Live AMA/ New Forum Mentor Meet 'N Greet!

@poeticguy

I think a good post contains details as to what it is about, and an open way to communicate with people that are interested or addressed in the post.

@poeticguy

@WindNBreezy says: I think you need a clickbaity title

I still don't know this one @poeticguy.

For example, I was really disappointed my value of forum upvotes post after I posted it and almost deleted it. I think the lesson from that is this.. a good forum post is not what the poster thinks of it but what the recipient/audience thinks of it.

Look through "I'm proud of myself because..." or "How long have you been self harm free" and you'll find that a simple one-liner can mean the world to somebody. Therefore, I guess what makes a good forum post is being constructive, honest, and supportive.. nothing more and nothing less. And we all do that by and large, which is the beauty of the wider forum team - members, listeners, and mentors.

@poeticguy

Clear, concise, and intentional words.

I like the forums because I have a lot to say. At the same time, I know that when I ramble (or I hear / read rambling), people lose interest.

Forums are a place where you're encouraged to say more, but sometimes... less is more :p

@poeticguy This is a tough one that i dont quite know the answer to. It would probably be easier to describe a bad post lol. I guess a good post it helpful, not harmful. :)

@poeticguy

I'm kind of with @Roadie on this one. There are many good forum posts that never make it to the light of day for whatever reason.

What makes a great forum post is how people react and respond to the post. If the post inspires discussion then it's a good forum post.

If it turns into arguments and and leads to overall negative feelings, I suppose I could consider that to be a failure of a post.

But - just because a post is not popular, does not mean it isn't good

@poeticguy

For me, I think a good forum post is being able to connect with that particular member and show genuine care and compassion for them as an individual, if they respond to my reply, that to me personally makes it a good forum post, and not the amount of up votes you get.

Just my personal opinion 🙂

@poeticguy @Vivelespatates

The forums are a place to express your opinion publically, sometimes its best to post there so it doesn't clog the chat up with long posts.

@poeticguy @vivelaspatates - to me, it's a few things

1) it lasts, so a great post will stick around for many to see

2) it can be done and thought through in the time you need, rather than on the spot

3) it's where teens and adults or people from different timezones can connect who might not otherwise meet

4) it allows you to see you aren't alone, even if no one else online at the time you are has the same thing going on

5) so pretty and colorful!

@poeticguy @vivelespatates

Main advantage of forums? The forums are really different to anything else here really. You have more time to consider your response and can get a lot more into your response than you ever could in 1-to-1 or group support.

In saying that however the main advantage as far as I'm concerned is really two-fold: perpetuality and outreach.

A single post or a single thread can provide support to many over days, months, or even years due to its perpetual life (in theory). You don't get that with 1-to-1 or group support. An example are the resources provided in the Anxiety Support Resources category. They're built upon regularly and are always there for new members that may need them.

So we have a great responsibility to ensure that what is posted is supportive and meets the community guidelines for the benefit of all that may seek support in the forums.

Forums are great for getting a community involved. We can tell our story to the world, that's something that's pretty valuable to me.

@poeticguy @vivelespatates

The main advantage I feel is the longevity and accessibility. The forum posts are more permanent and so they can reach more people who may need those words for longer.

@JaceofSpades

I have a high interest in the Chronic Pain and Illness section as I have experienced family members going through it, and now myself, so I can relate with a lot of members and other listeners that are there posting.

@JaceofSpades

My favourite section is Get Support..

Mostly because so many people often struggle to understand their feelings and they're not sure what's going on .. Asking them to put it in a specific category can be stressful ...So having a general place makes it easier to talk..

@JaceofSpades @mscoxie@TranquilSong72 @WonderfulPumpkin71 @Anggi @Dillion @AdVictoriam @bookworm4 @cristiana33 @Erinik @anchoredwithhope

Surprisingly enough, I don't have a favourite part of the forums. I support in many areas but I don't have a favourite.

@JaceofSpades

I'm usually all over the place. My areas of focus are BPD and Relationship Support, however

@JaceofSpades This is a tough one....for me, I like to stop by multiple places that are relevant to me or the teams I am involved in. I also like browsing the newest posts. However my favorite is probably: Questions, feedback, ideas & fun :)

@poeticguy

Since our usernames are attached to our posts, we cannot cover our 7 cups identity, but as far as confidentiality on chats, if we see any specific details from a chat like usernames, or what happened, we would edit the post to maintain confidentiality of the people involved there. - sometimes it can be difficult when discussing confidentiality, but it all boils down to one thing, if you have a question if it will be edited or not, I wouldn't post it.

@poeticguy @vivelespatates

Good question. From a moderation perspective, we're always looking out for offsite contact details but your question goes further than that.

