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]

Thanks quirky thanks everyone for sharing and being open and kind.

[demonblaster]

Thanks Sophie and team ☺

[britishtvfan]

personally i don't think people should be allowed to have usernames that contain their full name, or first and last name. i understand that they're new here but the whole point of this forum is to be anonymous, and they're giving out their name. some people even mention where they live or the shire for example. i know that we don't know what they look like & whatnot but this could be rather dangerous. just my opinion.

[omgomg]

I just want to know how to post a question or find a thread just the basics Also dont want to have my spelling and grammar corrected thanks anyway if ppl think thats they are being helpful

[Ggrand]

Hello omgomg,

A very warm and caring welcome to the forums...

If you go back to home page then press on join discussion....when the page turns then press on “all posts”...If you scroll down you will see the different threads that are available ie..Depression....anxiety...PTSD..etc choose which one you think refers to your question...then press on “New Thread”....and write your question out and post it...

I will look out for you on the forums...come back here if your still having problems....

[mmMekitty]

Hi Tayla (which may be a pseudonym for all I know) & that's the beauty of knowing this place is anonymous - we are not certain when we do see something that appears to look like a person's real name, that it actually is. I haven't recognised the name within your own username, & didn't assume it even related to any real person, or fictional character or whatever...

Of-course, when people join, they give certain personal info & also choose a username, which, if it did match their own actual name, would not be allowed.

Because I have received no message regarding the times I've mentioned I am in SE Qld, or even (I think I did once) narrow down to a big sprawling city.. that this is okay. It would be extremely unlikely anyone would find me if they gather up all the little fragments of info. I can't imagine why anyone would go to that much effort?

*

Hi Team,

Finding again, threads I see & want to think about before answering has proved difficult & I've not found a couple at all again. If I remember to make notes, who what where & when, then I can find them. I get so tired & I forget to make the notes before leaving... I'd like a way to quickly mark the threads I want to return to, even if I haven't posted on them yet.

Threads move up & down the list, drop off onto earlier pages so quickly, I've not found them that way.

The search has turned up things I'm not searching for, mostly because I don't recall any specific username or thread title, & adding a date doesn't seem to help.

I search for key words, which think I recall seeing, but get other threads, often the same thread/s will get a mention in the search results several times over.

If I could mark the thread, have a list of these turn up in my profile area, that could work. I would only expect these to remain on my marked list while I haven't posted to them. Or maybe I could choose whether or not to keep certain posts on a permanent list?

I'm not sure it is necessary to have the list of threads I've posted to, listed each & every time I've posted to them. Maybe convert this list to be the list of threads I want to keep track of, whether or not I post on them.

Thanks again for all efforts on our behalf.

mmMekitty

[britishtvfan]

yeah i just realised that my post sounded hypocritical since i use my real name, Tayla. but that's all the information i give, that & my age (22). i apologise for sounding hypocritical. i didn't mean any harm, i was just trying to think of privacy & safety concerns. i should've thought of that beforehand. but i guess you're right. most of the usernames i'm referring to are real names though. i think mentioning if you're in SE QLD would be ok just not the suburb as that's not allowed. again i didn't mean to sound hypocritical and judgemental. i do apologise. i was just thinking of others. but thats true, it would be hard to find any user on here in person. my apologies.

[mmMekitty]

No, Tayla, I wasn't thinking that at all. NO judgement. I think 'Tayla' is fine. I have notived some people choose to share their first name, (or what may be their first name), but I have try to not presume these names are actually the real name... we're anonymous. I guess it's a little deliberate blindness.

It is like when I was in a writers' group, & we deliberately chose to assume everything written there was fiction - even if we knew it was not. Therefore a safe space was created.

No worries,

okay. & I realise, I may or may not have told my actual age in a few posts, too. 😸

I did try to avoid actual personal info such as even my biological gender...but couldn't quite manage.

I chose to be 'mmMekitty' & even that was a slight risk. One day, I may be surprised to learn someone who has known me when I had Mekitty, will discover me here, on BB...but even that is very unlikely. If they do, & if they have any respect for me, they won't mention any connection between us.

If they dont, well, we'll have to see then...

Privacy is a very important part of the forums. I completely agree.

Even now, just to be sure of my privacy, I'd like to change my username & picture, to something even less likely to be traced back to me... but that would make many of my posts read very strangely indeed!

I think I can live with my choice. Just the occasional tempory change of picture, perhaps.

I could show you one of my abstract photos? 😸 I could upload it as an avatar picture, just for a little while...Good idea, hey?

mmMekitty

[britishtvfan]

yeah i know, it's ok. i just wanted to clarify that and apologise for sounding hypocritical. i wasn't judging anyone, i was just making a suggestion because in my opinion it's dangerous.

i just chose my real name as i feel comfortable with that although i don't mind being addressed by my username. and to clarify that i'm a female.

yes i wish i could change my username too. i just decided on that because i couldn't think of anything else. and yeah if you like. your current photo is nice.

[blondguy]

Hi Robthomaslover

You weren't being judgmental at all...I guess its up to the member if they wish to post using their actual Christian name yet you have mentioned a good point where privacy is concerned yet just for me its not relevant

I have been signing off my posts using my actual first name for over six years...It doesn't give me any bad vibrations...yet thats only my humble opinion. I guess Im just happy to be who I am

we have spoken before on the forums and its always a bonus to read your posts 🙂

my kind thoughts

Paul