Suggestions for making sure new posts and members are not lost.

I agree @Mazarita ..... I read the post in hindsight but I too would not have known how to respond.

On iPad, notebook or PC we can use the "Report Innappropriate Content" button - even though it's not actually inappropriate content - to notify the moderator on dutyc that it's a difficult one that might go past the general community, but this facility is not available on mobile phones, and the @ Moderator function is supposed to be reserved for pressing matters only.

Yes, @Faith-and-Hope, that is something I hope all members know about the 'report inappropriate content' button. It can be used as a way to contact moderators and alert them to crisis posts. I use this feature quite regularly but only where it seems to me that a member's life may be at risk.

In the case of the post in question, that was not the case. Also, it's impossible to predict what posts will receive a reply and which ones won't. So I still think there needs to be a solid backup from moderators in place for this kind of situation. Really, I just don't think it's fair or right to expect the membership to be completely responsible for responding to all posts. There are just too many of them.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful replies.

This issue is important to me, as I shared the sentiments that were raised.

I regard myself as a regular, however I know I don't provide a lot of support for others due to not being on the forum lots, which is how bonds build between people. And the better you are linked with someone, the more likely you are to respond to their post. But I often feel very alone on the forums. And there have been times when I've been very, very unsettled and my posts have gone ignored and I've not felt welcome to jump on other posts cause I didn't want to bring people down/crash that thread.

Perhaps we need to 'pin' some threads to the front page of the website, like a generic "I'm distressed and I need support now" kind of a thread, where anyone can post their problems, without the problem of crashing anothers thread and where hopefully there is enough traffic that they will get seen and responded to.

If we could also 'pin' the introductions thread, and also the thread about the rules of the forum?

Anyway, just throwiing these ideas out there.

Agreed ...

We can only take reasonable care within the scope of our own personal situations, with compassion for the fact that some posts will be missed at times .... but hopefully not many .... and hopefully the compassionate nature of the general community will be encouragement for one who was missed to try again .... or to speak out about it as has happened here.

Excellent suggestions there too @Former-Member ..... thank you 💕

@Former-Member I really like the idea of a general "i'm distressed thread" that way there would not be as many posts as i think a lot of the time people are posting because they are distressed but it would also be a thread that didnt "belong" to anyone and again more people might read it. but i suppose there is still a chance that others may not respond in a thread like that if i got too busy... but i still think over all it is a good idea also because then that is less places for the moderators to have to check all the time and could make thier job more time efficient.

Hi @Former-Member and crew

Great question. I reckon the best approach would be to update the forum's code to add an "unanswered posts" feed. Could also do the same thing for a "new members" feed and a "high distress" feed. This last one would need either a fairly sophisticated language filter (tricky) or a tagging function on posts (much less tricky but still involves extra tinkering). I'd include these near the Latest Comments feed, but as a separate feature.

Fish