Ah yes, agreed. I think these are two options right now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Puppet Strings
1) Intros
2) a) General Chat, News & Debate and Research & Media - merged
2) b) F&D as a sub-forum - as it is still spammed quite a bit to keep people busy, and that at the top of General wouldn't help with lack of community/conversation
3) Reviews & Recs and Creative - merged, new sub title
4) FC&Q - I still feel like it holds a weight of importance that warrants its own forum, regardless of activity levels
5) General Support and Moving Forward - merged. More like Moving Forward merged in general with every sub, but recognising its existence now. Positive stories should have a spread throughout RYL, and not be concentrated in a place people just aren't likely to visit often if they're in a bad place.
6) Serious
7) R/V
8) SI Discussion
9) ED - merging of all, an all encompassing ED forum. No substantial need for a separate BORIS anymore, and obviously preservation of key threads in there.
10) Mental Health
11) Some form of trauma/abuse forum, to encompass Abuse and some other areas spread around
12) Picture
13) Events
Scrap Vets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by random.swirls
I think Ryl is much older so there is less need for vets so I'd close it down
One board for eating issues
One board for self injury
One board for serious
One board for GSA
One board for mental health
R and v kept as is
A and b kept
First aid kept
Most threads should fit into these etc!
So, mostly removing a lot of the sub-boards, most people agree with, or merging some of the others.
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
People may be posting on FAA because they are unsure if they should go to a GP or not. We are lucky in the UK that our healthcare is free - in many countries it is not and people may not have the funds to go to a GP in their country.
Even if it is free they may struggle to get into a GP - at my parent's surgery it takes a week to get a non urgent appointment. The only alternative may be to go to A&E - which means that they are waiting for hours only to be told it's nothing to be worried about. It's probably better to be told to use self care or seek advice from a GP from an online forum than be worried and do nothing - of which it could be potentially dangerous.
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
Also I have a question about the moving forward forum being deleted. As I have been free for a long time, I like to update my thread (currently once every 2 months unless something has happened). I also make a new one every single new year that I am free and like to refer to my old thread as a basis of where I am recovery wise. Would my current thread be deleted or just simply moved?
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
Delete Introductions
Keep General Chat (keep N&D, Research, but put F&D as a sub-board)
Reviews and Creative Corner to be combined
F&CQs leave as is
GSA
Serious
Self-harm
Eating issues
Mental health (although I'd change its name, as it's more about support for certain issues rather than any sort of discussion about mental health generally)
Abuse (remove bullying and have that go elsewhere, and remove trauma as that is not very clearcut)
Remove Vets altogether and incorporate that into the rest of the boards
Private board remain as is.
I'd remove the Moving Forward, simply because I think it would be nice to have those lumped in around all the darker stuff. It just feels a bit of an awkward section currently, like its own little niche.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pi.R^2
I wonder if the FA debate could be a discussion for another time, since we are supposed to be discussing quiet boards here? I appreciate that it's gone off on a valid tangent, but we're now discussing so many different points (BORIS, Substance Abuse, Grief and Trauma and now FA and people have been discussing general chat and stuff), I'm not sure we'll reach any conclusions if we're having so many debates at once!
Aren't all these points connected though? If we are talking about streamlining the forum as a whole we need to consider the forum as a whole. Otherwise we'd need to have different threads for every different decision.
Quote:
Originally Posted by insignificant_one
People may be posting on FAA because they are unsure if they should go to a GP or not. We are lucky in the UK that our healthcare is free - in many countries it is not and people may not have the funds to go to a GP in their country.
Even if it is free they may struggle to get into a GP - at my parent's surgery it takes a week to get a non urgent appointment. The only alternative may be to go to A&E - which means that they are waiting for hours only to be told it's nothing to be worried about. It's probably better to be told to use self care or seek advice from a GP from an online forum than be worried and do nothing - of which it could be potentially dangerous.
There are a million different websites to use in that case. RYL shouldn't want to make itself liable. If someone wanted to post a thread for reassurance it could become a support thread as well, rather than simply stating 'see a doctor'. Also, I would say that anyone who self-harms should be aware of and prepare for their self-care needs in any case, and if not, they should be seeing a medical professional. Again, there is already a FAQ and multiple other sources of self-care guides and information. If people choose to do nothing, that is their choice. If RYL tells them that they're probably fine and they turn out not to be, that is a different matter.
Aren't all these points connected though? If we are talking about streamlining the forum as a whole we need to consider the forum as a whole. Otherwise we'd need to have different threads for every different decision.
True, I think I'm just stressing out about how it's gone from a discussion about a few quiet boards to being about some quite big changes! I don't like change!
If we are talking about big changes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by sherlock holmes
I honestly think that forum is preventing people from seeking face to face professional medical advice.
If having a way to seek medical advice without consulting a professional leads to people not getting proper help, surely having a way to seek support with a psychiatric issue without consulting a professional also prevents people getting proper help and we should shut down RYL? I'm obviously being somewhat facetious here, but I find it odd that people dislike FA because it's unqualified people answering medical questions yet are happy that we essentially run around all the other boards playing amateur psychiatrist.
If having a way to seek medical advice without consulting a professional leads to people not getting proper help, surely having a way to seek support with a psychiatric issue without consulting a professional also prevents people getting proper help and we should shut down RYL? I'm obviously being somewhat facetious here, but I find it odd that people dislike FA because it's unqualified people answering medical questions yet are happy that we essentially run around all the other boards playing amateur psychiatrist.