From a personal perspective, only share what you're comfortable publicly sharing. That yardstick is different for everyone so I think it's fine to leave my answer at that.

From a community perspective however, there reaches a point in a forum thread where the back-and-forth of posts moves beyond a point where it should be maintained in the public forums and needs to go to 1-to-1 chats. This is mainly out of respect for the member's privacy. So to protect the privacy/confidentiality of our members, we should ask if they would like to discuss via private messaging / 1-to-1 chat. I've had a lot like that.

@MonBon

@JaceofSpades "I would say in regards of the spirit animal to apply to the forums is a feagle. A fox and an eagle. I soar through all the forums, I'm on guard, and I like to feel I lead others in a positive direction."

@MonBon @Poeticguy

I think that I would see us as hawks or eagles since they soar a lot and are constantly protecting their communities.

@MonBon

Kittens ! Or any big cats, like tigers ..

In the forums I'd say I'm like them because I'm cute but fierce, though only fierce when someone tries breaking the rules!

@MonBon - I think the animal I'm most like is a chameleon because I change and adapt to the circumstances and the audience, which I think is relevant often to my style as a listener, as well. Within the forums, it means I might be hiding out where you can't see me, but I'm still there and paying attention! I just won't chime in if I feel something is already fully covered. :)

@MonBon oooooooh!! A fun, interesting question, I like it :) hmmm my spirit animal....Id say is an owl. To me they are more than strength and beauty but also quiet intelligence. They sit back and observe. They are patient as well and of course, they can fly!!

@poeticguy

I love them!

@poeticguy - Absolutely! But especially Sweet Potatoes! :)

@poeticguy I like potatoes of all varieties, styles, cooking methods, etc. It's one of my faves!! :)

@poeticguy @vivelespatates Ever have a baked potato with salsa? Yum!

@poeticguy @vivelespatates

I like salted potatoes - french fries, salted mashed potatoes, potato wedges, etc

@poeticguy

Oh gosh! Any potatoes! Especially jacket potatoes filled with cheese and beans!

@poeticguy

When members begin to go off about moderators or listeners.. or arguments in general in the forums

@Roadie responds to @JaceofSpades

@poeticguy deciding whether or not to delete the post if most of it was edited or to just keep the edits there. Sometimes it's difficult because we want everyone to be heard, but we also want them to follow our community guidelines so it can remain a supportive community.

@JaceofSpades The most challenging thing for me right now, as a new Forum Mentor, is to know what action to take. Sometimes I find myself second-guessing my moderation decisions but I am sure that with experience, this will get a lot easier :)

@JaceofSpades

Definitely, I feel that we are able to see more point of views from members and other listeners. Especially on topics that aren't really discussed in the chatrooms. You also meet a lot of awesome people in the forums and form amazing relationships with them!

@JaceofSpades

Working with @blitheSun94 in the BPD and Bipolar sections is always a rich experience :)

@JaceofSpades Sure! Lots of things! I love that I can go back and reread or refer to past forum posts. I find this really helpful. I also like the wider availability of people to meet. Due to time zones, Many of us have never met, but the forums give us the ability to meet people we wouldnt have otherwise :)

@JaceofSpades I find it really rewarding to be able to inform so many people of certain things all in one place. It fosters a sense of community, unity, discussion, and support. I love to see some great participation in the forums :)

@poeticguy @Roadie

I have to say the Milestone thread has inspired me the most. Seeing the great difference we are making and the progress members are making, just warms my heart!

@poeticguy

@poeticguy says: It's the farewell post for me

@poeticguy @Roadie

@chioo says: I liked the "how are you/do you feeling /feel today" thingy I don't remember what it's called

@poeticguy - I'm cheating a little, because it's a thread I started, but in the Eating Disorders forum, there's a thread for Small Victories because I don't think they're celebrated nearly as much as they should be, and I've seen it pop up in 1-2 other forums, as well. I would love to see small victories across the forum-sphere!

@poeticguy @Roadie

I like the honoring listener reviews threads

@poeticguy

I didn't post in the forums until after over half a year being in here cause I was terrified. The shoutouts area sparked my interest as I love showing appreciation to others. Since then, I branched out and love the forums.

@JaceofSpades responds

@poeticguy @Roadie

At first, I didn't post much as I was getting used to the community, and honestly had never really participated in forums before. But after a few weeks, I started posting more and more as projects progressed, I found that the forums are like Librarys for anything listeners need. I now use the forums for 99% of my coaching that I do.

@poeticguy I had been a bit active due to the necessity of it for my internship. But never as active as I am now. I was more timid at first, i'd say. But getting encouragement from @Laura, @Roadie, @Alwaysdreamin, etc. really gave me the push to become more active :D

@poeticguy @Roadie

@poeticguy asked me to help with the forum team and now here I am :)