Your Ideas needed! What would a verified member acct look like!?
One idea, I have long percolated on is a verified member acct. In the upcoming weeks, we will be announcing more information about a verified member system. The key feature will be member email confirmation to unlock participation in some parts of the site.
Since day one, listeners have had to verify their email ids in order to sign up. From there, with experience and trust built up in the community, they can apply for the Verified Listener badge after completing a mock chat with a member of the VL team. For context, prior to becoming Verified, a listener must reach the below milestones:
A. Have 50+ Chats
B. Have 1100+ Cheers (Novice Level 4)
C. Have 1+ positive written reviews
We want to bring a similar program to the member side for the following reasons -
-allow members to build trust and reputation in the community
-allow trusted members to help with quality assurance around the site
-allow members to show their level of commitment to their personal growth journeys and our community
So my question to all of you is……
What could this look like? We will be asking members to verify their emails, but beyond this, what baseline criteria would a member have to reach to become verified" ???
Some examples of possible criteria are -
-50 chats with listeners
-10 upvotes on the forum
-X number growth points
-zero mutes, warnings, behavior points
-------> Please share your feedback in this thread. And vote on some criteria options here. I want use a form for this to ensure I capture all of the ideas and feedback in one structured place.
**id love to hear from as many members as possible. Listeners, you are welcome to give feedback, but I encoueage you to put on your member hat. We want this program to represent and enhance the member experience.
I don't fully understand the question.
Could always pay us lol
@Cpcoleman1WSU
I understand that, but I think it's important to remember that we're doing this because we're not paid, and we truly enjoy doing it. Some users (on-site therapists) do get paid, but I like the idea of listeners remaining as unpaid volunteers because it emphasizes that we truly enjoy doing this without a pay check
@Emily619 I agree with that... but at the same time with all the shenanigans going on internally and the kind of risk we face simply by being nice it would be nice. Plus it takes a big level of comittment and proficiency to get ranked, and also helps weed out bad listeners too.
@Cpcoleman1WSU
Yes, but we're all volunteers regardless of our rank. I don't think it'd be fair to only provide lower rank listeners as free, because then we're depriving them of high-quality, older (in terms of how long they've been registered as a listener) listeners. I understand if someone that doesn't intend to become a therapist wants to be paid, but it'd be better for them to consider becoming a life coach or a listener equivilant at another online source.
I think its a great idea to verify members in some way.
I personally dont think that the number of chats with listeners should be something that matters or is taken into account. I dont feel that having 1-1 chats with someone who is not a professional, speaks directly to how someone is doing necessarily.
I do like the idea of making sure that people havent been getting flagged or sent warnings for things, or whatever it is called.
I love the idea, but can we please a bit open minded when launching such important updates?
=There are members who never go to forums, maybe because of their mental illness and that they dont want to come in public.
=There are members who only go in forums and do not chat with listeners
=There are members who only go to group support rooms and do not go in forums and listeners 1-1.
=And then there are members who do all above three but do not focus on growth path
However I completely agree about the behavior reports point.
We need comfortable and warm zone, and this will just push us to do certain things we are not comfortable with our mental illnesses. Many of members are fragile, and this will totally affect many of us who is having social anxiety etc.
If this is launched keeping in mind certain members do not go into forums, certain members do not chat with listeners, certain members do not go into group support. I and many members always feel like I'm being judged by the way I look or act, even tho I know it's all in my head. My confidence is at an all-time low. By this it will be like, people thinking 'ew you are not verified yet' 'haha you are looser, can not be even verified' etc etc.
I think it will be great to have verifying email addresses and no behavior reports. Other than that, it is diverse community, and no one does all the things like forums, rooms, listener 1-1 etc.
tagging random people from the thread - @Kate @Laura @Emily619 @Jaydenishere @TortueDesBois @RarelyCharlie @Erato @AiluraBlaze
Apart from one big problem, I agree with you about all this.
The one big problem is that verifying e-mail addresses is not possible. I know it's a widespread superstition, I know many websites are run by people who believe in it, and I know many people are experts in other aspects of IT but never took the class on e-mail systems and share the belief, but it's a superstition. There is no way to know whether an e-mail address represents a consistent human, as opposed to a bot or a crowdworker.
When 7 Cups tried to protect these forums by using a captcha, the experiment failed because of crowdworkers. Attempting to verify e-mail addresses will fail for the same reason.
The solution, which is very well known, is to use a network of trust. You can Google trust networks to find out more. The literature on them is huge.
For example, at 7 Cups, if you want to post links in our forums, you should first have to gain the trust of someone at 7 Cups who is already trusted to post links. This would eliminate spam almost entirely.
The Verified Member badge should mean simply this: you have gained the trust of someone who is already trusted.
A simple, practical way to verify members would be to use verified listeners and other verified members, because verified listeners are already a trust network. If you are verified (listener or member) you can complete some training and become a verifier, and then you can verify other listeners and members. I see no reason to have separate trust networks for listeners and members.
There's a separate issue affecting e-mail addresses. 7 Cups is a business, and some of our business partners possibly like e-mail addresses as a way of identifying people. Some of our business partners are possibly superstitious and think e-mail addresses can be verified. This would be a completely legitimate reason for pretending to verify e-mail addresses, even though there's no direct benefit to the community (other than helping 7 Cups to stay in business).
@NorthernLights73
@NorthernLights73 the best suggestion i've ever heard!
Probably someone who hasn't been blocked several times by listeners.
@Laura X no of positive reviews/reviews X numberss of self help completed , they can have something like a referral - they could share about Cups at least once , X number of discussions participated in X times having appreciated a fellow member for their progress , part of atleast one community . Number of listeners contacted ,
@laura I think that having a chatroom that only verified members can get into would be a good idea. it may be a beneficial room with only people who are committed to the site and most importantly BEHAVING.
