Problem: Welcoming New Users in Chat Rooms
Hey, I wanted to share with you a problem that we're trying to solve and a solution we'd like to try. Have a read through it and share your feedback!
Problem: New listeners and members entering group chat rooms don't always feel acknowledged or welcomed. They can find it difficult to get involved in the conversation and leave feeling unsupported.
Goals:
- Better identify new users in chat rooms quickly and easily.
- Ensure that new users feel welcomed and invited to participate in the conversation.
Solution: Make the Newbie badge appear in chat rooms, so that as a community we can quickly identify new users and make sure they get the welcome they deserve!
Share thoughts and feedback below!
I like the idea. I also wonder if there might be value in having a room specifically for the new kids to pop into, that focuses on members/listeners that have joined 7cups in the last 6 weeks or so? Could host Q&A sessions as well as mixers for those that might want to make more social connections. Those of us listeners that do automatic greetings to new kids and are listed on growth path exercises for "listener coordination" exercises could be recruited from our selecting to automatically greet new members to be present in the room for members... We could add to those auto messages "Come visit us in XYZ chat room" kind of messaging as well. Just a thought.
@Heather I think the idea is great, but I'd like to see more change in regards to welcoming users who are new to the chatroom, not necessarily new to 7 Cups. I've noticed many times that someone has entered a chatroom and has been ignored, regardless of how long they've been here. So this is definitely a good change & a step in the right direction, but I'd hopefully like to see additional change to welcoming ALL users new to the chatroom at the moment, regardless of their 7 Cups age.
Personally, I haven't spoken at length to anybody at 7cups beyond a therapist. To me, 7cups feels very superficially happy and hard to get to know anyone.
Hello, I've had cancer twice, one trasplant and now I have GVHD I googled "Talk to someone" and this site showed up, I just signed in, how does it work?
@Heather @Laura
I think it's great that we are finally addressing this issue. However, I feel like the issue is with some of the mods in the room as well. I have encountered a few mods who abuse their right in deleting messages to their benefit when they don't feel like responding to a message. A few days ago I needed peer support and I asked if a peer supporter was available for a chat. I was told by a mod to go to the mentor page and message someone. I told this mod that it was slighltly urgent, and the mod just deleted my message and another listener as well as the mod sent an eye rolling emoji. The mod then began complaining about how one of the member chatrooms they mod is "draining."
Another time I encountered an abusive mod was when I had to sign off and asked the listener support room if anyone could take a chat, I was asked to describe the chat in 5 words or less (I don't want to do that now to respect the member's privacy). Everyone began assuming that I was trying to tell the member not to come on 7cups which I was not at all and I was confused as to where everyone got that impression from, so I explained what I meant to clear confusion and the mod deleted my message and told me I had shared too much information about the chat? When I hadn't even mentioned any details about the chat only regarding my previous message. I had explained to the mod that I was only explaining what I had said before because everyone seemed to be getting upset, only to have my message deleted once again.
The most recent time was when another fellow listener came to the listener support room and asked a question. There message was ignored in the chat room so I responded to them using their full username so they would know I was talking to them, and answered their question. My message was deleted and I was told not to mention members names. I had explained to the mod that I was replying to a listener who was currently particpating in the chat room. My message was deleted once again and the mod had told me that we can only mention names of members who are currently particpating in the chat room. I had again told the mod that the listener was particpating in the chat room and they can even check the currently particpating list to be sure. My message was deleted as well as themessage where the other listener was asking a question.
Everyitme I enter the chatroom I am never greeted and am treated like a nuisance. It could be the age gap, maybe if we had a support room for people who had just switched over to the adult side such as myself could particpate it would be better. It really does hurt my feelings when my messages are wrongfully deleted and I get ignored. It makes me feel like I am not of value on 7cups, and the chatroom has made me consider quitting this entire website countless of times.
@Heather @Laura
Sorry I forgot to add another incident in LSR, I had reported a sex chat to the 7cups community and I got a lot of hate for it in LSR about it and I was told I shouldn't have reported the member I should have given them a warning and told them to connect with another listener.
@majesticMoon26 moony! *Hugs* I'm so sorry this has happened to you. As you can see, they're trying to figure out a solution :) perhaps putting this down on an email would be a better way of dealing with what has happened though?
Do you have any suggestions on making it easier for new members/listeners entering a group chat? I thought the badge might be rather helpful myself :)
@randommusingsofabrain I think sharing this is important. We can't change the problem if it's not out in the open.
@randommusingsofabrain
The badge might be helpful! I do think it's more of a personality issue than anything else. It might be better if we had a pre adult support room or something? For listeners who had just transferred over from the adult side that could be better. Also maybe people above the mods to moderator them?
PS: I've emailed 7cups and I was asked to fill out an L-L report form so hopefully it'll be better soon :)
@BlakWidow
As a matter of fact I did share this in an email. I am simply stating my own experience as a means that this is still an ongoing problem that needs to be stopped.
Thank you for your suggestion though :)
@majesticMoon26 I know exactly what you're talking about. Overall, LSR is cliquey, judgemental, and unhelpful.
I really hope this starts to change. I would love to have other listeners to talk to, but even peer supporters can be awful. (Some are great.)
If LSR is abohr supporting listeners, it honestly needs a complete overhaul.
@Heather.. love this idea Heather :)
@Moj sometimes you still get ignored even when you say hello some people acknowledge those they've known longer or they pick and choose who they want to acknowledge. It also doesn't always show who enters the chat they should really fix that and some people are just extremely rude and make you extremely uncomfortable which makes you not want to enter the group chats at all.
@astray
I 100% agree with you! It is a serious problem, nobody should feel like an outcast on a website meant to help others.
@astray I totally agree with you. I think those that are already comfortable in the room and have been here awhile need to make the effort to welcome and help those that are new to feel comfortable and welcomed in the group support rooms.
I did write more about this earlier on in this thread, but came across this picture and thought it fit in well to the discussion as well, reminding the people that are already comfortable how much a hello might mean to someone that is new or that hasn't felt welcomed into a room yet. But yes, I went more in depth on the first page on exactly what you mentioned too. 
