Fun and Distractions

[Pi.R^2]

Following recent closures in GSA am I to assume that Fun and Distractions is the place for 'room' threads?


Hi

The moderators have closed this thread as the sheer number of room threads currently in GSA means that individual support threads are getting bumped off the forum with limited responses.

If you would like this thread to continue the moderators are happy for a thread to be made in the fun and distraction forum.


Does this apply to ALL kinds of 'room' threads? So can I restart a dissertation support & discussion thread there? Should the uni student thread be moved there? And employment one?

I'm just confused, as none of the above seems very fitting with the description of F&D, which is
Taking your mind off things is an important part of Recovery. Share jokes, funny sites, quizzes or useful distractions to help beat your urges.


Room threads, to me, would look incredibly out of place in the midst of random quizzes and "what colour is your nose" threads. Obviously if it has been deemed the appropriate place for group threads, then that's cool, but just wanted to check.

[Bellatrix]

Really, the Uni Student thread should be in Vets General, looking at the board descriptions.

If threads like the language one, the dissertation one etc etc wish to carry on being made, I don't think fun and distractions is the place. We need like a 'General Life' board (better titled, obviously) where these kind of things can go and not risk pushing personal threads down the list.

[Pi.R^2]

I think I've heard rumour that it's quite difficult to make a new board though? I know it's really easy on the forums I administrate/moderate, but RYL is much more fancy I believe and takes ALL the effort to make such changes.

[Stellata]

What about a room thread board, aha.
I dunno, really.

[Bellatrix]

New sub-boars were made, like with BORIS. I don't see it being a major issue. Or maybe it's only sub-boards that are easy to make! :P

[Buttons.]

Really, the Uni Student thread should be in Vets General, looking at the board descriptions.

If threads like the language one, the dissertation one etc etc wish to carry on being made, I don't think fun and distractions is the place. We need like a 'General Life' board (better titled, obviously) where these kind of things can go and not risk pushing personal threads down the list.
This.

[griddlebone]

Personally I think a lot of threads that are being made into 'room/group' threads are quite unnecessary and I think having a board for them would only put more segregation on the community.

[Bellatrix]

Liv, so where can people post threads about learning languages and having to do major projects and such to get help, advice and support from others?

[Pi.R^2]

I do see your point, however I personally see group threads as encouraging friendships as opposed to segregation. I don't post in the unemployment support thread because I'm not unemployment and thus not interested in it, but I don't feel segregated or like I wouldn't be welcome there if I were unemployed.

Like, it means that there's a place to go to ask uni/employment/dissertation-related questions without have to clog up the boards, and get a level of chat involved as well, bringing people together.

The fact that group threads have to be closed suggests that there is demand for them [if there was not, then mods would be at ease leaving them to die and drop off the board]. A sub-board for topic-specific discussion would please both sides of the "group threads are awesome vs group threads are mean and cliquey" debate, I think. It would please the people who want group threads, and also please those who dislike them, as it would get them off ALL the other boards.

[Buttons.]

^ I must admit I disagree with that a little, I think some (not all, but some) groups both within and technically outside of RYL can cause a sense of segregation, 'clubs' which I think a fair amount of these so called RYL groups turn into so is definitely an issue to look at.

However I do agree that a board for generalised general advice groups could perhaps work, provided they at least mostly kept to the topic at hand. Do appreciate this sort of forum would cost a lot of extra mod time.

Jenna the sub forum idea I think is a good one :)

[Pi.R^2]

Yeah, true, however cliques and groups will form regardless of there being group threads, and at least with group threads, it's still on RYL and new members have a variety of active group threads with which to join in, should they wish.

As an example, I remember when I was fairly new being told that London meets didn't really happen, because all the 'old group' organised them on facebook and I felt pretty left out because there was no way I'd get to be involved in these groups if they did everything privately. For me it was a blessing that the uni student thread was buzzing and active which meant I could join in and make friends. Had Katy, Belle, Lydia and Lillie 'met' on a normal thread about uni and it had been closed because group threads were cliquey, they may well of toddled off to facebook and chatted there and organised meet ups there, and no new people would be able to join the 'clique'.

Does that make sense?

