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?

[Unit1]

Hi, sorry if this is off thread:

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but apart from Nurse Jen I assume there are no other formal representatives of the medical/mental health professions that ever post on BB? Or at least not regularly. I do realise that this is a forum for fellow users to discuss their issues and provide support, and not a direct online consulting service, but I wonder whether the medical folk ever have much of a look at this forum (or others like SANE etc..). Perhaps they do and decide its best to keep a professional distance and not comment but I can't help thinking that the kind of discussions and comments regarding all our experiences with the mental health system and it's successes and failings would be a valuable information resource for mental health professionals and government and maybe, just occasionally a representative could post comments about updates to services and treatments and even comment on trending discussions or topics featured on BB. I'm not suggesting a back and forth discussion which I am sure they wouldn't have the time for but some sort of feedback that might show all of us that they (the system at large) is paying attention to what the people are saying in the forums rather than just what might be said in therapy or via their own studies and surveys, as I feel there are different things to learn from this resource. A cynic might suggest they aren't involved because there is no money in it, but I am sure that would be an unfair thing to say, however I feel like a bit of feedback and commentary would be good. My own experience of the efficacy of therapy has not been great but I would hope there is some value in the GPs, Counsellors and Psych organisations reviewing the resource that is our collective thoughts, especially where it pertains to treatments etc... to help find better outcomes or try new ideas. Sometimes I feel the medical fraternity can be a bit of a closed shop and discuss their profession only within their own groups about what is best for patients whereas I think reaching out to forums like BB at the very least show they are listening to us "outside" the consulting rooms. I think it could provide them another way to peformance evaluate of how well they doing and where they can improve, as it were, with the opportunity being there to communicate back to us. Good and clear feedback statements could then be referenced by moderators to anyone raising a related issue in the future. Just an idea.

[Guest_1643]

Hello Quirky and Matchy and all else,

Yes I agree that some ppl do so much here to be welcoming

I find it at the moment really hard to be here and don't think there is a lot of support offered to ppl in crises and also to prevent bullying happening on the forum, which has happened to me and seems to be okay.
I think the forums are not a safe space for many.
Thanks

[Guest_1643]

Hi Unit1, welcome to the forums

Just wandering - are other forums more moderated etc, like Sane or Reach out
There is little medical input here and mostly the forum is moderated by volunteers

The problem of the medical sphere being closed to human experience is a valid one. Thanks for sharing. Happy to hear more about what ur suggesting

[quirkywords]

Sleepy
I am so sorry you feel this way.
do you know you can report a post that you feel has not followed guidelines by pressing on report post on the top right corner of a post.

It is not okay for anyone to not feel safe on the forum.
I feel sad you have had this experience.

[Guest_1643]

Hi Quirky thanks I was aware of that button and I think it is good to have that there. Thanks so much for caring and listening, it makes me feel a bit safer. Cheers,
Sleepy

[Hanna3]

I have had the same experience Quirky and if you report a post all you get is a no reply email from the moderators. I often find BB is not safe and I've sometimes been very upset by things here.

[Guest_1643]

I think there should be clear guidelines on what to do if you feel upset here - I think you should be ab le to politely express it to the person who has upset you - and then if that doesn't work the moderators should offer support around the issue. I think it's good to try and resolve it first with the person if possible.
Although I accept that may not work. I try and raise my concerns with the person when I have an issue etc - it sometimes works sometimes doesn't but it is good for me to have that self-boundary. Re reporting to the moderators, the email supplied when u report something includes an email address to write to directly.

I have written to them before when upset and the reply is nearly instant, although its a lot of work sometimes to stay safe here.

[Guest_1643]

Sorry you feel upset here and for anyone who feels that way.

I've also felt horrifically hurt and minimised here many times and also felt my comments were dismissed when I entered discussions in good faith.

A value here is to assume the best of people and accept them as they are - that is core to including all ppl and accepting them at their most vulnerable.

[blondguy]

Hi Unit1

As Sleepy21 mentioned above...Welcome to the forums and thankyou for mentioning ' maybe, just occasionally a representative could post comments about updates to services and treatments and even comment on trending discussions or topics featured on BB'

This is an excellent point Unit1. Nurse Jenn is the only health professional on the forums. I also think it would be helpful to have another health professional actually post even a 'Mental Health Update' say once a month....(just an example)

My health professional recently mentioned that he has the 'clinical qualifications' yet he doesnt have the experience (feelings/symptoms) I do with 37 years of recovering from chronic anxiety/depression

Hey Quirky....After reading Sleepy21 and Hanna's posts I feel they have made an excellent point.

Hey Hanna....Thankyou for having the strength to post as well as you have. When a member receives a 'no reply' email it can actually do more harm than good. With respect to the workload that the moderators have of course

Thankyou for the helpful posts

my kindest always.....Paul

[Croix]

Dear Unit1, Speepy21 and all~

I guess the first thing to say is that huge amout of effort goes into ensuring you feel safe here. That does not mean sometimes things don't slip though, as Quirky says that is what the red Report Post link is for.

Bullying will not be tolerated.

Report Post takes priority and is looked at as soon as possible, then you get an answer, which may seem a little impersonal at times, however that may well be becsue the Moderators (who are qualified and here ALL the time) may be busy composing a constructive email to the person you reported or lots of other tasks

While it may sometimes be a good idea to tell someone gently if you have been unhappy with the way they have addressed you, report it anyway. It is not always easy to tell what a other might be going though.

Not receiving an answer from other posters to something you have posted happens often, and I'm not sure there is any real cure for that, as it is the way this place is set up, for help between equals, and that can mean the post can simply be overlooked, or the responder not feeling up to making a reply - plus of course sometimes the point is missed. It can sometimes be seen as rudeness, but in a text world normal judgments do not really apply.

It happens to me a lot, I construct my post with care and post it with thought - and nothing happens. I do not try to repeat myself or ask why a post has been ignored, I go and do something else, after all there are always people to talk to here.

Later on somebody else may pick up on your post, that happens to me too, and I'm always pleased my words have meant something to somebody.

Your other point about medical people not being on the Forum. On the whole that would defeat the whole purpose of the place. Currently we have Nurse Jenn, Before that we had Doctor Kim. A professional can be asked questions but cannot give definitive answers as they do not know you and can only talk in general terms.

The whole idea is that people who are undergoing the same experiences, or who have already done so are the ones that truly understand, and when you talk together you benefit from getting to know what happened to them and how they coped

I started becuse someone with PTSD was worried of hitting his wife if roused from a flashback. I'd had that exact worry myself and was able to reassure him

Sleepy I've read tons of your posts, they are supportive, caring and sensible. You are an asset to all here, please do not be discouraged

Croix