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📢Chats Closed 23.04

KatieKatie Community Manager Posts: 548 Incredible Poster
edited April 24 in Community Announcements
Hey all,

Unfortunately our group chats will be closed this evening as we haven't managed to organise moderator cover.

If you do need support this evening, the discussion boards are here as always for you to reach out for support.

If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest a&e. For some 1:1 support, you can text THEMIX to 85258.

Also, feel free to stick around on the boards if you want a general chit-chat. You can also help us get to 20,000, or help us pick our new colour scheme for our new website.

Take care this evening!
Post edited by Katie on

Comments

  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    Just out of curiosity, surely you have an idea of the cover you will have when you're writing the initial schedule on a Monday? There's almost been no point having the schedule the past couple weeks as it changes almost every day atm. Not a criticism of staff or mods, and what you're trying to do to help, but it feels like disappointment after disappointment atm.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • RedemptionRedemption Posts: 3,788 Community Veteran
    Just out of curiosity, surely you have an idea of the cover you will have when you're writing the initial schedule on a Monday? There's almost been no point having the schedule the past couple weeks as it changes almost every day atm. Not a criticism of staff or mods, and what you're trying to do to help, but it feels like disappointment after disappointment atm.

    @independent_ I agree with this tbh, like it was meant to be support and general chat on Sunday just gone, then it went to general chat then nothing, was excited for a full house but it was a bit of a disappointment, not only it was a full house it was worse off with nothing on. It's just not been reliable. Everyone is doing the best though, I guess things in life can come up shorter notice which might not have when the schedule was made, like we don't always know our plans at the start of the week. Also mods are being recruited in the next few weeks so hopefully soon we see a more reliable schedule for good, the best is being done so we can't really ask for much more.
  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    I think the problem is that people do find they rely on somewhere like this. It's not a good position to be in, but with the state of NHS services and wait times on other helplines being frankly ridiculous at times, people do find it disappointing, even if logically we know things are being done to help
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • RedemptionRedemption Posts: 3,788 Community Veteran
    edited April 23
    I think the problem is that people do find they rely on somewhere like this. It's not a good position to be in, but with the state of NHS services and wait times on other helplines being frankly ridiculous at times, people do find it disappointing, even if logically we know things are being done to help

    I agree, it definitely needs to get sorted here and that's true about other services. There's not many services like this one so it is disappointing and needs sorting ASAP but that's what's happening. I think literally the best is being done like nothing can really be done if no mods are available to run chats and staff can't always step in for various reasons like chats relies on mods mostly. Best option is too maybe recruit as much mods as possible so there's cover if a few aren't avaliable.
  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    You’re right, things are being tried. But I actually feel the situation is getting worse, not better. A few weeks ago we at least had general chat running on most of the nights it was supposed to. SC is harder to run, I understand that. But now there are less GCs too, and it feels to me like it’s getting less and less by the week. I am not getting anywhere with this, but if anyone else is feeling the same, at lest someone is speaking out I guess.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • RedemptionRedemption Posts: 3,788 Community Veteran
    edited April 23
    You’re right, things are being tried. But I actually feel the situation is getting worse, not better. A few weeks ago we at least had general chat running on most of the nights it was supposed to. SC is harder to run, I understand that. But now there are less GCs too, and it feels to me like it’s getting less and less by the week. I am not getting anywhere with this, but if anyone else is feeling the same, at lest someone is speaking out I guess.

    What you're saying is understandable, I fully agree, feel the same with what you're saying, I just don't want to be too critical about the community, just maintaining respect to everyone but I don't think any of us are being too critical just saying things need to be improved, venting this stuff helps us and hopefully helps for feedback. What you're saying is true about at barely being general and support on, it's true support is harder to run too and then general what we'd think is easier gets cancelled too and Fridays are currently empty, used to have chat threads but no sessions on fridays atm, same with mondays when its a new week where people go might start school, college, work uni etc it can be overwhelming mondays especially so chats then would great. Everyone is probably feeling the same and hopefully within the next few weeks we see proper improvements working towards the goal of 7 days a week with general and support available across all of them days ideally. Maybe a chat break less might compensate for these cancellations too.
  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    I am in no way trying to be critical, particularly of the community team. Don’t shoot the messenger as it were. I hope it doesn’t come across that way.

