Group Support Room Updates

@Kate oh wow there is alot of negative on this. I can so related to you all. Change is super difficult. When a certain change took place on the site I really struggled with it ALOT. But then a wise person spoke to me and told me that we are all ( one voice ) that sunk in alot. We are all here to be on the same team. I think this is a good idea. I often go in to the rooms to make sure they are safe and if they not I have to find a mod. This is alot of work for one listener. I think safety is very important. There are times that I would enter the rooms and bam there is a very triggering word and members are freaking out and there are no mods. If I am a member I want to come to the rooms in a safe place. Currently there is not alot of safety. So I agree with this. Though it would be nice to have all rooms open , as many have mentioned. This can't be the case. Change is difficult but often needed. We do not like change because it leads us to the unknown. However the unknown is often a place where great growth begins. Just wanted to also have a say. I agree with this. 100%. Our rooms need to be safer.

@Kate There is an abundance of meaningful chat that takes place in this space which would completely cease if the room were only open for discussions. For people who are disabled, having a place to chat and say good morning or to share what we had for breakfast or to share if it is a good day or a bad day and to connect with people who actually care when many of us do not have this kind of connection anywhere else in our lives. I can understand making a room a pop-up if it is difficult to moderate 24/7 or if it has become hostile. Disability support is one of the kindest most supportive rooms and it is my opinion that all the members make an effort to moderate and keep it a safe space even if they do not have the title of moderator. Sometimes the room seems quiet but there are many members lurking and available if someone comes in who is suffering, or if someone just wants to chat. Many members give and receive support at all hours and do not ever attend discussions. If a person needs to vent, a discussion is not the place to do it.

I propose that you give us a time frame to increase activity and give us a chance to save the room. I had planned to apply to become a room supporter once the holidays were over, but it appears there will be no room to support. I think this is one room that has really succeeded in becoming the best that 7 cups has to offer and it is the place that anyone can go for support if the other rooms are not as kind as they could be.

If it is because you need more support then please let me apply to become a room supporter. If you need more activity then please give us a chance to increase the activity, as I am certain we can. If there are guidelines that you are looking at, then please share the criteria that we need to meet in order to keep the room open, and we will do so.

Please do not kill the room.

Hi @Kate

I'm confused at something, this is what you opened with...

'In a continued effort to increase safety and ensure that each Group Support Room is adequately moderated, we will be making some changes to some of the rooms.'

If you close certain rooms that is only opened for a specific room like Disability and Family Support room, what kind of Group Support are you providing for people who actively seeks out these rooms for targeted and specific needs? Other rooms provide support however the member and listener see it fit. The specific rooms are meant for a welcomed and SAFE place for people of liked issues to talk about things...ie Disability Support for those suffering with a disability (i have chronic migraines and back issues) this room is nice to have to chat about my ailments without judgements. Same with Family Support... Anxiety Support provides that ad well as 35+. Not everyone feel safe and welcome in any other rooms due to their needs and their comfort...so again, WHY are you closing these rooms?

As far as moderating, why not accept more moderators willing to do the right job in moderating their specific rooms instead of getting the badge just for the heck of it...I'm not an admin or ambassador but i'm sure you all know those who does their jobs as moderators and those who doesnt.

Think about these and keep rooms who are specific to people's needs open....I mean, 7cups is a SUPPORT site isnt it? Why not have a place for people of specific needs?

if you ever look at the mod request form disability never needs a mod to be called nor does anyone ever seek a mod for disability because they always follow the rules im highly passionate bout this topic and disagree it should be a pop up room it does feel like a slap in the face for the community as a whole because other rooms may feel welcomed elsewhere as those who get so much stigma dont and there safest room is to be taken away

@Kate

@Kate As many above, I'm against closing the Disability Support room. Being someone with serious memory and concentration problems, it's about the only room I can actually keep up with. I have tried other rooms plenty of times, but they can get really negative really fast, and being as I am, I can only go with that feeling. The Disability room is the only one that has ever actually felt welcoming in any way.

I understand changes have to be made at times. But I can't say I agree this time around.

I feel as if this may have the same backlash as when they got rid of guest accounts. But what do I know...

@Kate to me depression support is a special place , where a specific comunity of loveable charchters gather to talk and exspress thereselfs i beg you please dont shut down depression support i know the platfourm can get toxic at times but its a very much loved part of this site and id really appreciate it and many others would sinceerally appreciated it if you did not shut it down ! <3 if it wasint for depression support i dont think id be here today and i think this is the wrong choice, i think this will effect the community in a negitivy way plz dont shit down shut it down :////////////////////////// </3 much love schoop.

@Kate I am very much against this update! As a longtime listener and user of this website, I have found that each room has its niche. Also if this is to make things safer, targeting Disability and LGBTQ does not make sense to me. Both of these rooms do not tend to have issues. The only issues come from users who intrude but those are rare. The community room was brought to the table a year or two ago due to the nature of the regulars wanting to chit chat and the support room was left open for new users to get support while regulars could discuss things relevant to themselves. This change completely alters the dynamics of LGBTQ. If you unlock the LGBTQ community then the members no longer have their safe space.

Also with the Disability room, it is a horrible decision to have it pop up with no other room option for the members. At least with all the others, with this horrible update, they will at least have a room in their subject. But the disabled users are left with the forums and pop up. And as expressed by a majority of users here, while disability room is slow, it is that way because of their disabilites but communication happens in there.

Based on such backlash, I urge you to reconsider. Closing rooms has only ever led to more chaos, not less.

@Kate you guys need to allow members to vote. these rooms are MAJOR for these guys. you can't just drop rooms. people view them as their escape from the world. our job is to make them comfortable and care free. don't take that away

I think change is good, but not when it is change just for the sake of change. There is literally NO valid reasoning behind closing disabiity support. The peope in there don't bother anyone, and it's their own space. I think it's really just "well it's one less room to moderate." Meanwhie, the rooms where safety is only an issue due to trolling get ignored. In my opinion, this isn't safety, it's laziness.