[griddlebone]

That makes sense I think for me its more of the fact that say.....people go into GSA for the uni thread and by going into the board they see other threads that they might reply to, same in GC if people go there for the chatty thread they might get involved in other threads. Whereas in a board for just groups there will be less of people venturing into non room threads etc and I think that would be quite negative.x

[yourockmysocks]

I don't mind the room threads, I just don't think we need one for every single little thing. Not everyone is here to make friends.

[Pi.R^2]

That makes sense I think for me its more of the fact that say.....people go into GSA for the uni thread and by going into the board they see other threads that they might reply to, same in GC if people go there for the chatty thread they might get involved in other threads. Whereas in a board for just groups there will be less of people venturing into non room threads etc and I think that would be quite negative.x
Very good point! I'd never thought about it like that before.

If it was a sub-board of GSA, would you not have to go via GSA anyway though? I think that's how you get to the BORIS board [via ED board]?

I don't mind the room threads, I just don't think we need one for every single little thing. Not everyone is here to make friends.
True, but if you're not here to make friends, it's not like belonging to a group thread is compulsory.
Additionally, yeah, I don't think we need millions of room threads, and if we don't need one for spoon-lovers/maths students/cat-owners, then such threads will just die, and the ones that there is demand for would remain.
Of course if the same five or six people had a million room threads, then it would be right for a mod to be like, "dudes, less threads, contain yourselves", as I believe happened quite successfully in GC a wee while ago?

[yourockmysocks]

True, but if you're not here to make friends, it's not like belonging to a group thread is compulsory.


The group threads can and do push other threads down to the bottom of the boards often just for the sake of conversation. It's hard to post a thread asking for advice or support if you know it is going to disappear without any replies anyway. That doesn't mean that all of the group threads are bad, and most of the time I just hide them if I don't want to see them but having so many of them does change the dynamic of the site.

[squirrelspit]

i think that not everything needs to necessarily be made into a support thread or room thread.

For example.. it would go perfectly well in general chat to have a thread where some one says 'im learning a new language.. are you.. lets discuss that'

somewhat similar to the rainbow room or whatever.

I dont think general chat is used properly to be honest. to me, most of whats in general chat should be in fun and distractions, and peoples 'life' threads should be in general.

[griddlebone]

Very good point! I'd never thought about it like that before.

If it was a sub-board of GSA, would you not have to go via GSA anyway though? I think that's how you get to the BORIS board [via ED board]?


True, but if you're not here to make friends, it's not like belonging to a group thread is compulsory.
Additionally, yeah, I don't think we need millions of room threads, and if we don't need one for spoon-lovers/maths students/cat-owners, then such threads will just die, and the ones that there is demand for would remain.
Of course if the same five or six people had a million room threads, then it would be right for a mod to be like, "dudes, less threads, contain yourselves", as I believe happened quite successfully in GC a wee while ago?

Nope you dont have to go through the ED board to get to boris :) x

[griddlebone]

Liv, so where can people post threads about learning languages and having to do major projects and such to get help, advice and support from others?

I would put threads like that in GC. i think if we cracked down on the hijacking in threads then it would work havig threads like that in GC.x

[Pi.R^2]

The group threads can and do push other threads down to the bottom of the boards often just for the sake of conversation. It's hard to post a thread asking for advice or support if you know it is going to disappear without any replies anyway.
Hence the suggestion to have a separate sub-board for them.

Nope you dont have to go through the ED board to get to boris :) x
Oh gosh, you're right! Can't believe I'd never noticed that link there. Maybe if there was to be a sub-board of GSA, it could not have that link like BORIS does?

Additionally, maybe straying away from differentiating between 'room' threads and Charlie's example of the language thread, there could be a sub-board of GSA for less-serious stuff? So GSA was for moderate woe not serious enough for the serious board, and the sub-board be more discussion based? But then that just sounds like what general chat should be like, as Charlie said. And now I've gotten myself confused and am not sure what I think!

[Pi.R^2]

The only problem I see with dissertation/employment type thread in GC is that it means that the discussion has to stay very 'trigger-free', whereas at least in GSA, you can post in the uni thread saying that you're really struggling to adapt to life in halls and it's making your anxiety/self-harming worse. That's just like a random example.

