I managed to change my profile picture and I will see if I can change it in a few more days.

Great job to Beyond Blue and all the moderators and contributors here.

I'd like to see a dedicated sub-forum to discussing mental health in the workplace specifically and how the Aussie workforce can better help support workers with mental health conditions.

Keep up the great work :-)

Take care.

Hi SapereAude

what a kind and thoughtful post! You are spot on...the moderators and contributors make the forums a safe place for us to post. Having a subject header relating to discussing mental health in the workplace is a good idea that would benefit many members and readers of the forums...

I know Beyond Blue have been proactive where mental health and disability insurance is concerned

Nice1

Paul

Just to let you know I can change my profile picture without problems now.Thank you for fixing it.Great job.

hey all I would like to make a suggestion to the forums that maybe we can add a forum where young people struggling with issues with parents and try to aim for family reuniting if it is safe.

Do we have a thread where people can make a post to just vent?

Hi Josh and Michael,

Josh...

You are always welcome to create a new thread on the topic of relationships with parents. It would be a good thread in the relationships section.

Perhaps specify in the title that you especially need young people's views?

Keep in mind threads on a general topic get more discussion if someone checks in when they feel able and tries to guide the thread to stay somewhat on topic. Absolutely anyone is welcome to give it a go.

Michael...

Usually if I need to vent on a topic but don't want to create a new thread I'll do a search for an existing thread that talks about the same topic. Usually I find one that I can relate to.

Replying to someone who feels the same helps me more. It feels good knowing I'm not alone.

But also it helps me to vent in a different way... I end up trying to think of ways to support the person and it helps me also.

I have a forum suggestion also...

I know email notifications when a reply is posted isn't possible with the current resources.

But I found myself considering first posts. People are much more likely to keep writing if someone replies within 24 hours. After that it's often too late to engage the person.

When I reply to a thread by a first poster that has been missed it would be helpful if BB could send a once off notification email to the member.

I wondered if notifications were strictly used for a member's first post only would this be possible without straining the moderation team?

The email could remind the member that it will be the only notification and say to check the my threads tab.

It would also help to add the link to their my thread's page so they know how to find it (often people don't) and have a shortcut they can return to.

Thanks to everyone at BB for all you do and the effort you're making during this corona chaos.

❤️ Nat

Hi Nat, I hear what your saying about getting a reply to new posts within 24 hours... your advice is really helpful

it can be dauting for new posters and that extra boost of reply within 24 hours of a first post makes sense to me

Thanks Sleepy21,

I know it's rehashing a common suggestion and resources are stretched badly anyway but I figured it was worth brainstorming anyway.

Takes way to long to do anything. Very confusing layout and very hard to find any connection. 

Hey dunno1, we appreciate your feedback and recognise how frustrating it may be to navigate the many pages across the forums. If you’d like some support with navigating which section of the forums may be best suited for you please feel free to reach out to our moderation team at modsupport@beyondblue.org.au.

Unfortunately with the time lag created by moderation, our forums are not suited to real-time, immediate conversations. If you are distressed and looking for immediate support, please use one of our support service channels such as our support service which is available 24/7 by phone on 1300 22 4636 or on Webchat 3pm-12am AEST on our website: www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport. One of our professional mental health counsellors at our Support Service will give you support and point you in the right direction for help in your area.

I noticed BB has a YouTube channel and it made me wonder if perhaps BB could do a video about using and/or troubleshooting on the forums? Posts about having trouble working out the forums seem frequent. I wondered if a video walkthrough might be a way to help?

Hey Quercus, thanks for your feedback! That sounds like a really great idea and we will be sure to pass this along. 

Hey Nat and Sophie_M

do we really have a YouTube channel??

Hi Nat!....Online forum management have been working very hard on a new platform for a while. I really hope they can give the new forums the green light! If memory serves you and I were a part of the process with our input. I hope you have doing doing well Nat

my kindest always

Paul

Thanks Sophie and Paul,

I'm glad you think it's a good idea. I found myself remembering searching YouTube for videos when I needed to learn how to do something and figured it might help here too. Sometimes explanations in writing just don't help enough.

Hi Paul... I was a bit surprised too but also happy to find the BB channel. I don't use social media but YouTube is a big weakness of mine (music, meditation videos and random funny things for when I'm low ... It's like heaven for me).

Thanks for your message. I'm ups and downs and always tired but it could be worse. I hope you're doing ok. It's been lovely seeing you so active online when people are struggling so much. Heart of gold 😊.

❤️Nat

Hello,

I have a suggestion for reducing the 'lag time' when posting replies:-

Posts stored in 'My Threads' have a need for quicker response - sometimes it can be an hour (or more) before realising/stumbling upon an update. This ends up leaving the replier 'hanging' (not a good feeling).

Since such posts are copied to 'My Threads', would it be simple to attach a sound file 'ding' to draw attention to an update in real time, or a sticky flag on the relevant page which clears once the thread has been accessed?

I feel there is a need for an 'instant messaging' approach despite being a forum platform.

regards,

t.

Hi Tranzcrybe,

Figured I'd share what I know...

For now the system used here doesn't allow BB to add notifications. The moderator team (which isn't big either unfortunately... they haul bum for us as is) would have to send emails and that workload would be absolutely enormous.

There was a new system being designed and as I understand it the company didn't come through for us all so there has been a delay. Last I spoke to the BB team the upgrade is delayed but remains a major priority.

One debate had was whether instant messaging, private messages or similar was a good thing for the forums (apart from notifications).

