I have some issues with guests. Now, obviously, I understand the point of them. I understand that they should be able to see around the site before they join. But, in my observations of guests, I have found it to be pretty obvious of a certain thing: Many are here for the "juice". I find that, when looking through the forums, threads with "clickbait"-like titles will almost always have quite a few guests viewing them. This has occurred even with myself. I do not appreciate the fact that, to guests, many of us are like an exhibit in the zoo: something which they can observe without being a part of. I do not like being watched by nameless people. Now, I'm not asking to make it so that guests cannot view anything without becoming a member, but I do have a few suggestions:
Option One: Make certain forums member only. For example, Journals, Serious Discussion, Mental and Physical Health, Etc. This would leave open enough for the guests to see how open they could be with others, without showing them EVERYTHING, to the point where they could come back and skim through every day, merely trying to find "juice".
Option Two: Add a "Viewable to Guests" configuration when making a thread. This way, topics which people are okay with anyone viewing would be available to the guests, while some of the more personal topics would be provided privacy from the unknown eye. This, of course, could cross over to individual posts, as well.
Option Three: Despite being my least favorite option, as I despise time restrictions and/or being rushed, technically, one option COULD be to only provide guests with a certain amount of time to view the website before being prompted to create an account.
I personally would like to see the second option implemented, but I do hope you consider implementing at least any of these protocols.
Last edited by The Author : 22-09-2016 at 02:34 AM.
Reason: Gramatical Correctness
Who I appear to be and who I actually am are two entirely different things.
I always assumed that most guests probably googled an issue they were struggling with and read threads about that topic. Similar to how I read other forums as a guests when I have a question I type into Google.
This has been talked over many, many times and privacy of boards has never changed anyway.
But I think it never hurts to bring up an issue or suggestion that you have :)
A few of the guests are bots so it doesn't necessarily mean that it's an actual person.
Wannabe CPN : -)
"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." - Homer Simpson "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" Sanity is a nasty disease. The world would be a happier place without it. - Rilic
RIP Kat 4th July 1987- 11th June 2013
Anything you post on the internet is visible to anyone. Making things members only won't stop people who want to know what you've posted from knowing what you've posted. That's just how the Internet works.
Nothing is private once it's online. It's there forever.
I get all of your reasoning, and I know they could easily sign up, but I feel like someone who is simply looking for the "juicy stuff" wouldn't go to the effort of signing up.
Who I appear to be and who I actually am are two entirely different things.
Where is this "juicy stuff" and why have I missed it lol.
I think RYL is an "old" forum (thus containing well developed data stores) as forums go but it has had a lot of young people with young people problems and those will show up for other young people (doing most of the webbing probably) researching issues. I'm not even sure how many "guests" are actually people since I don't know how countries like China name their bots. Most named bots seem from the US, Europe UK etc. I don't see foreign alphabets names etc
At the end of the day, you can't control other people's actions on the internet. If you don't want people to read 'juicy stuff' that you have posted online then don't post at all. Otherwise you need to learn to live with the knowledge that what you post online runs the risk of being seen by people you know.
yeah i mean every single one of us would have been a 'guest' before joining here. just got to deal with it really. as has been said, you post online then people you know might read it.
Where is this physical health forum that the OP speaks of?
I think there are more important changes to be done rather than the privacy of some boards. If anything needs changing privacy wise I personally think that the first aid forum should be members only. We do get the odd spate of people joining solely for free first aid advice and they either break the rules or get frustrated when we tell them to seek medical advice. Or ask questions which are too specialised for this forum. It would stop those kinda people joining.
Wannabe CPN : -)
"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." - Homer Simpson "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" Sanity is a nasty disease. The world would be a happier place without it. - Rilic
RIP Kat 4th July 1987- 11th June 2013
Some boards can't be viewed by guests- I think R&V, the picture board and the meet up board?
Otherwise I think it's fine as it is. Anything you post online will be "out there" for anyone to read. It's important to remember that. If you want a totally safe space to talk about MH issues you need to talk to a medical professional.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
Hi,
I don't know if there is anyway that it is controlled.
There is an older version and I see it sometimes in people's signature: formerly X. Or I assume people have more than one account. So that they can be one person and maybe post as another. I get bumped off alot when I type in comments. Or like others mention I may not log on unless I am going to comment.
I realise after being a member for so long, I only recently- this year- started getting irritated by the sheer number of guests vs members. Because we are a lot of people. I agree that membership should be more insisted upon, but I would feel worse if persons who are members can join the circus/ be in the zoo......persons are more likely to have a vested interest in something- and those are the albeit relatively few people in chat, who go to meets, who know and respect the RYL culture.
My posts turn up in random searches because I KNOW my RYL identity and can search for myself. However, I believe that it is currently unique to this community. People link their names to facebook and their email accounts. Some people use their real names within a post or know each other in real life. Just be wary about what you post. Remember RYL is another tool for staying well and safe.
I think the journal is probably one of the best spaces. I write a lot and I rarely feel good about posting on RYL. So I don't know what it is like to be a guest. But if someone is helped by something I said as advice to someone else, I hope someone feels better- especially because I find it so difficult to see the bright side.....
Remember a "guest" is not the same as a "troll" and their is a BIG difference.
~Happy tomatoes together we will be~
You say toe- may- toe, I say toe- mah- toe:
Let's call the whole thing- red
“It’s time to lead the third revolution, which is not to say we want to be at the top of the world, but to say we want to change the world. Because the way the world has been designed by men is not working. It’s not working for women, it’s not working for men,
it’s not working for polar bears.” Arianna Huffington 2014
Option one:
The following boards are member viewable only:
Ranting / Venting Forum
The Picture Board
Events / Meet Ups
Option two wont happen without a large overhall of RYL as this version of the forum software does not have that feature.
Option three will never happen.
It is not a strenuous task for someone to make an account to view stuff. Perhaps you wish that these boards were not indexed by search engines?
It is not a strenuous task for you to create an anonymous account for privacy. But the point of an online forum is to talk to a community, and these questions are public.
If you disagree with the current situation of the site, and the way that it has been for a long time, please feel free to email the webmaster.
When you don't get a reply, please feel free to set up an automated email every day to him to reply.
"It is possible to make no mistakes and lose. That is not failure; that is life."
-Cpt. Jean-Luc Picard
Hi OP.
If you disagree with the current situation of the site, and the way that it has been for a long time, please feel free to email the webmaster.
When you don't get a reply, please feel free to set up an automated email every day to him to reply.
This is the best
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
