Importance of filling in profile information fields fully.

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18,448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
I love the App. End of!

I don't have the App, I prefer my chrome book, as it's easy to use for site info. But if I'm out and about and I want to have a look, I just google.
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
That's the point....they don't know they are newbies............apart from which they probably haven't even got a proper diagnosis let alone a results print out and they don't know they are important till someone tells them and asks those frustrating questions.
If someone has one or two posts, or has recently signed up, how can they not know they are newbies?
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If you don't have the patience to work with the beginners, it's time to take the advanced classes for a while and let others work with the newbies.
It is not a question of patience.

If the type of diabetic you are is a required field, with a 'dont know' option then that helps with answering them.

Listing the diabetic meds is not hard, and people know what meds they are on.

I am asking for a simple fix to a problem. Not a judgement call on the quality of responders.
 
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satindoll

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,083
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
If someone has one or two posts, or has recently signed up, how can they not know they are newbies?

Of course they know they are newbies but ..........."AS" newbies they may not know many of the things you want them to know.......one missed word and the whole answer changes......
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Of course they know they are newbies but ..........."AS" newbies they don't know the things you want to know.......one missed word and the whole answer changes......
exactly my point. They dont know that the type they are, or how the meds they are on will influence our replies. So if the information is there at sign up, it bypasses several posts and responses to try to get the information. The information we need to help is right there at the beginning.
 

satindoll

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,083
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
exactly my point. They dont know that the type they are, or how the meds they are on will influence our replies. So if the information is there at sign up, it bypasses several posts and responses to try to get the information. The information we need to help is right there at the beginning.

The thing being if they don't know the answers how can they put the information in.......surely its better to ask the questions you want the answer too......
 
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Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Of course they know they are newbies but ..........."AS" newbies they don't know the things you want to know.......one missed word and the whole answer changes......
You are making this sound complicated. What we need to know is asked for on the personal details page and the pull down menu gives the options, albeit lacking "don't know yet" or similar.
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The thing being if they don't know the answers how can they put the information in.......surely its better to ask the questions you want the answer too......
they know what meds they are on. If they say 'dont know' to the type of diabetes, that is also information for us to tailor our replies.

The first to questions we always end up asking in the forum in reply to them is "what type of diabeties do you have" and "what meds are you on".

I dont see how having that info on their avatar profile is any different, and it bypasses several interactions to establish the situation.
 

satindoll

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,083
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I have tried to be a clear as I can........I am obviously not using the right words so I reiterate my first statement........."newbies cannot and should not be made to fill in any information they don't feel happy giving"............ even if you don't like it
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have tried to be a clear as I can........I am obviously not using the right words so I reiterate my first statement........."newbies cannot and should not be made to fill in any information they don't feel happy giving"............ even if you don't like it
I accept your opinion on this matter. Why do you have this stance?

in order to help them when they post questions, we need that information. The info has to be released at some point if we are to answer their questions. If people do not release that information, but want answers to questions, particularly diet related or control related, we cannot help them safely without that information.

It is not a question of responders liking or not liking their choices to keep their type and meds private. It is a question of how useful we can be if that information is not there.

This is not unreasonable information for our own gratuitous nosiness. This forum exists to support and help. Being able to direct them to others with their type of diabetes, if applicable, and correct information for their type and meds is a major part of what happens on this forum every day, in the seven years+ I have been here.
 

zand

Master
Messages
10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes, I totally agree, we can't help if we don't know the facts. We can however cause harm if we don't know the facts. That's not so hard even for newbies to understand. If they aren't sure of anything, they just need to type on the thread 'not sure what type I am' etc. It's just plain common sense really.
 
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lovinglife

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
4,541
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If somebody needs/wants/asks for info/help/advice the very least anyone replying needs to know is what meds someone is taking even if they don't know what type of diabetes they have, without basic info replies can be at the least meaningless and at the most dangerous. I don't understand how anybody posting on a forum such as this doesn't understand this.
 
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lovinglife

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
4,541
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have tried to be a clear as I can........I am obviously not using the right words so I reiterate my first statement........."newbies cannot and should not be made to fill in any information they don't feel happy giving"............ even if you don't like it
Then they shouldn't expect safe comprehensive answers to their questions either - it's nothing to do with anybody "liking" it and everything to do with safety and appropriateness
 

satindoll

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,083
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Its better to ask the questions than rely on an information page that may or may not be filled in properly by a newbie who is scared and confused.......asking the questions gives them time to settle into the forum and feel people are interested before being bombarded and overwhelmed by advice.
 

lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I think it important to remember, all of us, that the advice we give can be fatally wrong. I plan to stand back more, and be sure of my footing on who I am replying to, what their type is, and what meds they are on before offering anything except support and very general or non-type and med based advice.

Having a clearer picture of what I am replying to from the start would be easier and faster, but until that happens (if it happens) I plan to continue to tread carefully.
 

Mike d

Expert
Messages
7,997
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
idiots who will not learn
My interpretation of @Mike D was that if the information isn’t readily available then he won’t ask for it and won’t offer help or advice? Bending in the breeze meaning nonplussed, or on the fence.

Almost right @Jim Lahey .... freedom of choice for the newbie to reveal the detail (if they wish to but many don't know quite how or feel cautious and reluctant) but if you knew upfront the poster's particulars, then the easier it is to get to the advice or refer them to someone more knowledgeable. One is not to know either way.

Sometimes I'll give it a shot and just as many, I won't, but the reality is by the time I first see the message, (time zones between Australia and the UK) invariably someone has already posed the question.


.
 

woollygal

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,485
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Coffee diabetes
I take it as 'no info, I can't be bothered, let someone else do it '

To be fair when I registered I wasn’t given option to fill info in. Think I did it on mobile app and that doesn’t let you do it.

Now when I look at profiles the info isn’t provided either.

May not be the posters fault
 
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