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Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
Hey everyone :wave:
I've recently been disscusing chat's with Jo7, and we both really wanted to know what everyone else's feelings are about them?
For instance, does chat help you? Do you feel there should be more general chats, or support chats? Is there anything you'd like to see happening in chat that isn't at the momement? Any other comments?
Thesite.org are coming up with their chat plan for the next few years, and would really like your input :thumb:
I've recently been disscusing chat's with Jo7, and we both really wanted to know what everyone else's feelings are about them?
For instance, does chat help you? Do you feel there should be more general chats, or support chats? Is there anything you'd like to see happening in chat that isn't at the momement? Any other comments?
Thesite.org are coming up with their chat plan for the next few years, and would really like your input :thumb:
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But I don't always want to read about people's problems. I can see the pitfalls in drawing a firm line between support chats and general chats because there is such a big demand for support. But I don't think it'd be too harsh to have a chat designated purely for general chit chat and only general stuff every so often.
But I'm also aware that I'm almost out of the age range that this messageboard is aimed at and how it has changed into largely a support forum for young people. So feel free not to take my comments on board because I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of any support.
In a way, general chit chat about films or twilight or cake really can be supportive as well.
Oh yes, there's no denying that. Apart from the cake bit. I found it counter productive because I has no cake
Yorghos I haven't been in chat that often really and didnt know people were told to wait.
I think moving away from "support" might also resolve the issue with certain posters who are unable or unwilling to respect the boundaries in place.
Absolutely! A lot of people come on chat to talk about rubbish because it takes their mind off things. Bonding with other people over what you watched on telly last night or what colour your hair is can do wonders for making people feel less isolated :yes:
This.
Nina x
This is what I really like about chat.
The constant "I want to kill myself"; "yeah but I want to kill myself TWICE" is the exact opposite of what I need. I doubt I'm alone in this.
I think that's a bit of an unfair call to make; especially as we've both been there. But I agree with you about wanting a bit of respite from other people's problems but still am wary because I know that I don't fit the demographic the chat sessions are probably aimed at.
I'll be honest: quite a bit of what I see in chat these days does seem to be people playing one-upmanship about whose illness is the worst. It is tiring so I rarely go in now. I'm not in the demographic so maybe I AM out of touch. That's not to say the people are not ill, its to say that the current structure of chat seem to create a competition, possibly because when its busy its hard to get attention any other way.
:yes: totally agree.
Okay I can see your point there. Maybe a regular support chat isn't the best environment to talk through problems because of the sense of competition there may be to be listened to and understood. I guess the mods may have a better understanding in whether the support chats actually work or not. It'd be interesting to find out what they think
But most of the time it isn't an endless game of one-upping each other on who has it worst. At least not when I've been in.
- poor use of colour / contract for readability
- poor use of alignment / positioning for readability
- way it draws new messages makes the writing move very quickly, so very difficult to follow
I don't have all the answers but thought I would point these out. Generally chat clients that have smaller fonts mean that new messages 'move' old messages less. This means its easier to read, so everyone can catch up.
Also having names to the left of the message is pretty standard, and contributes to making the chat more readable. Obviously line up the beginning of every message. I mean, you can just look at any IRC client really ->
Names to the left of message to make the dialogue 'taller':
http://www.izitips.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mirc-channel-log.jpg
Lining up messages on the left to be readable:
http://img.brothersoft.com/screenshots/softimage/x/x-chat_aqua-110355-1.jpeg
People's names being same colour so its obvious the messages are from same person:
http://www.smuxi.org/jaws/data/phoo/2009_11_02/smuxi-twitter.png
All just ideas here anyway. I do think there is too much white space however, and that it's spread out too much. If you think of how the written word is printed in a book, yes there is 'empty space' aroudn the edges of the printed area, however text is actually quite condensed in the 'reading area'. It makes it easier for the eye to follow on, even if people are writing new messages and what you're reading is jumping up the screen.
Conventionally, the automatic scrolling only happens when the area is already scrolled to the bottom. If it's not at the very bottom, new messages don't make it scroll there.
I just read from the Book Club Chat thread which is where I got the link from. I thought it was general chat from 8 otherwise I wouldnt have come.
I don't think I've ever been in a support chat where the main discussion hasn't been about self harm/suicide.
