that some of you have found difficulty accessing them. We are working on ways to improve our signposting of them.

Some have asked "when should I use the report post function?". The simple answer is: whenever you see something that you think could or does break with the spirit and intent of the rules. These rules are underpinned by five core values: supportive, respectful, empowering, safe and friendly. Only moderators can see the who and the why of a reported post -- so please do not be afraid to use it whenever you're in doubt about a post. Moderators will review your report and the post you've reported and make an impartial decision based on the rules.

As others have mentioned, text on screen is an imperfect way convey meaning, especially when dealing with complex issues relating to our mental wellbeing. You can help by trying to be clear in your posts and remembering that your contribution may be understood in a way you didn't intend by others. If you see something you think breaks the rules, or might, report it for moderators to review. We always try to give users the benefit of the doubt in such instances.

Let us come together in this forum and resolve to get this thread back on track in 2021: any ideas about how we can improve the look and/or function of our shared community space?