I Would Like An Opt In Board

[Roger]

I post this, not as a moderator, but as a member of PHO with 10 years experience of the site and the people who come and go..

with ten years experience and not having a go at any mods or personally either

do you think its acceptable that the number of members that join pho doesnt equate to the number of members that come online

the stats are there to be seen and i know i wouldnt be happy with those stats

The forum exists to provide information and support for people with P & PA. If they join, get the information they are looking for and don't come back, have we failed to do what the forum is here for?

Many members come here for many years and never post, that is the nature of internet forums.

[SJ]

I post this, not as a moderator, but as a member of PHO with 10 years experience of the site and the people who come and go..

with ten years experience and not having a go at any mods or personally either

do you think its acceptable that the number of members that join pho doesnt equate to the number of members that come online

the stats are there to be seen and i know i wouldnt be happy with those stats

I think Roger is absolutely right.

PHO is a resource. People can choose how they wish to use it and the vast majority read and do not post. Indeed, the number of 'guests' we have on a daily basis is huge; these people choose to read and not join, let alone post.

It is the same with most forums on the net, particularly patient/medical ones.

I do not believe having a board which allows people to post what they want will induce more people to join or post...if people feel strongly enough about their desire to post what they want on a subject, I am sure there must be a forum out there for that? It certainly wouldn't in any way affect the P/PA boards.

Primarily, PHO is about psoriasis. We serve this end extremely well.

SJ

PS I know of one member who has been on PHO since the very beginning. He checks in everyday and reads all the boards, but he has never, ever posted. I always smile when I see his name 

[Joan J]

There is always the chat room if people want to jabber away - if you don't like what's being said - then you can leave - and there is the PM facility .  I think PHO is an excellent resource and the MOD's do a good job - OK so some posts are pulled or deleted and not everyone agrees that they should be - but we must remember that the mods do all of this because they want to - to make sure that PHO is a great forum - which it is   

[Kate_]

I post this, not as a moderator, but as a member of PHO with 10 years experience of the site and the people who come and go..

with ten years experience and not having a go at any mods or personally either

do you think its acceptable that the number of members that join pho doesnt equate to the number of members that come online

the stats are there to be seen and i know i wouldnt be happy with those stats

The forum exists to provide information and support for people with P & PA. If they join, get the information they are looking for and don't come back, have we failed to do what the forum is here for?

Many members come here for many years and never post, that is the nature of internet forums.

I think Roger hit the nail on the head ....its not about how many people post its about the information they take away .....I for instance always always read the PA board ,often as a guest as I dont need to be logged in to do so ,nor do I now need to ask many questions cos I can search that board for the info I need ...so Im using the forum as intended in that respect for what I originally joined for .......I go in chit chat ,cos its fun ,ive made some good friends etc etc ....

I am also a member of an Arthritis and Asthma forum ,both of which I log on weekly and both of which I never or rarely post ...I dont feel the same "bond" I feel with pho ...so Im guessing those guests who just view or never post are either not needing to or feel as I do re the arthritis and asthma forums (ie,using it as an excellent resource )


Sorry Fred ,gone a bit off topic ...apologies 

[Fred Hoggin]

I would like to give you an example, I noticed a thread "Charity V State" There is a comment about a sperm bank ( I thought it was funny ). But is it a suitable post for a forum where children could see ? and is it a good comment for the subject ?

It has been viewed by two mods who have posted on that thread, but no comment has been made about the post, I expected it to have been deleted today because someone would have found it offensive or not suitable for the topic !

If you had an opt in board the post could have been edited by the mods team, and a message left saying (this type of comment should be reserved for the opt in board).

Or maybe the person who started the thread would want to put it in the opt in board to create a more heated debate.

I think I do Fred.
Maybe a serious chat/debate board, sub board

Will need some thought

Tim

Yes.

S.J, I am not saying make it a free for all, I just think if there was another type of chat board we would keep more members. ( I repeat again I am not asking for changes in forum rules ).

Roger, I understand what the forum exists for and it does a very good job, and no it has not failed if a person gets help. There is a chit chat board for a reason it keeps people on the forum, the more people on the forum the friendlier it becomes.

JoanJ i agree the mods do a good job and the forum is a great help to people, i would just like to find a way of keeping members.
Last night there was 138 Guests & 28 Members on line. wouldn't it be better the other way around.

With an opt in board i feel you would keep more members, I still find the post about the sperm bank funny, but i wouldn't feel to happy reading the post with my children ( if i had any ).
The opt in board would give that member a chance to make that sort of comment, and enjoy the forum more, if you enjoy the forum you stay, if you stay you help others.

We are a community of people with a common problem, but we don't all have the same views or sense of humor.

Fred.