I personally don't think chat is the best place to get support anyway, because it moves so quickly, and because if you are in a position where you need urgent help and people to reply straight away then we are not the people to help. We aren't professional mental health workers, and nor are the mods. Quite often I've seen people leave support chat going "no one's listening to me. Going to self harm. Bye" or something along those lines... and I just think that, in a place as busy as chat, it's impossible to give one to one support to everyone. Even the mods can't do it.
I'm not saying get rid of support chats, I just think people should be made aware that the boards are a more appropriate place to get on going support, and that there are other places that can give better one-to-one instant support that most people want from support chat.
Oh, and to anyone who's asked if this thread is about technical things etc. as well, yes it's for any comments you have about chat
I suppose "regular" in this context meaning the usual chat, which is overwhelmingly support chat. The only time off is the monthly book club, and the weekly wayne's chat on a monday.
I just wanted to dip in and say we really appreciate all your thoughts so far so do keep them coming. Chat has taken off over the last year and become a lot busier which is something we're keen to manage as best we can. We've gone from an average of 12 or so people in chat to about 28 most nights. This obviously has an impact on the support that's provided and where possible at the moment chats will have two moderators working together to make sure things aren't missed among the banter and that people are getting the support that they need.
As some of you have said, there seems to be an increasing expectation for one to one support - people often ask if they can private message in chat or talk to a modertaor one to one. There are other services that provide this and TheSite has always been about community and group support - this is something we aim to facilitate as mods as much as possible. This doesn't mean that the idea of one-to-one chat support isn't something that we would consider in the future but that would essentially be a whole new service.
We're also not able to offer crisis/urgent support and those that come in looking for this are signposted to support services that are set up for that. As B-A said, we're not medical professionals.
Self harm and suicidal feelings do come up in chat and the chat guildelines are quite clear around this - one of the things we could look to do would be to make these guidelines clearer and more accessible as well as being more prominent for people entering chat for the first time.
Managing expectations seems really key here.
General chat on a Monday from 7-8pm was set up for the very reason many of you have mentioned - to provide a hang out that's more light-hearted. Support chat is often full of light-hearted fun and banter too which as Kaff said, can be support in itself. Those that arrive in a general chat looking for support should always be encouraged to return later on or signposted to other services that can help them at that time. There may be some work to do around how we communicate this better?
Perhaps there's something around the name of the chats too?
It would also be good to know in terms of expert chats, which topics you might like to see on a more regular basis?
Also, as Shyboy and Indrid pointed out, the chat software itself has a part to play!
Anyway, thanks for all your feedback so far :thumb:
Maybe they could pop up or something the first time you log in to chat, not sure how that would work or if its even possible, but a bit sort of like those annoying terms and condition things that you have to accept before most things. That MAY make people read them more often or then again maybe not.
I've been to a lot of the chats over the past year and they have changed, but I think they've only got busier. I haven't noticed more or less support than there used to be, maybe just more people coming in at once needing support, and we do still manage to have silly chats but obviously it is a support chat, so that takes priority, everyone knows that.
I really like that we can have banter and light hearted chat, because that's what makes it so friendly and keeps people coming back, but we know when it's not needed and when someone really needs support we try and help as best as we can and try not to miss anything, all though it's nearly always too fast for me now!
Me personally I think there are enough chats, I don't think there should be more general or less support or changed in any way because I think there are enough already. The two room idea could be a good one though, I've seen it used in other places which haven't been moderated well, but here I think it would work well as it would always be moderated properly.
(Oh and please don't get rid of the chat ghost, he provides the best entertainment
Yeah again if I had realised that then I would have steered away. Now I know Monday is the designated 'general' chat it might make things easier. When a chat gets advertised on here it's not always made clear that it's a support chat.
Agree with this.
Regular chat users will know that there's only one designated "general" chat aside from Book Club or expert chats, but the people that post the chat threads need to make sure they don't just put "[Day] chat - [time]!" because other users won't realise that most chats are support chats.
Also I think it would be good if there was something in the chat or on the login page that showed what chat was running at the time - a fair few people on Wednesday came in thinking that chat had opened early rather than that it was Book Club chat and I felt a bit bad turning them away.
This. :yes:
Nina x