Are we losing the plot?

[noblehead]

Not noticed the forum being quiet, quite the opposite in fact and looking at the users on-line there's always 1000+. The problem with the forum running slow was off-putting but thankfully that seems to have been resolved now.

As for being fractious and combative, I think that's an over exaggeration, the forum will always have differences opinions and it is no different to any other forum in that respect, it would be sad world if we all shared the same views and that is what makes us unique as human beings, it's important to respect all views and treat people how you want to be treated yourself.

With regards to the Mods, they do a great job and let the forum flow and I don't have any issues with their role, the fact that they give up their own time is worthy of some praise IMHO and no one expects them to be on the forum 24/7, if people are getting warnings then they'll be a reason behind them decisions.

How could we improve matters, well that's a difficult one to answer, but I do think the forum is in a better place than it has been for a long time,......and I do hope this continues to be the case

 

[Mike d]

I've been on this board for the collective five minutes, so here's my take on it.

I love this joint !!! I've NEVER felt so welcomed and I'm a member of quite a few sites. Anywhere you go, there'll always be some level of friction and it stands to reason that this board (by it's very name) will be populated by those with firm and less than firm opinions about how they deal with this health issue.

I wouldn't be in the slightest offended by any adverse comments. That happens. Where I really believe we all have some level of responsibility is to advise and help .... particularly with those newly diagnosed.who'd be absolutely and utterly lost unless they received some guidance from those more experienced in the subject.

Take a bow people ... your contributions are a MASSIIVE community service and if that's compromised to a small degree by distractions we'd all be better off leaving alone, then that's a huge bonus.

Take care out there

Mike

 

[ElyDave]

Two voices in my head nowadays?


That's novel.

Yes, I got the idea from a novel.

Sorry, can't resist the opportunity for a Goons line

 

[Pipp]

I've been on this board for the collective five minutes, so here's my take on it.

I love this joint !!! I've NEVER felt so welcomed and I'm a member of quite a few sites. Anywhere you go, there'll always be some level of friction and it stands to reason that this board (by it's very name) will be populated by those with firm and less than firm opinions about how they deal with this health issue.

I wouldn't be in the slightest offended by any adverse comments. That happens. Where I really believe we all have some level of responsibility is to advise and help .... particularly with those newly diagnosed.who'd be absolutely and utterly lost unless they received some guidance from those more experienced in the subject.

Take a bow people ... your contributions are a MASSIIVE community service and if that's compromised to a small degree by distractions we'd all be better off leaving alone, then that's a huge bonus.

Take care out there

Mike

Oh I do like a positive affirmation. Cheers!

 

[ElyDave]

What really gets on my t!ts is the almost constant advertising of peoples personal websites in their posts (not their sigs) I was given a big slap on the wrists for that soem time ago, but others seem to get away with it

 

[uncle]

That's a bit of a negative post. How's your BG right now?

Usual sky high or low low, don't know if it was on here or some other forum, but if you say bubbles in your angry voice it sounds silly, and break the negativity spell.
I don't know enough about the different diets or even the different diabetes to get into an argument but I do know some people seem to ignore OP and jump down the throats of posters.

 

[jack412]

the only thing agreed upon here, is that NHS dietary advice is wrong

 

[Brunneria]

Seriously!
Having a particular label on threads would help. @Brunneria asked @Giverny to create a sub forum for RH and hypoglycaemia. I don't know wether she even got a reply.
We have the basics on the greetings home page, but if you wanted to ask a question regarding thyroid problems how would we know if it wasn't in the title or do we have to read every post?

I didn't get an answer from @Giverny but to be fair, only asked the once.

Maybe we should be more persistent (also known as pestiferous)?

 

[Pipp]

I didn't get an answer from @Giverny but to be fair, only asked the once.

Maybe we should be more persistent (also known as pestiferous)?

Ok, but no mods have responded to this thread yet.

Only been running 3 hours though.

 

[AndBreathe]

I didn't get an answer from @Giverny but to be fair, only asked the once.

Maybe we should be more persistent (also known as pestiferous)?

Harassment is easier to spell.......

 

[Lamont D]

Harassment is easier to spell.......

Bovver is easier and more threatning.
Of course a please and thank you follows!

 

[Brunneria]

Hi All,

I'm a bit late to the party, but I'll try and chip in...

Thanks @AndBreathe for this thread - it's ace.

My thoughts are that everyone who has contributed to this thread has done so with a committed interest in make a contribution to the forum. Corny, but true. And all the same posters make positive contributions across the forum, regularly. Which is exactly what we all want. And there are many, many more such posters. Polite. Civil. Positive. Helpful. Compassionate. Generous. There are hundreds of them.