    I reckon improvements will take time, but at the moment, I (and I imagine others) are having to look further and further out for other support options. Most of us have tried the ones listed, and none of them offer peer support in the same way that here does. I think that’s why people have really strong feelings because quite frankly there’s nowhere else like it. There are similar, but they don’t have the same feeling.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • KatieKatie Community Manager Posts: 548 Incredible Poster
    Hey @independent_ and @Redemption

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and bringing up this important discussion! This is your community, and we're glad you feel empowered to speak out.

    Yes, when we post the weekly schedule on a Monday, it's based on our moderator rota we have for the week and what chats it looks like we should be able to run. However unfortunately, when we receive last-minute mod cancellations, like we did yesterday, we have to close chats pretty last minute.

    We post the weekly schedule so that we can update it whenever we have chat closures and let you know straight away. And for some clarity, we check and update it everyday to make sure it reflects the current rota and any mod cancellations. I'm interested to hear if you find the weekly schedule useful or if you would prefer an alternative option? We moved away from posting "Chat cancelled" posts every evening as we felt it was filling the boards up so we thought one central schedule that we can update was a good option. However, if you think otherwise please let us know! We're here to listen.

    We are also recruiting and training up new chat moderators to help us get back up to capacity to run our usual chats, and we appreciate your patience as we go through this process. We hear you would like us to increase the days we run chats, and we do too, however we need to build our moderator team up before we are able to achieve this.
  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    Thank you @Katie :)

    The schedule is very useful, and you’re right it is less cluttered than posting a thread every day. There are so many pinned in whats new at the moment and it’s good that the schedule is usually only one thread. I think what I meant was it’s tough when it does change.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • RedemptionRedemption Posts: 3,788 Community Veteran
    Katie wrote: »
    Hey @Redemption

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and bringing up this important discussion! This is your community, and we're glad you feel empowered to speak out.

    Yes, when we post the weekly schedule on a Monday, it's based on our moderator rota we have for the week and what chats it looks like we should be able to run. However unfortunately, when we receive last-minute mod cancellations, like we did yesterday, we have to close chats pretty last minute.

    We post the weekly schedule so that we can update it whenever we have chat closures and let you know straight away. And for some clarity, we check and update it everyday to make sure it reflects the current rota and any mod cancellations. I'm interested to hear if you find the weekly schedule useful or if you would prefer an alternative option? We moved away from posting "Chat cancelled" posts every evening as we felt it was filling the boards up so we thought one central schedule that we can update was a good option. However, if you think otherwise please let us know! We're here to listen.

    We are also recruiting and training up new chat moderators to help us get back up to capacity to run our usual chats, and we appreciate your patience as we go through this process. We hear you would like us to increase the days we run chats, and we do too, however we need to build our moderator team up before we are able to achieve this.

    Morning @Katie hope you're having all good day down there. I just hope nothing from the comments here comes off negatively, I still love the community so much and always will no matter what. Myself and I'm sure everyone appreciates all the efforts to get thing's more reliable. Also it's great most if not all feedback is being looked at like some other communities would maybe be like if you don't like it then leave, here is different. I think the chat schedule is the best way to go, shows us what chats are happening in advanced which is great. Hopefully the moderator team will be all built up soon, do you know approximately maybe when it will be built up and when things can start becoming more reliable, next few months or weeks etc? You might not know but just thought if you do it would be good to have an idea. Cheers Katie.
  • KatieKatie Community Manager Posts: 548 Incredible Poster
    Thank you @Katie :)

    The schedule is very useful, and you’re right it is less cluttered than posting a thread every day. There are so many pinned in whats new at the moment and it’s good that the schedule is usually only one thread. I think what I meant was it’s tough when it does change.
    I hear you @independent_ It is tough when our schedule changes and we have to do last-minute cancellations. We appreciate that if our community members are planning on coming to a chat, it might feel quite disruptive when we then announce we have to close.

    Whilst we are experiencing these chat cancellations, to help meet the needs of our Community we have been putting on support threads every Saturday&Sunday, as well as some fun quizzes coming up in May. And as you know our discussion boards are also open 24/7. I know these aren't the same as our group chats but hopefully you folks do find these alternative spaces useful.