[squirrelspit]

The only problem I see with dissertation/employment type thread in GC is that it means that the discussion has to stay very 'trigger-free', whereas at least in GSA, you can post in the uni thread saying that you're really struggling to adapt to life in halls and it's making your anxiety/self-harming worse. That's just like a random example.

see now you say that.. but the intro thing to GSA says:

Support and advice on any general topic such as home life, school and relationships. Remember to use the other support boards for all posts specifically related to self harm and/or mental health issues

so i guess technically you can talk about uni etc, but not how its affecting your mental health.

[effervescence]

I dont think general chat is used properly to be honest. to me, most of whats in general chat should be in fun and distractions, and peoples 'life' threads should be in general.
I agree.

The only problem I see with dissertation/employment type thread in GC is that it means that the discussion has to stay very 'trigger-free', whereas at least in GSA, you can post in the uni thread saying that you're really struggling to adapt to life in halls and it's making your anxiety/self-harming worse. That's just like a random example.
I see your point, but I think overall those threads are pretty trigger-free and just about chatting, and if someone was struggling, they could make a thread about it in, say, GSA or Serious and all their friends would probably see it (or they could post in the room thread and say hi I've made a thread about such and such in GSA would you mind checking it out) and thus keep the main thread a safe place.

[[Purple_Rain]]

I dont think general chat is used properly to be honest. to me, most of whats in general chat should be in fun and distractions, and peoples 'life' threads should be in general.

This.

I have a problem with room threads when there is an excess of them and they push support threads off the first page. i also have my reservations for a seperate board for them.

[Pi.R^2]

;3406520']
I have a problem with room threads when there is an excess of them and they push support threads off the first page. i also have my reservations for a seperate board for them.
Can I ask why?

Additionally, good point Charlie! I guess an exception is made when it's in the context of more light-hearted conversation, and if it did become a woe-fest, then it would be picked up on?

I quite like the idea of a lot of general chat stuff being in F&D, and some of the stuff from GSA going in GC. It sounds good. I guess it's a question of implementation though!

[offlineforever]

It has crossed my mind a lot recently as to if I should PR the uni student thread to get it moved to vets, but that has the baby support thread in and not everyone goes in there and it seems to work where it is.

And since the wobble earlier this year, it seems to stay on track.

But I think it might be an idea to do something to separate room threads from the main boards. Because I would also like a dissertation support thread as I feel that would be more useful to me personally than the uni student thread.

I'm sure I had a point here but it seems to have gone awol.

[squirrelspit]

i could gladly live the rest of my RYL days without there being another uni student thread drama.

:D


i vote leave it be, its already had one huge shake up, and it took people a while to regain their confidence with it.

[Pi.R^2]

Oh Charlie, you just made me emit a hearty chuckle!!
Also your editing reason is beautiful :p

[Bellatrix]

^Seems legit.

[griddlebone]

I think when its cases that are pretty specific to a handful of people (so a dissertation thread) its perfect acceptable to be like 'this is how im feeling,share your feelings too/lets help each other' without labelling it as a room or a support thread. I think when its labelled as a room or so on theres a lot more scope for going off track because room threads are posted on slightly differently to other threads and whilst in some instances thats ok when theres so many of them it can be overwhelming and people do feel like theyre joining in on something halfway through (this is no ones fault, just the way things are!) x

[[Purple_Rain]]

Its hard to explain. The segregation thing is an issue. and also i would worry really pointless room threads would start beign created and it would all become a bit of a joke. I think room threads have their place, and work where there are a small number of them. when there are too many the affect gets dilluted and we stop being a community.

god that wasnt coherant at all.

[Bellatrix]

I think when its cases that are pretty specific to a handful of people (so a dissertation thread) its perfect acceptable to be like 'this is how im feeling,share your feelings too/lets help each other' without labelling it as a room or a support thread. I think when its labelled as a room or so on theres a lot more scope for going off track because room threads are posted on slightly differently to other threads and whilst in some instances thats ok when theres so many of them it can be overwhelming and people do feel like theyre joining in on something halfway through (this is no ones fault, just the way things are!) x

But this was what the dissertation/project thread was like and it got closed?

[Pi.R^2]

I agree with everyone! Which is really annoying when trying to formulate an opinion of one's own :p

But yeah, I can definitely see the flaws in a board specially for rooms.