There are other forums (such as SANE) which allow for tagging etc and that feature prevents me from using those types of forums. I'm uncomfortable with that.
The anonymous nature of these forums (and privacy) is something I need to feel safe. Just a different view I figured I'd share.

Hope that helps somehow.

❤️Nat

Thanks Nat,

The inner workings on the tech side are a lot to comprehend, and I agree that individual notifications would be a nightmare. My suggestion is attempting to add an audible cue to 'My Thread' replies which everyone in that thread will hear and respond if available. Coding-wise, just the addition of "play sound = sound file" to the 'My Thread' dispatch function, could achieve such a result with no additional burden to moderators.

Like any program, I guess there is only so much one can do before starting from scratch. There are many good design implementations to be commended.

Ooh, I also thought that first time posts should be 'sticky' until they receive a reply? On busy days, these can drop to 'page 2' and slip under the radar...

Thanks for your clarification, and I'm happy whatever happens.

Regards,

t.

Hi, me again (hope I don't become a pest!),

I would like to make a suggestion for the Reply Posts.

Like most Text Box windows, they are fairly narrow and require much scrolling - yeah, I guess that's fine; but it can be hard to proof read for typos and, more importantly, misdirected meaning through grammar or structure deficiencies

I was thinking that an Edit Post could appear beside posters' messages (alongside Report Post) and, naturally, only for the original author (either through My Threads or by requiring user password). For long term integrity, perhaps this could have a time limit (similar to undo for email) just enough to read it through as it appears (30 minutes).

I know it would be great for me as I tend to type much slower than I think, resulting in some faux pas in the process.

Many thanks,

t.

Good afternoon young....(and old)

Any chance of having a thread for "older people"...perhaps over 65, or over 60? Just to cover all the different aspects, positive and negative....e.g. how do you handle the change in your appearance - body, hair, skin etc...when did you realise you were now "elderly" or perhaps don't realise it AT ALL....

the difference in your chronological age...and how you feel "inside" e.g. I still feel the same as when I was in my 30s....is that ok.?...

do some folk find themselves dressing differently...simply because of their age...even though they'd love to dress the same as when they were in their 20s?...there could be all sorts of things to cover.

another one is...realising you recognise more and more names in the "Funeral Notices" in newspapers...people you went to school with etc.....can be a bit of a shock!

are some actually resisting growing older? do some lie about their age? Is it true that older women feel they have become "invisible"?

how do you handle feeling physically attracted to good looking men/women and wanting to form an intimate relationship? Do you flirt like you did when you were young....or would that make you look like an old fool? Just a thought as there seems no section for Over 65s...and then of course I haven't even mentioned the "loneliness" factor. Perhaps your partner has died, perhaps you are scared of your family having to arrange an Aged Care Home for you. Perhaps you shudder at the thought of going into one?

Perhaps you are insistent you don't want to be kept alive if suffering....these things can terrify older people as they realise that the years are creeping up...and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it....if we live long enough...we will ALL get old!

Perhaps it could go in Staying Well......what do others think?

Moon there is a thread does life begin at 60.? That you and I both posted on but hasn’t Been used for about ten months.

Did you mean something like that or a special section for over 60s.

Anyone can start a thread.

I know we had lots of discussions on that thread and I think your topics would make for more interesting topics.

Yes quircky and Moon, a section just for the 60-and-over brigade would be great. Some threads are confronting for us older people on BB to read... their attitudes towards us during the pandemic are not nice.. it would be good for us to have somewhere to talk about issues that affect us in particular - and we could have some fun during it too.. nothing like having a chuckle about getting older!

Quirky...that's right..I had forgotten all about that one..can't recall what section it was in. Will have a look at it later....x

I think it should be a whole section like the younger people have, not just a thread. And there are lots of fun and positive things to post about for older people on BB - learning a musical instrument when you are older, making friends, going travelling around Australia as a grey nomad, starting to play a new sport or social group, volunteer work, studying as an older mature age student, even starting a new career as an older person!

Hello Hanna...and everyone..

I started a thread about a week ago...for Middle, mature, elderly. Living alone, talking thread...if you search Middle mature elderly it will pop up for you...Not sure if this is what you’re looking for....The threads about talking about whatever you want to talk about....It hasn’t really taken off so far...maybe it’s not what your looking for....

Kindest and caring thoughts.

Grandy...

Sorry, but can BeyondBlue at least have more staff members which either aren't a part of the government itself or have their own beliefs? Because I feel that almost all staff members on here don't care about Coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns destroying people's mental health, which is pretty horrible and they constantly divert attention from that issue.

  Hey Isaac98, thanks for leaving a message.  Beyond Blue is a bipartisan organisation meaning we are not affiliated with any one poltiical party. If you’d like to learn more about our staff and the values we stand by, we’d urge you to read through our website here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-people We’re sorry to hear you feel we are unsympathetic towards those affected by the coronavirus restrictions and that we attempt to divert attention away from the issue. We take feedback of this nature very seriously and we would like to encourage you to expand on your comments so we have the best understanding of what we can do to improve. Please feel free to email us anytime here modsupport@beyondblue.org.au 

Hi Sophie_M, when I wanted to change passwords a link was meant to be sent to my email box, but it never happened after several times I tried.

It wasn't in the junk file, it never arrived, this was when I was using Firefox.

Thanks.

Geoff.

Hey geoff, thanks for letting us know about this. We have sent you a message.
 

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