10/24/18: Guest Accounts Update
Hello Community!
Throughout the past year, we have taken measures to improve the safety of 7 Cups by requiring email verification for any member or listener to participate in the forums or in the group support rooms.
In an effort to continue to make 7 Cups as safe as possible, we would like to discuss the removal of guest accounts from the site. We have many guests using the site in hurtful and unsupportive ways and moving forward we would like everyone to verify their emails in order to participate in any area of 7 Cups.
We need to tighten this last piece of the puzzle up to ensure the safety of our listeners and members in 1-1 chats. The timeline for this update is TBA. But we wanted to share this update with you now to give you the chance to share feedback.
Thank you!
@Laura @jill7cups @Power @Heather225
I believe this is a fantastic idea. I can't tell you how many time I have been trolled by G accounts. Thanks for making this an even safer place!
@NurseDustin Thanks for your support! We will continue to try and make things safer here without losing the important element of having support be available for all who need it.
@Kate
Awesome, thank you for all you guys do here! :)
It is really sad that it has come to this point , as I know some felt safer being annonymous and not being able to be tracked. However needed update I think. Hopefully something else will be able to be available to continue the annonymonity.
@fluffyUnicorns84 I don't like this at all. The trolls will take the extra miles to keep trolling. The guest account is an important way to keep l/m accounts safe and secret and establish safe boundaries.
I think 7 cups is going to transform the website to a pay-site. The most secure way will be verified bank accounts and I am seeing us to move that way.
@kindSoul10 Valid concern, I too worry they will become a pay site. I can
@needsabreak38 7 Cups will continue to provide free support. We are very much commited to this and making sure that we remain accessible.
@kindSoul10 i seriously hope that never happens, because that would utterly defeat a big point of 7 cups, the fact that it is free. Even if you only have to verify a bank account for the purposes of identity, it would still be very disheartening to thousands of people who are homeless or in tough situations
@MidnightRaven999
We will ALWAYS be a free site! That will not change.
@kindSoul10
As much as I havh to say it, I can't disagree.
@IntrovertedDreamer73409
**Hate
@fluffyUnicorns84
Hey Unicorn yes it is very sad "if" they decide to ban guests accounts. I only reply to this cause what about those who have been raped, or stalked and so on?
But again we are given a member account too. Why must we then keep using a guest account and some people do "troll" or disrespect their listener and are a listener, or even leader.
So....well I know the admin will trend on thinking this out. But then again we abused it-should we still continue to have it then?
@RumpleSteeleSkin who is we? "We" have re-registered member accounts and "we" used them to form cliques and disrupt rooms. Should we still be able to have free member accounts? Maybe payed therapy sessions might be safer.
@kindSoul10
HI Kind we-meaning listeners. I do not fear this site will ever make people pay for annonymous safe support. I do understand tho as I read peoples posts of this concern/fear. There are many possiblities the admin and tech can try. But I am on 2 sides.
1. Newbie Listeners being targeted and are bashed in very mean ways. As well as listeners who been here long time
2. For members who fear more stalking, deal with rape/trauma and such. I do voice my words strong for this reason.
I do not use guests accounts for anything, as over the past 3 years I have been lucky to establish some form of trust and security with my listeners. I do worry for those who have not tho. But really what is the best solution to make everyone happy here?
@RumpleSteeleSkin
In my opinion ... very well stated, Rumple.
I'm concerned if we make ALL accounts must be verified, some people who actually need help/listening will be scared off.
For myself as well, I never use G accounts. The only time was my very first conversation at 7cups.
There is probably no way to make this 'all good' for all persons, and all situations. I appreciate the work you, Laura, and the entire admin team are doing in order to make/keep 7cups safe for all - new M and 'old,' new L, and veteran L too. <3 Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370
aaww Platy those were very nice words you shared. But this is all on admin and tech, not me-lol
I do hope the "safety" increases alot and in order for this to be we also have to be a bit flexiable and open minded to the changes admin/tech need to try first. We are growing and everyone getting smarter. But yes thank you on those words-they were kind
@RumpleSteeleSkin forgive me if I disagree, everyone has part in making 7 cups a supportive and safe place! You do great things and raise your voice for the better, thanks for all you do!
making 7cups a safer and more comfortable place is always a priority to the management of the site we appluade your efforts
and i understand the reasons for this action but i feel like many people come to 7cups for a one time deal as to say and for how it easy it is to just open the site and start chatting without membership or emails
again i do understand the need for this action but i feel we would lose some of our audience
@AnimalHugger
Thanks for the feedback. I feel its important to mention that a member can request their usernames changed as needed.
@Kate It's definitely a good idea to remove this for the reasons you mentioned. Now, it can seem intimidating to have to share information like an email for a private chat. Therefore, I think there should be an explanation or information as to why there are no guest accounts.
@Kate Cool!
@Kate
I'm all for it as long as member account remain free.
@Dawn04
We will always be a free site! :)
I think that verification is really important and it'll reduce the risk of hurtful and unsupportive people in our community.
But I do agree with some of the people above as the anonymity is definitely something that draws people to 7 Cups.
This is just a suggestion, but perhaps it might be useful if membership is compulsory after the first 30 messages are exchanged?
@peppermintlove
I think this is also a great idea, give a set amount before requiring to have them verify and join. Making sure that they know membership is ALWAYS free. :)
@peppermintlove
I think this is an awesome idea!
Totally support the decision. This is a safe place and im sure if people take this community seriously, taking out a minute to cerify your account wont be a big deal.
Thank you! Much needed.
@ThisIs543 I'll just add, I think the benefits outweight the downsides. If you want to keep quality listeners, protecting them from harassment is the first priority. It's not a lot to ask for e-mails, and it keeps people from just logging right back in after harassing a listener and doing it over and over. They are probably not going to create 20 e-mail accounts in one day to do this; at least not many would be that obsessed. THis site has made it too easy to harass listeners.
So, I understand the people who want newcomers to feel welcome, but asking for an e-mail really isn't a huge block. I can't think of any other web site I'd go to for information that wouldn't require my e-mail.
@ThisIs543 you won't find an anonymous site that requires you to verify who you are. Those who do, are not anonymous. If they do, it's a false claim.
"it keeps people from just logging right back in after harassing a listener and doing it over and over."
I understand where you are coming from. There is often a misconception. People think creating annoyances will increase security. No, it won't. Creating 100 email addresses and letting them be validated takes a harmful person a couple of minutes.
A troll will laugh about it, the legit user will be annoyed.
@kindSoul10 Can you give me an example of an anonymous web site that provides free counseling?
@ThisIs543 please define free counseling first. https://www.befrienders.org lists some of them.
This is a good idea, @Laura. I also think members and guests are not getting the best results in unsupervised open chat group support rooms. I suggest that chat rooms be opened and closed by available room moderators. Leaving them accessible 24-7 without a seasoned facilitator present is not doing anyone any good, I don't think. I've popped in on some of them (mainly Depression Support and Depression Chat, but others as well) several times over the last few weeks and most of the time I don't leave with an improved sense of well-being.
:(
@sunDog64 I agree completly. I just checked out the depression chat and it was basically worthless...I was more anxious afterwards than before. Seems like it was meandering and no one was really talking about their issues. Some kind of moderator ought to be in there when is open. Or maybe that's what the Depression Discussion does; it's moderated. I don't know, only my third day here.
@TigerRidge2019
Welcome TigerRidge! Thanks for jumping in. I've only been here since July, myself. I'm finding that there is a lot of good here on 7cups; I'm grateful for all the sensitive, thoughtful people in this thread trying to hash things out and make it better.