[Joan J]

Fred I am still confused about what you want... we have a youngsters board but they can go on the other boards , there is chat so if people want to debate issues - they can do it in there.  The thread you refer to with mention of a sperm back and the fact that Mods have posted on there on serves to show us all that they don't delete posts for the sake of it... I am sure if someone complained - they would look and decide whether or not the thread/post should be deleted. It is not about over moderating it is about using a bit of common sense... I bet if the Mods allowed any of us a go at being one - the place would be in a right state - and lots of us would end up talking to ourselves 
An opt in board, would just in effect be another board - so I cannot see what value it would add.

[Fred Hoggin]

Fred I am still confused about what you want... we have a youngsters board but they can go on the other boards , there is chat so if people want to debate issues - they can do it in there.  The thread you refer to with mention of a sperm back and the fact that Mods have posted on there on serves to show us all that they don't delete posts for the sake of it... I am sure if someone complained - they would look and decide whether or not the thread/post should be deleted. It is not about over moderating it is about using a bit of common sense... I bet if the Mods allowed any of us a go at being one - the place would be in a right state - and lots of us would end up talking to ourselves 
An opt in board, would just in effect be another board - so I cannot see what value it would add.

Joan, Im sorry you or anyone else don't understand. what i am trying to achieve is keep members on the forum.

I think i have explained enough, but just to remind you, the opt in board would be for people to make comments that may offend in the chit chat board, this would help keep members, members are good.

You can not have children reading about my neighbour killing his pig! this i could post in the opt in board, i would be on the forum, i would then be here to help new or existing members.

If you think the comment about the sperm bank is appropriate in the chit chat board, then i  am  surprised 

[Roger]

I would like to give you an example, I noticed a thread "Charity V State" There is a comment about a sperm bank ( I thought it was funny ). But is it a suitable post for a forum where children could see ? and is it a good comment for the subject ?

It has been viewed by two mods who have posted on that thread, but no comment has been made about the post, I expected it to have been deleted today because someone would have found it offensive or not suitable for the topic !

If you had an opt in board the post could have been edited by the mods team, and a message left saying (this type of comment should be reserved for the opt in board).

Or maybe the person who started the thread would want to put it in the opt in board to create a more heated debate.

I think I do Fred.
Maybe a serious chat/debate board, sub board

Will need some thought

Tim

Yes.

S.J, I am not saying make it a free for all, I just think if there was another type of chat board we would keep more members. ( I repeat again I am not asking for changes in forum rules ).

Roger, I understand what the forum exists for and it does a very good job, and no it has not failed if a person gets help. There is a chit chat board for a reason it keeps people on the forum, the more people on the forum the friendlier it becomes.

JoanJ i agree the mods do a good job and the forum is a great help to people, i would just like to find a way of keeping members.
Last night there was 138 Guests & 28 Members on line. wouldn't it be better the other way around.

With an opt in board i feel you would keep more members, I still find the post about the sperm bank funny, but i wouldn't feel to happy reading the post with my children ( if i had any ).
The opt in board would give that member a chance to make that sort of comment, and enjoy the forum more, if you enjoy the forum you stay, if you stay you help others.

We are a community of people with a common problem, but we don't all have the same views or sense of humor.

Fred.

So would we have an opt-in board for each of the different types?

The whole point of chit-chat is for social chit-chat, it's no different from being in a room of people that you may or may not know. What some find acceptable others will find offensive and vica versa. Contrary to what you think the mods do not typically choose what to delete in isolation, it is usually a response to a post being reported and then the mods will decide to delete or not.

I'm really struggling to understand what you think will be different with this opt in board, I actually think it will put more people off rather then bring them in, if threads are potentially more offensive, then more people will be offended. If it's not swearing or sex what else do you feel cannot be discussed?

Other forums have been created by forum members who have been disgruntled by what they see as a lack of being able to speak in a manner that they want to, none of those forums are still going.

[Joan J]

If you think the comment about the sperm bank is appropriate in the chit chat board, then i  am  surprised  
 
Why are you suprised - It was posted in fun - are you intimating that I do not have a sense of humour?  If I am offended by posts - I post back -the only time I have reported pots to the MOD's have when they have been off the wall - not because they have caused me personally to be offended.  When you have been on here a few years you do get to know people and what makes them tick - you obviously do not know me very well

PHO has been critiscised in the past for having little cliques -  I have come to learn that this is perfectly natural in this environment - but to add another board where members can discuss offensive things seems a little odd and a tad perverse to me - it would just cause people to feel excluded or exclusive, quite the opposite of what I feel PHO is all about.
Joan

[Fred Hoggin]

O.K I Can see there is no point in carrying on this conversation when you are not listening to what i am trying to say ( KEEP YOU MEMBERS )

Roger: you are not reading my comments: If it's not swearing or sex what else do you feel cannot be discussed?

Joan: PHO has been critiscised in the past for having little cliques -  I have come to learn that this is perfectly natural in this environment - but to add another board where members can discuss offensive things seems a little odd and a tad perverse to me

If it's natural to have "little cliques" why are you pulling me up wanting to have another section. WHERE MEMBERS WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT OFFENSIVE THINGS

I feel sorry that PHO is loosing it's members, you carry on and enjoy your little "cliques".