I really like this idea, because I have been plagued by someone "attacking" in chat rooms before subversively for VERY LONG periods of time, and nothing could be done about it;
Simply because the culprit would hide anonymously behind the face of a new multiple account every single time, and the attacks would be so subversive that they weren't obvious (personal things said that only I would understand what they meant, between me and the culprit). It got to the point of being threatened and stalked, with my social media having been found somehow.
There are people here who are SERIAL multiple account makers, and that poses a huge problem. And I mean, people with excess of 30 multiple accounts kind of problem. No exaggeration, I do actually have proof -- Some people spawn more daily and hide under new aliases. Some people are also addicted to wearing false identities too, if we want to go even deeper into the rabbit hole...
Now, as a result, I find it difficult to trust anyone. Strangers on new accounts say hello to me or try to get my attention and I instantly mute them, just because I'm paranoid of who it could be, after what happened to me. The person I've been talking about in particular is still using the chatrooms, btw. Chat is now a tense, wary place where I can't talk open and vulnerably about my issues because I'm concerned they will hear the info and use it to mess with my head. Last time that happened was in the past month or two actually, so I have good reason not to use chatrooms the carefree way to get support that I used to once upon a long time ago.
So with the trouble I've had with them, because I've been on the receiving end of serious problem, I would actually be voting for verify with IRL ID / passport / other form of legal identification. Make it loose enough that it would be easy for you to verify yourself if your legit but hard enough that people can't cheat, cos people addicted to that kind of lifestyle would be determined and not unprone to cheating / bending round rules. The ID doesn't need to show details (covering with thumb is fine) as long as you show either the photo or the name, so that that particular ID can't be re-used for multiple accounts, and as long as it is a verify-ably legit ID, so your thumb can't cover the bit that shows its a legally acceptable ID either. The ID stays between that member and the admin. You could even delete the ID off the system / email, after giving them the verified account tick.
It happens to everyone -- Everyone has spoken to someone under either false identity, or multiple account -- Just the majority of people arn't aware of whats truly going on and how messed up it is. If they knew they would be horrified.
Some chatrooms to be verified-badge locked, but not all.
Anyways I gotta run so I might pop back later or otherwise keep an eye on this thread xxx
@RedMeeko That sounds like a neat idea!
@RedMeeko
tag @Laura please see my post above x
@RedMeeko @Laura
'I would actually be voting for verify with IRL ID / passport / other form of legal identification.'
This is an absolute 'no,no'. This site hasn't got the capabilities or the Admin to protect members data; there are examples of that. This might sound 'nasty', it isn't meant to be. It's just a fact. If I was responsible for this site, I wouldn't ask for 'legal' ID etc. As soon as you get hacked, this site in particular will be a 'million miles' away from where you want it to be. The Personal data is a ' huge issue' at the moment; all around the world.
Just to add; I don't disagree with a lot of the other stuff RedMeeko has said.
Try stuff out ; that is something 7Cups is great at doing. See what works and doesn't work.
7 Cups has Rules; The behavior on the site should reflect those Rules.
One site; we should all have the same vision - to make it a harmonious place for all.
@Laura
Well, something needs to be done about "loop-holes" in the system that are permenent openings for people to exploit -- Especially when it is exploited long-term and when the vulnerable suffer the consequences, in a place where they should be able to ask for help.
Just highlighting an issue which I am fully supportive and commend that you are trying to solve or take steps towards fighting it, with the verifiable member ideas..
Also may I suggest something to do with IP-checking, or IP-pattern checking, where people tend to use a similar pattern of IP's between accounts, or a moderator / staff member who is employed to manage multiple account inquiries and injustices --
Because currently these are the issues that I'm frequently told "nothing really can be done" by moderators / staff, and there is a clear gap here asking for improvement, and there are clear victims who are repetitively targetted but are currently unable to be supported.
I think this should be an area of focus to bring up too :)
Thank you for reading,
Cheers take care,
RM x
@RedMeeko
PS this first started for me 1 and a half years ago, and it has been going on ever since.
There's more to this -- not just about my situation personally -- Message me for more details if you'd like xxx
@RedMeekoI had a problem recently where a member was extrememly inappropriate with words and when I suggested a different listener for them, and blocked them, they came at me with another name and continued to harass me. This needs to be stopped with other than just blocking as they will do tje same with others. That is a sad, sorry state when people who are trying to help people, get this type of interaction.
@RedMeeko
So sorry this abuse has happened to you. The worst kind of trolling. 😟
I support your ideas.
I would also want to know how 7Cups plans to protect verified user data in case of a security breach.
I hate this idea for very personal, selfish reasons.
I have been using this site for years for support and have found it very helpful but I am plagued by paranoia. The only way I can feel comfortable sharing here when I need to ,since you have taken away guest option is by having temporary accounts. And yes I know thats wrong but at the moment I cant overcome this issue.
At the moment if I have to verify an email then I will be unable to use this site as a member. I assure you that this is only because of my paranoia around confidentiality and feeling secure as I have never caused any trouble here in anyway,never recieved a warning, never been blocked or anything in my 4 years of using this safehaven of a site .
It would deeply sadden me if it comes to a point where I wont be able to use this site anymore....
However as a longterm, reliable listener(only ever had one listener account, I promise) I can totally see some benefits to this proposal aswell, even if as a member it could possibly leave me without any support.
@sociableFig9762 I don't think those without the badge would be blocked from using the site. There may be some privileges they may not have. I was against all group rooms excluding guests, I would also be against all group rooms excluding those without the new badge. Having some rooms where it is required is different though, if that were to occur, at the moment that's not even being presented.
This sounds fine to me ☺