Visitor messages

[David Baxter PhD]

Visitor messages disabled

I have disabled visitor messages.

In my opinion, this potentially detracts from the forum and the forum community. It creates an additional potential for abuse that moderators have to monitor. It encourages cliques and/or isolation. I think it's basically clutter with no useful purpose from the viewpoint of a forum community.

If you have strong objections, feel free to say so.

 

[NicNak]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

I am finding I am missing the visitors messages.

For myself, if someone was in distress on a thread and I lacked insight that would be useful to the thread,
I would post on the visitors message a small token of caring.

I would also use it to post fun things that would have no relation to a thread. Just something to make them smile, or even another visitor to their page smile.

I am one who quite rarely PMs people.

I personally think there is more opportunity for abuse of PMs than the visitors messages, as the visitors messages are public, anyone can see it.

I am personally finding myself more isolated without it.

Just my opinion.

Thanks

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

Why do you feel you cannot do that in the thread itself, NicNak?

 

[white page]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

I'm feeling the same way as NN, though I do completely understand the reasons for the disablement. I used the capacity with the very same reasons as NN.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

I am listening. But my question is why can you not use forum threads for the same purpose?

 

[NicNak]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

Cause it doesn't add any real substance to the thread for me to send a support icon, or to say "I have no words, but I care about you." etc or put a link to a picture of a "thinking of you" icon.

Personally there are days when my words do not flow, but want to acknowledge peoples triumphs, sadness, or goodness. etc. So I have adopted other ways to communicate during that time.

 

[white page]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

At times it seems, may be wrongly, inappropriate to say ":hithere: I'm thinking of you:hug:" in a thread. it feels as if one is hijacking a thread.

Seen from a purely personal view point , I really appreciated those little friendly tokens on days when I was particularly withdrawn or inarticulate, ( ie some one is thinking about you, without intruding and it was a real boost on certain days )

 

[Retired]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

It seems to me, from a forum admin point of view, the rationale for removing this feature is

It creates an additional potential for abuse

If a communication is felt to be too personal for open forum, then PM'a re enabled for that purpose.

Visitor messages are just open PM's.

However, I have difficulty understanding why any message to another member cannot be sent within a forum posting, unless the subject matter is truly personal such as setting up a lunch date or exchanging telephone numbers.

 

[NicNak]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

As White Page stated. It just feels like a hijacking of a thread.

Another example, is if someone says they are "sick" on their mood. And I like to say "get well soon" or "hope you feel better soon" Not wanting to start a thread to say that.

PMs sometimes it also feels like I might be being agressive, not the right word, but almost too intrusive. Visitor messages are "light".

Maybe I am thinking too much about it, but I am missing the visitors messages.

 

[white page]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

Steve,
I hear everything you and Dr Baxter are saying, I'll take an example of a member who rarely starts a thread , but responds to other threads , at times reading between the lines one can sense a little sadness and in that case a pm may seem a bit too intrusive, saying hi I'm thinking of you within the thread just feels
a little impolite to the thread starter. gosh this sounds confused I know, it's just a personal feeling and opinion.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

I do think there is some merit to what you are saying, NN and WP.

I'm going to ask members to vote on this by attaching a poll to this thread.

 

[white page]

Re: Visitor messages disabled

That is very much apreciated Dr. Baxter, thankyou.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Visitor messages are currently disabled - how do you feel about that?

Please respond to the poll above.

 

[white page]

Re: Vistor messages

I'm sorry Dr Baxter, I can't see the poll,

I can now , I think I can't have scrolled up far enough:blush:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: Vistor messages

I'm sorry Dr Baxter, I can't see the poll,

You should see it now. I had to create a new thread in order to add a poll and then merge the two threads.

 

[Halo]

I understand both the Admin side of the situation but I also see WP and NN's sides as well.

Personally since the visitor messages have been disabled, I have had more PMs and even emails of things that I would have normally received by visitor message.

So, my thinking here is whether disabling the visitor messages will actually make someone think about keeping things on the forum or whether they will instead go to PMs and emails more which is definitely taking away from the forum. At least visitor messages are viewable by everyone.

As we all have the ability to disable them or not, why does disabling them for the ones that like it an issue. Yes it is difficult to moderate at times but how much of an abuse has it been so far?

JMO and yes I have voted.

 

[Jackie]

I've not really used these messages much since I have been here but can see both sides having read the posts here. I'm sort of in the middle on this one

 

[Always Changing]

It sounds like Visitor messages is becoming another forum or continous thread\s, what makes it so different to the regular forums they are public and this is public.

Just wondering.

 

[Halo]

Visitor Messages are just sort of like dropping a quick note to someone to tell them that your thinking of them, wish them well for something, telling them you care or just having fun. It doesn't really relate to anything on the forum necessarily but it is a way to keep connected.

For instance, if I knew that you had a tough therapy session coming up and were nervous, instead of posting a thread or starting a PM back and forth, I would normally resort to the Visitor Messages to say "goodluck" and probably give one of these :2thumbs:

And the one thing about visitor messages is that they can be disabled by the person themselves using the User CP. If you don't want it, don't have it. (my opinion)

Hope I explained that okay.

 

[Mashka]

Dr. Baxter, I like the point you made about it encouraging cliques. For me, I don't care one way or another, you can still communicate with the other members via their posts.