But that is kinda preaching to the choir, isn't it?
These are all individuals who have already learned how to share their toys, and enjoy playing with others.

But what about the ones who don't know how to share, or play nicely?
There are some posters whose contributions are pretty consistently negative.

- the one who turns up once or twice a week, posts a nasty, critical post squelching a well intended contribution, then disappears til next time.
- the prolific poster who spreads discord wherever they go.
- the ones that have a single recurring theme and try to shout the loudest.
- the nit picker who argues endlessly, like a small yapping terrier.
- the heckler who just disagrees for the sake of it.

I don't see them posting on this thread (I know, it's only a couple of hours old, but we're up to 4 pages, and no sign of any of them).

I have some on permanent IGNORE, and a couple more that I IGNORE when they irritate me too much.
But that does nothing to stop them poisoning a Newbie thread, or unpleasantly derailing a peaceable discussion.

So I guess what I'm saying is that WE can all police ourselves, and aim to be positive contributors.

But what can we do about people (in my opinion a small, vocal, negative minority) who start 95% of the discord?

 

[Lamont D]

It's a toughie but I don't even know how the report button works, maybe 5 reports and bye!
They would still have recourse to appeal.
But isn't that what the mods are for?

 

[Marie4james]

I am only two weeks into this and found the forum within the first day of diagnosis. I have to say,I've found the form to be an amazing information source to guide me through the early phase of diagnosis. I received prompt and welcoming replies to my initial post.

I would like to add that you guys don't tire of giving people the info they need - looking around the forum I don't know how many 1000's of times you repeat your info - but for me this is the nice thing about this forum. Nobody says 'all the info is on the website, go and find it'. Most seem to give thorough answers to questions and are more than happy to hand hold and navigate people into the right direction.

It isn't great as a newbie, to see some people get personal and irate in other posts and, admittedly this may put some new faces off from posting.

Keep up the good work!!

 

[Brunneria]

Except that every time I have seen the mods step in to shut a thread, I think it has been a bad decision.(sorry mods, I'm not denying your right to do it, I'm saying that I personally don't think it helps the situation)

If a thread gets deleted, then the majority of posts on it which were helpful are lost.

If a thread gets locked, that seems just as bad, because it simply draws attention and gossip to a situation that could have been calmed so simply.

The most effective modding I have seen is polite, understated, and says something like 'this argument is inappropriate. Please return to the topic.'

It has an almost magical effect.

 

[Lamont D]

I believe modding is not in the oxford dictionary!
You have invented a new word and I like it!

It reminds me of scooters and quadrephenia!

 

[Brunneria]

And I'm reluctant to use the report button too often.

It feels like telling tales. And I've never received any feedback to know if there was any kind of outcome.

 

[sanguine]

I would like to add that you guys don't tire of giving people the info they need - looking around the forum I don't know how many 1000's of times you repeat your info - but for me this is the nice thing about this forum. Nobody says 'all the info is on the website, go and find it'. Most seem to give thorough answers to questions and are more than happy to hand hold and navigate people into the right direction.

For me that has to be the main benefit of this place. On other forums you can get the 'just go and read the FAQs' mentality, but there seems to be an understanding here that new members arrive usually a bit dazed and confused and need to be greeted and reassured in the first instance. This is probably because we were all in that position ourselves once.

On the other hand we know that membership here is a small minority of the total diabetic population (although many more probably lurk without joining), presumably biased towards those who are motivated by quest for knowledge, fear, stubbornness and other attributes that make for occasional robust discussion. Unfortunately there is a majority who don't come across this place at all and are left to their own devices and the inadequacies of NHS advice.

Moderation is always a balancing act (I know, I've done it - not here of course). Too light a touch and you get snake-oil salesmen and trolls running riot; too heavy handed and it just drives everyone crazy. I'd like to see more engagement by the moderators, together with high levels of transparency and consistency so that if action has to be taken we can see and understand the reasons for it.

 

[sanguine]

And I've never received any feedback to know if there was any kind of outcome.

That is not a satisfactory situation in my view. Apart from 'admin reporting' such as duplicate threads or asking for something to be moved, a report should be given the courtesy of a reply and appropriate comment.

 

[ElyDave]

That is not a satisfactory situation in my view. Apart from 'admin reporting' such as duplicate threads or asking for something to be moved, a report should be given the courtesy of a reply and appropriate comment.

I agree, I've only pushed the report button once when someone was starting to get abusive. Didn't hear anything back so no idea if any action was taken at all.