I do also see the danger of too many room threads getting out of hand, however, as I mentioned in the other thread, I do think it's unfair that already established threads get to stay and new ones get closed, even if they are different to existing ones. I personally think there should either be a ban on room threads altogether [which would inevitably cause kerfuffles from the uni thread, the BPD thread and the big pink comfy couch and ain't nobody got time for dat], or ALL the room threads should be allowed [but maybe with guidelines on keeping content relevant, where such threads should be made etc].

[griddlebone]

But this was what the dissertation/project thread was like and it got closed?

I dont know the thread,I havent seen it so I cant comment!

[griddlebone]

ALL the room threads should be allowed [but maybe with guidelines on keeping content relevant, where such threads should be made etc].

Room threads are a bit of a nightmare to moderate and its difficult enough keeping track of the ones we do have. Plus if theyre all allowed what if there are something like 8 room threads in GC, I see so many problems with that and I think any threads that arent room threads are going to end up ignored,either because no one is seeing them or because most of the topics will be in one of the room threads and thats a sad thing in my opinion.

I have never seen any problems in the comfy couches and I (personally) think that those should be the only room threads allowed, one in each board and then no other 'room' type threads because then thats catering to everyone.

I just think of a site like RYL which already has it member groups (not a bad thing necessarily) it just breeds segregation and leads to people feeling left out and on a site like this peoples feelings get more hurt and are more amplified.

[Pi.R^2]

I have never seen any problems in the comfy couches
Oh no, me neither, I was just making the point that it's OK for me, because I have the uni thread, but for a school student without BPD, a baby or BORIS-related issues it's just kind of like "bad luck, a sixth form student thread probably would of done just as well as the uni thread, but we are full up of room threads now".

But then again, I see your point about it getting out of hand, and one room thread per board sounds like a very good idea.

[squirrelspit]

A wild thought appeared.

Arent basically all the things in reviews and recommendations like room threads.. i mean, you see the length of the tokio hotel thread, or the x factor one or whatever.

[Pi.R^2]

But by that token, so is the "what colour is your whatever" thread, and the "say here what you could blatantly say to someone else as they're in the next room" thread.

[griddlebone]

I think were overcomplicating CHARLIE.x

[squirrelspit]

you cant over complicate me liv, im as simple as primary school maths.

:P

[random.swirls]

I closed both threads!!

The reason we said the learning a language thread should go there is because they are learning it for fun and for some people it would be a distraction.

The way the thread was set up it seemed highly unlikely that it would ever become thread with triggering material in it if that makes sense hence why it was closed but could be remade there if members so wished.

The dissertation thread seemed to the mods to be a sub thread of the student room thread and we couldn't see why members couldn't discuss their dissertations in there. As a personal aside I have recently finished my masters and whilst I'm not a student room poster whenever I have contemplated posting it has been when I have had an assignment etc due in as that is a big part of being a student. I did mine at the OU so the normal student life bit was lacking and thus that side of things couldn't be posted.

I/other mods have closed various 'room' threads ever since I started being a mod over three years ago so this isn't new but equally the mods don't close every room thread so recently we have had the following 'room threads' started:- chronic illness thread which was started in September, Stop do this now which was started in July, and the unemployment support thread in June.

[random.swirls]

Now to my personal opinion

I am not a huge fan of room threads I see their purpose and how friendships can be fostered through them however, I do think as a result they can be cliquey.

However, I would say the cliques throughout the years on ryl have been formed around the room threads i.e. the gays who were the rainbow room crowd, to the esthers queendom crowd, to the uni student bunch etc.

I know some people don't like the word cliques but they are always going to be formed that's the nature of life and they aren't a bad thing generally.

I have often heard from members and have experienced it myself when I go to a room thread and make a post asking for support and then I get ignored. It's then do I make a thread on a subject that is directly covered by said room thread or do I not I tend to opt for the 'not' and thus I don't get support.

That said I post in Boris and find that I like the environment that is there but aside from anything else I think the support members get on room threads is less than what they would get if they made their own thread.

[Pi.R^2]

That said I post in Boris and find that I like the environment that is there but aside from anything else I think the support members get on room threads is less than what they would get if they made their own thread.
Yeah, I don't think room threads should ever replace support threads, but for things not really 'big' enough for a whole threads, that's where room threads are good. And then if you do have lots of srs bsns, then you can always pop in to ask people to take a look at your thread in GSA or MH or whatever.

