I really like a lot of the new features that are being added to the forums. I think blogs are really something that add to the forum as an ADHD support site. I like the option to thank people for their posts as well. And the social groups feature is very awesome.

However, I have to ask: is all of this really necessary? It's beginning to feel to me as though the site staff is adding mods just for the sake of adding mods. Is the arcade something that will add to this site's ability to support people with ADHD? The gallery is kind of neat, but again, I'm not sure that it's really relevant to the site's goals. Also, do we really need two reputation systems?

I'm not necessarily against any of these things by themselves, but I think the key to building a site is simplicity. The more of this type of thing is added to the site, the more confusing it will be for newcomers. And I think that effect will be magnified considering the board's target demographic. ;)

At any rate, that's just my feedback. Is it just me that feels this way?

I agree. It feels like too much. Some of it is cool but I kinda liked the old site better. Seemed more like a family for some reason.

No, I tend to agree with you.

I think perhaps that the rep system could easily go. I don't agree with point systems in the first place, but it would certainly seem the thanks system is better than the rep system. I have no idea what the game arcade is for.

I don't read the blogs. I think that social networking (e.g. wall posts) should be kept disparate from forums. Maybe I'm the only one who doesn't read them, but I doubt it.

Still, as long as the mods get integrated smoothly and innocuously (as they so far seem to have been), it's not such a problem.

It's beginning to feel to me as though the site staff is adding mods just for the sake of adding mods.

Smaller sights tend to have the highest percent of moderators. Its kind of a reward package to keep the biggest posters on the site. A problem I have with a large number of moderators is the way moderators are used.

Its a fact that even the best moderators get it wrong a percent of the time. In theory a group of moderators could vote on things and reduce that error. But thats not what happens on most forums. Moderators act alone with other moderators fearful to overturn decision of other moderators.

Smaller sights tend to have the highest percent of moderators. Its kind of a reward package to keep the biggest posters on the site. A problem I have with a large number of moderators is the way moderators are used.

Its a fact that even the best moderators get it wrong a percent of the time. In theory a group of moderators could vote on things and reduce that error. But thats not what happens on most forums. Moderators act alone with other moderators fearful to overturn decision of other moderators.


Heh... no, I don't really have any problems with the number of moderators here. By mods I meant modifications.

theta - when I looked at the thread title I thought moderators too -


Smaller sights tend to have the highest percent of moderators. Its kind of a reward package to keep the biggest posters on the site.

I have a feeling this isn't how they do it here - administrative team decides who to extend to offers to. Personally I thought it was my flame retardant exterior - I could be wrong though.

Moderating for me is a responsibility - I put up with things as a member of staff I wouldn't have to put up with as a regular member. I am unsure if any one would considerer dealing with spammers, conflicts, angry members and trolls as being part of a reward system - I see myself as an ADDF member who volunteers my free time helping this site because it is a cause I believe in.



By mods I meant modifications

I understand the feeling of over whelm - that is how I felt when I first joined here long time ago. I was soo lost here even though it was smaller It took some time but I learned my way around.


I think the idea for all the new modifications was to offer a variety so members could pick and choose what venue most suites them as an individual. I doubt there was ever an expectation that all members participate in all areas offered. Even though I am a member of staff I do not participate in every area. I have areas like the blogs, gallery, social groups I do enjoy and visit frequenly and other areas I have not even really looked at - I do not even know how to play the games in the arcade.

I agree that it can be a bit overwhelming but we don't have to use it all. I'm just getting the hang of things myself. Haven't even got around to checking bolgs or the arcade yet. What we do have here is a sense of fun. I have been on many forums and they can be too serious. I really feel that we need a little freedom, and the occasional distraction, because we are dealing with things that cause us to have more bad days than good days. The moderators and the moderations are a package and they are what make this forum more relaxed than most I've been on.

I think it is good to have more choices, for those who it is counterproductive for however, I do think it would be nice to see if admin could create separate usergroups for those who would like to not have that distraction so that they could stay comfortable on the site but with respect to the admins and the pain in the neck that job can be sometimes (getting bum rushed is a consequence I can think of not to mention the PM's from all of the impatient ADDer's who after waiting two hours become all indignant etc.).

Maybe it is possible to put members in different usergroups at their request, maybe it isn't. I don't know personally, it depends on the format and the capabilities of the admin panel, not to mention the overload that will come from that, man they'd have to find a few more admins just to deal with the requests if that were to be the case. In some ways I guess I can agree but in other ways, I can understand the point of if it is a distraction then just don't go there.