    How you're feeling is really valid and it is tough when things change - you're right. We do massively appreciate your patience and for continuing to show up for our Community.
    Morning @Katie hope you're having all good day down there. I just hope nothing from the comments here comes off negatively, I still love the community so much and always will no matter what. Myself and I'm sure everyone appreciates all the efforts to get thing's more reliable. Also it's great most if not all feedback is being looked at like some other communities would maybe be like if you don't like it then leave, here is different. I think the chat schedule is the best way to go, shows us what chats are happening in advanced which is great. Hopefully the moderator team will be all built up soon, do you know approximately maybe when it will be built up and when things can start becoming more reliable, next few months or weeks etc? You might not know but just thought if you do it would be good to have an idea. Cheers Katie.
    No worries at all @Redemption it's actually really helpful for us to hear your thoughts and for you to be truthful with us about how much it is impacting you.

    We've been advertising our chat mod role for at least a month now and we do have applicants slowly coming in. Unfortunately it is taking a little longer than we expected but rest assured the ones who have applied and are suitable for the role are being trained up as we speak! We're unable to give a time-frame which I appreciate is pretty frustrating, but it is one of our biggest priorities right now and we are in discussions about it every day.

    This is a really useful discussion and we're here if you want to share your thoughts further or if anyone else has something to share! Equally, if anyone would like to speak to us about this in private you can pop @TheMix a DM or send us an email at community@themix.org.uk. And for an anonymous option you can fill out our feedback form here https://bit.ly/TheMixFeedbackForm
  • RedemptionRedemption Posts: 3,788 Community Veteran
    Katie wrote: »
    Thank you @Katie :)

    The schedule is very useful, and you’re right it is less cluttered than posting a thread every day. There are so many pinned in whats new at the moment and it’s good that the schedule is usually only one thread. I think what I meant was it’s tough when it does change.
    I hear you @independent_ It is tough when our schedule changes and we have to do last-minute cancellations. We appreciate that if our community members are planning on coming to a chat, it might feel quite disruptive when we then announce we have to close.

    Whilst we are experiencing these chat cancellations, to help meet the needs of our Community we have been putting on support threads every Saturday&Sunday, as well as some fun quizzes coming up in May. And as you know our discussion boards are also open 24/7. I know these aren't the same as our group chats but hopefully you folks do find these alternative spaces useful.

    How you're feeling is really valid and it is tough when things change - you're right. We do massively appreciate your patience and for continuing to show up for our Community.
    Morning @Katie hope you're having all good day down there. I just hope nothing from the comments here comes off negatively, I still love the community so much and always will no matter what. Myself and I'm sure everyone appreciates all the efforts to get thing's more reliable. Also it's great most if not all feedback is being looked at like some other communities would maybe be like if you don't like it then leave, here is different. I think the chat schedule is the best way to go, shows us what chats are happening in advanced which is great. Hopefully the moderator team will be all built up soon, do you know approximately maybe when it will be built up and when things can start becoming more reliable, next few months or weeks etc? You might not know but just thought if you do it would be good to have an idea. Cheers Katie.
    No worries at all @Redemption it's actually really helpful for us to hear your thoughts and for you to be truthful with us about how much it is impacting you.

    We've been advertising our chat mod role for at least a month now and we do have applicants slowly coming in. Unfortunately it is taking a little longer than we expected but rest assured the ones who have applied and are suitable for the role are being trained up as we speak! We're unable to give a time-frame which I appreciate is pretty frustrating, but it is one of our biggest priorities right now and we are in discussions about it every day.

    This is a really useful discussion and we're here if you want to share your thoughts further or if anyone else has something to share! Equally, if anyone would like to speak to us about this in private you can pop @TheMix a DM or send us an email at community@themix.org.uk. And for an anonymous option you can fill out our feedback form here https://bit.ly/TheMixFeedbackForm

    Sounds all good @Katie hopefully the chat are on this evening but while we might be a bit short of mods I'll try to prepare for it not be on just in case, not to be negative though but if it's not it makes me more prepared and less disappointed. Fingers crossed for tonight and the upcoming sessions though 🤞.
  • independent_independent_ Community Connector Posts: 9,407 Supreme Poster
    I think the routine thing is real too. Like you said it’s a case of I have a plan for the day, and evenings are long so I actually look forward to talking to some people (what a life I live lol). So I think that’s also why it’s hard for people, even if it’s just GC that’s cancelled.
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
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