Additionally, I just wanted to say I don't really think STOP, do this now thread should count as a room thread, because there isn't chit chat and it's just for positivity, which I think is very worthwhile. Which of course I would say, because I made it :P I don't know if everyone else regards it as just another room thread though?

[griddlebone]

Oh no, me neither, I was just making the point that it's OK for me, because I have the uni thread, but for a school student without BPD, a baby or BORIS-related issues it's just kind of like "bad luck, a sixth form student thread probably would of done just as well as the uni thread, but we are full up of room threads now".

But then again, I see your point about it getting out of hand, and one room thread per board sounds like a very good idea.

I can see why it looked like I was implying that you might think there were problems with the comfy couches but all I meant was that because (from a mod point of view) we literally never ever get PRs about anything that happens in those threads that they are probably the strongest candidates for staying if we were culling room threads altogether.

I think that if there is a couch thread in every board then that may cater for everyone? Obviously there is always going to be someone who feels like they have no where to post, but thats how things go for everywhere I think!

I just think if we streamlined the room threads then there would be such a big hassle with them and if theyre all called the same thing (colour+couch) then everyone will feel like they can post.x

[Rodolphus]

Does the Chronic Illness Support thread count as a room thread? :/

[griddlebone]

I wouldnt count the chronic illness thread as a room BUT thats just my view and isnt the view of all the mods etc, just me :)

[Pi.R^2]

I just think if we streamlined the room threads then there would be such a big hassle with them and if theyre all called the same thing (colour+couch) then everyone will feel like they can post.x
I think that's a nice idea, but I guess the problem arises with GSA as there are multiple room threads in there, about completely different things. The uni student thread is an obvious example, but I imagine the employment based ones and the Chronic Illness ones are also equally well received. With BORIS, it's quite a specific board for one main issue, so the couch works well as there's chitchat plus one main issue that people might bring up, whereas GSA encompasses so many things, I think it would be difficult for a couch type thread to do well.


Does the Chronic Illness Support thread count as a room thread? :/
I think so, but I don't think anyone's trying to say that room threads in general are a bad thing, just that having ALL the room threads is a bit much :)

[griddlebone]

I personally dont think there should be any room threads in GSA,but thats just me.

I think its important for there to be a defined difference between supportive threads that are based around a set of issues and nothing more and room threads where the majority is support but theres other stuff involved too.

[Pi.R^2]

Out of interest, why would you not consider the chronic illness one a room thread? Is it because it is quite support-focussed and not chit chat [I've never read it but I imagine it's like that].

What would you suggest be done with the room threads that are in GSA? Would you advocate them being closed or moved?

[griddlebone]

Yeah thats exactly it concerning the chronic illness thread.

It depends on the thread!I think some should be moved, some should be closed altogether.

[Rodolphus]

Thanks for the clarification :)

The CIS thread is almost entirely support based, and I think it helps the people who post and I wouldn't like to see it closed. I also don't think it's an appropriate thread to be moved to another forum. I know this discussion is about all of the 'room' type threads, though, I'm not being defensive, it's just that it's the only one I use and know anything about any more :)

[offlineforever]

^^ This for the uni student thread. It's been around for two years now and seems fine where it is.

[Pi.R^2]

Any chance these two threads in FCQ could be merged? I be getting confused!

[griddlebone]

Please dont make me merge the threads,itll mess up the posts :P

I dont really want to get into specific threads because then people get all protective and defensive about it and any examples used dont mean were planning to axe certain threads.x

[makedamnsure]

I would say the language thread should have been in general chat. Uni thread should be in vets really. And I don't see why there's a need for a dissertation thread when there is the Uni thread. If someone is really struggling with a dissertation they can post their own support thread.

That said I do think room threads as a whole are a great way to make friends. I "know" a lot of members, recognise their posts etc, but since I don't use chat (too fast moving for me) the only members that I consider "friends" (in an online sense) are those I know via the uni thread.

Perhaps people planning to start a new room thread should post here and see where people suggest it should be placed (like with chronic illness thread) or else for certain topics make it in general chat, or fun and distractions.

[offlineforever]

^^

Do like a poll on a potential new thread to see if there would be an interest for it?

That seems like a good idea tbh.