A Friendship Hub

[Just Sara]

I’ve been observing members, including myself, trying to form friendships and connections with each other on our BeyondBlue Forum.

This trend is evolving and as such, doesn’t have a format to provide space for people to develop these associations.

Each thread has a topic which can and has progressed into long term support which is fabulous; some, including me, are finding it difficult to keep to topic as well as nurture this growing desire for a closer connection.

Another issue is of course anonymity/privacy and how this important aspect supports the sites reputation as a safe haven for sufferers of mental health disorders and related concerns.

As this site can have up to 70,000 views per month, it might be interesting to create a simple (one off) user survey. Information and statistics gathered could encourage BB to further develop its value to the community.

An added bonus is the consultative process itself. Users who fill out the survey are providing information as a holistic approach, that’s inclusive and representative of individuals having a voice that matters.

Identifying trends/gaps could be useful in supporting a new type of forum structure or a whole different section of BB, allowing members to converse similarly to a chat room; or at the least, have a forum ‘hub’ where members can create their own space to request time with specific users for instance.

I’d like to hear (read) what members and moderators think of these suggestions. Please submit your thoughts as they are valued and worthy of recognition. New members are very welcome to add to this thread as well.

Kind Regards…Just Sara

Definitions

User:
Anyone who views the BB site for information as well as forum participants

Member:
Read-only forum users or those contributing to forum threads.

Moderators:
ChrisB and Sophie_M

[Just Sara]

Hi SB;

Thankyou so much for your valuable comments. I really like the idea of a moderated PM function. With regard to privacy and choice of member contact, it could be you who makes contact instead. A 'locked' function would be a simple fix to limit others contacting you.

You and I haven't really connected very much in the past either have we? Maybe that can change in time to come.

Kind thoughts..

Sara xo

[Guest_322]

Hi Sara,

This Friendship Hub is an awesome brainwave of yours. It seems as though many people are embracing the hub and have lots of ideas re: improvements, etc 😊

It really is wonderful to hear you sounding so excited and lively. I'm happy that you're sounding happier.

Anyway, I just wanted to drop in to say hi. Hi to everyone else too!

Love ya,

Dottie xxx

[Chris_B]

Hi Sara,

Thanks for this. We already conduct an annual user survey which we use to evolve the forums and identify trends/gaps. The next round of this will be occurring in March/April and all registered members (of which there are over 70,000) are emailed and invited to participate.

With regards to private messaging, this is not something we can support at the moment, either with our forum software or (with regards to moderation) staff resourcing. We can include it as a question in our next survey to see if there's a broader desire for a feature like this as it would require quite a bit of investment to support it.

We do hope to upgrade the forum software this year to include a number of features that are standard on many other forums. These features would resolve many of the issues raised in the various posts above, for example - a tagging feature that would alert a member that you wish to bring them into a thread; ability to follow another member's posts, and others.

Please feel free to keep posting suggestions for how to improve the forums - we have a thread for that here which allows us to keep all these suggestions in the one place.

[Just Sara]

Thankyou for replying Chris;

The purpose of engaging people in this way was due to comments from regular posters. The survey you're talking of relates to BB infrastructure, and yes, is an important aspect of developing and maintaining the site as a whole.

I created the thread in Welcome/Orientation due to new posters having quick access to see how regular members are being involved with their forum, as well as having an opportunity to contribute their thoughts on ideas presented.

As a user myself, I'm aware of the importance of not only having a voice, but also being heard. Consultation with peers gives me, posters and other CC's for instance, information we might not have access to otherwise.

Developing further connections or relationships with each other is the main focus. There's been some great input and thankfully people have warmed to the issue's with enthusiasm. The way I see it, information gathering is a positive step in any direction.

I really appreciate your constructive views Chris. As a moderator, you being involved can only serve to enhance the thread as it continues.

Kind regards;

Sara

[kombitop]

Hi all,

I'd like to see the very things Sara mentions. Forums are to an extent limited in their capacity as opposed to chat rooms and the like. Having said that, I'm also aware that unmoderated chat can diverge from threads or topics to a point of irrelevance. As a newbie, I'm grateful for the forums and moderators.

Thanks

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

I have not had anything to do with Chat rooms so have no idea how they work.

One thing about this forum is that everyone is anonymous, for some that works very well, for others I can understand the need for a more personal style of connection.

Is that what people are looking for? Wanting to feel more connected? If, so then I get that as well. I'm also wondering how this might all work.

With the system working as it does now, everyone is "Safe". The moderators do a great job of making sure everyone is kept with in the boundaries.

Quite a few posters have mentioned shutting down Facebook due to feeling bullied, harassed or ignored. Would or could such things happen with an unmoderated Chat Room as well?

I'm all for people feeling connected, accepted, appreciated and forming friendships. We all have that need within us.

Maybe another Chat style thread could be started like the BB Café. There are quite a few already people can join in with. Some seem to take off and others slow down.

Not sure where my brain is going with this...

Cheers all from Dools

[Just Sara]

Hi and welcome kombitop;

Thankyou for your input! It's great to see a new member contribute valuable words of encouragement and information. You seem to have some experience with forums and chat spaces, so anything you put forward is welcome indeed.

I hope your time with us so far has been a pleasant one that ticks all your boxes. Please continue posting or starting your own thread. Btw, your articulate manner is much appreciated Kombi.

Kind thoughts;

Sara

[kombitop]

Hi Sara

Thanks for the welcome, and I appreciate your comments. My experience with chat/forums has been that they are limited to a level that seems more electronic than personal, and therefore I support your suggestions. My time here so far has been ok............any releif from my mind is helpful!

Keep well

[Just Sara]

Hey Mrs D;

Thanks so much for posting your worthy opinions and ideas. And, I think your brain's fine!

Not quite understanding the concept of how BB could allow closer connections isn't a bad thing. It means I/we need to explain things a little better, so I'm grateful you put this in.

Risk management is always a beneficial topic in regards to safety of identity and personal information. So this discussion will benefit the user, BeyondBlue and its reputation.

Social spaces like Facebook rely on numbers for profit. They're not interested in people's intent or saving anyone. They've evolved just like BB has, only with a different agenda. Actually, learning from the mistakes of other sites gives us heads up with what 'not' to do.

Bullying and harrassment - we have the benefit of a Report Post button. This ensures control over what we or moderators feel is inappropriate. Whatever form of 'connectedness' is proposed, reporting something should still be available.

You've spoken about other people, but what do you want? Could you benefit from closer connections to certain individuals? Would you use this function if it was available, safe and user friendly?

The Cafe is good as a place for some silliness and time away from seriousness. Trying to catch up with particular people/posts though, means having to scan pages back and can be tedious.

I'm personally grateful you, as a long serving CC, have contributed to this thread Mrs D. Good on you!

Much appreciation;

Sara xo

[Just Sara]

Hey Kombi;

Most welcome! I may run across you on one of our threads; I'd like that. This is a wonderful place for support and encouragement along your recovery journey. Stick with it!

Could you please expand on your comment; 'My experience with chat/forums has been that they are limited to a level that seems more electronic than personal'

I'm not grasping the electronic/personal concept. So any info or advice will be appreciated.

Very interested...

Sara