Everyone should be encouraged to seek professional medical advice, whether it be for physical or mental conditions. I think if anyone is playing at being a psychiatrist that should be reported (ie, offering potential diagnoses, giving opinions on medications), but offering general support and advice to someone is just that, with no medical opinion offered. Really bad example, but it would be similar to someone asking how to deal with a broken arm - no medical information given, but rather coping strategies and some tea and sympathy, and sometimes just being told that life goes on and they need to learn to cope with making the dinner with one arm.
But yes, people do use RYL as a substitute for proper, real advice and care, but again that is their choice.
If having a way to seek medical advice without consulting a professional leads to people not getting proper help, surely having a way to seek support with a psychiatric issue without consulting a professional also prevents people getting proper help and we should shut down RYL? I'm obviously being somewhat facetious here, but I find it odd that people dislike FA because it's unqualified people answering medical questions yet are happy that we essentially run around all the other boards playing amateur psychiatrist.
I do see your reasoning here, and it's a perspective I have never considered before to be honest.
However, I do feel FA could make RYL liable, and the aim of RYL has never been to be a place to provide medical advice. It sprung up over time, but it's not the real purpose of the site. Other places are more specialised, and still free, accessible, etc.
RYLs main aim is to provide support and community for those who feel alone. I don't think anyone could berate the site for providing a place to let people going through the same sort of things talk and feel less isolated. I do feel that sometimes people who need professional help avoid it, and there should be more focus on recommending people seek help, but providing emotional support and a place to fit in is not something that is likely to make the site liable for anything. There's also a different between providing a supportive environment, giving coping techniques, making people feel less alone, etc, and telling people they must be struggling with xyz, or should take abc to make them feel better, for example.
Also, side note: is there a purpose for the Events Calendar off of the Meets board? Because it doesn't seem to have been updated in a few years.
I think Introductions is an important forum, and it matches the layout of most every other forum so helps to orient new users.
Regarding moving forward I see your point Jenna. I do remember though when we didn't have that board and the recovery milestones were put in SIdiscussion and it worked well to provide a light at the end of the tunnel about these issues.
I understand the point about pushing down other threads but is it maybe so slow in there the impact will not be noticed?
I say this as someone who only occasionally visits moving forward and even less the SI board.
Also, I do feel that the FAAs should not have access to the rest of the moderators' boards.
No member of the FA Team has access to the mod boards. In the past KimB (Bitter_Angel) did but only when she had the additional post of forum mod. We work alongside the mods if need be but don't know any real details of what they're looking into and why. I can only moderate the FAF, nothing else and can't move things into the FAF if they're not already there or anything like that, the only thing I can do is PR things just like everyone else unless it is in FA and I am the only member of the team to be able to moderate anything in the FAF and if I'm not completely sure what to do it gets discussed with the other members of the team, then Cam or the mods as a whole. It's not uncommon that I PM the mods saying "HELP!!!"
In terms of keeping people away from getting professional help and signposting, we never say you don't need help. Also a greater number seek help earlier if they've posted on the FAF, at least that's t kind of feedback I get. We never say we totally know the answer. Also many people have already googled to find out where to get help and are still unsure, it's the personal side of things that helps with that and googling will never say if your personal situation needs help today, tomorrow (yesterday) or in a week or months time or where exactly to get it unless it is a black and white situation which a lot of the posts we get aren't. We're not here to replace professionals and if you look on the FAF it says that in numerous places as well as on threads. All the posts do get checked by a member of the team too, often also by myself who heads up the team to ensure the advice given by both normal users and the team isn't going too professional, that the info given is accurate and that no rules are broken. This is something I regard highly.
On top of this, we do look for users which we feel are advertising their SH/ ED/ other things rather than gain help and do also look at any competitive nature going on in there (which does occur and can be quite obvious when you've seen it, however hard it's hidden) and things of this nature are looked into, threads closed, users PM'd information restricted and if necessary info given to the mods. It is important to say though that this does not just occur on the FAF but also via PM though it being public does worsen the situation. Things like this may also be why FA team members sometimes encourage people to PM them rather than post threads. It is important to say, however, that this occurs EVERYWHERE on RYL though and often is a problem on SI/ ED where people are stating things like they cut words into themselves or where people discuss things in ED. It has improved however compared to what it used to be though I realis this behaviour still does go on. If people notice this though they should also PR the thread(s) and/or PM a member of the FA Team if it is occurring in the FAF as sometimes the staff members, whatever team they're on, may not see the whole picture.
I have found before a lot of advice given in MH as to what meds people could be on (even now there are posts saying 'have you thought about a mood stabiliser?') or to their diagnosis and there is a lot of personal experiences about x does this and y does that, many of which may not be totally accurate and on top of that there are still people posting suggesting different therapies or even diagnoses, these sorts of things can do damage and are against the rules on the FAF and it is closely monitored against (yes we may suggest certain over the counter meds but we don't suggest a dose and point out that it's only if you've not got....... Or aren't on...... Which you'll find if you read the label) so it does appear elsewhere and more so, and maybe I've picked on MH there as I've also seen it in GSA.
I was coming on this post to see if the chat had truly ground to a half which I think it has. I'm going to take this to the mods and come back with a thread to vote on.
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
It's nice to see the old faces still fighting for the site.
Recently when I've been about I've been posting less as the sense of community seems to have dimmed down, which is a shame.
But again, the old problems are rising in as much as too many users rely on the site and there does need to be a push to encourage users to also speak to professionals, wether it first aid, psych meds or career advice.
This is a point that has been raised time and time again, but I do believe streamlining the boards would be an excellent idea.
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
Yep it's just the support options are the same so just checking what the poll options should be!
I'll put a new poll up tonight!!!
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
