- Character limit: This one has come up a lot. (Major irony in having this reply in two threads!) The reason that it has been capped at this number is a big part of engagement. When people see long introductory posts they are less likely to talk with users in comparison with shorter 'digestable' ones. So while I understand wanting to get things off your chest, people also want to talk with others which sometimes means reducing what you say. I understand both sides though. So far, the best alternative is to post underneath, or to save the rest of your post for later on.
- Sections on neurodivergent. This is such a good idea. One of the reasons we don't have more 'sub threads' is because of the number of posts. We need enough posts to 'justify' having a section for it. At the same time, it's a catch 22 because if there's a section, people make more posts.
- Public forums: A big part of this decision is not about branding at all, but engagement. We know that people find the forums helpful to read, even if they're not a member. We also know that people join the forums because they've been a 'lurker', short-term or long-term. You can also do this on the SANE forums as well, by looking around first before deciding whether or not to join.
- Lost threads. It's awful, I know. Part of this is because it is an ancient platform, so one of the things that I do is copy what I reply into Word before sending. I've lost posts too.
Sorry if I've missed some things. I know that Sophie M is taking on everyones feedback.
I just wanted to provide a little background and context as to some of these decisions. I think all of the decisions we make is incredibly complex and long-winded, because I do see all the sides. It's a good thing that I'm not making the decisions personally because I'd never choose!
I hope sharing this is helpful
rt