My post makes no sense, but I think I am trying to make a good point and see it from both sides of the issue.

Your post is fine. But I have to say that I would be a little concerned about creating different user groups. I have seen this before and the outcome is that you are left feeling that the board is made up of two camps, them and us. Can't people who want to just turn some options off?

Any site evolves, some features get used others don't and the logs will show the trends.

As far as the new site is concerned I hope the servers and network have been beefed up to cope with the increased bandwidth and processor power the new site obviously needs. I have a feeling that the new site is a bit slower than the old one but from this side of the atlantic it's impossible to tell whats causing the slow page loading, again the logs should give that info.

kilt

Your post is fine. But I have to say that I would be a little concerned about creating different user groups. I have seen this before and the outcome is that you are left feeling that the board is made up of two camps, them and us. Can't people who want to just turn some options off?

No, what I meant by that is when you are in an Admin Control Panel and you make certain settings available for members (like posting, editing/deleting posts/threads, banning members for example) usually this is something that it made specifically for moderator settings versus regular members but it may or may not be possible I would think to have the arcade and other features turned off or something for those who it may or may not be addicting, distracting (the type of thing where having access to turn it off yourself would be pointless) although it is a lot of work, it is tedious and the load from members would make it worse on the poor admins.

I was making references to Admin features that I know of from experience on a forum for goth people (I was an admin there a few years back and you have a lot of controls and duties as an admin). The concept of specific usergroups like the moderators and super moderators for example are only seen by and modified by administrators. It would not be a public feature to see the usergroups so there would be no 'us vs. them.'

I don't know vbulletin though so I am sure even though I knew phpBB versus vbulletin there are bound to be similarities as far as features and like I said the admin panel may not have the ability to do that, I don't really know I am only a member, maybe an administrator can help answer the question better.

I hope this isn't TMI...

I see, I understand now. The thing is if we just got back to posting and simply checked the new stuff out as we go, we would soon get used to all the different features. I like most of them, they serve to make it feel like more than just another message board. We can come and post, we can make friends and we can play games. It’s cool!!

I agree, totally but some people get addicted to certain things (ADDer's and video games is well known) so I think I understand what the OP may be getting at, who knows, I have ADHD my posts can sometimes be intended to help yet have nothing to do with what the OP intends so, I always take that into consideration.

Good point. I hope it works out okay for everyone in the end.

Smaller sights tend to have the highest percent of moderators. Its kind of a reward package to keep the biggest posters on the site. A problem I have with a large number of moderators is the way moderators are used.

Its a fact that even the best moderators get it wrong a percent of the time. In theory a group of moderators could vote on things and reduce that error. But thats not what happens on most forums. Moderators act alone with other moderators fearful to overturn decision of other moderators.I'm going to disagree with you on that. I used to be a moderator here and it was a lot of work. While it was nice that they trusted me enough to ask me to be a moderator, it didn't feel like a reward package -- it was real work. A lot of folks who are trying to sell something or have a corporate agenda/mindset they're trying to push come here and most of them just quietly disappear thanks to the moderators. Others who just don't follow the rules or who aren't being nice also have to be dealt with. There is consulting between the moderators on problems that aren't as straightforward. This site has grown tremendously since I joined and with more posters it takes more folks to keep an eye on things and keep everybody playing nicely.

I quit being one because it was more time and work than I was able to put in on a continuing basis. I really appreciate the folks who are putting in that time and effort.

I can imagine how hard it is to be one here, the rules were different on the sites I was staff on even for each other and Scattered put it politely when it comes to members not playing nicely. This site is huge too, the goth one was big but the ASPD one was the one I was a mod on and people were nasty on that one, I didn't last long there with the threats and all, but it was shut down anyhow, it wasn't serving it's purpose and this one does serve it's purpose and I appreciate the staff here, they have to keep me in line when I am having periods of being less inhibited but I respect them even if I don't like it when they do their job.

Let's keep this thread thread on topic (about the modifications made to the forums).

Should members wish to discuss other topics, please start a new thread.

Thanks.

I find the new modifications keep the website interesting.

Agreed... I am new here, but the simplicity is most user friendly. Take Google vs. Yahoo, I will use Googles search engine any day because there are not 5,000 unnecessary other things on the page cluttering it up. But, being new here I understand my opinion is not most important, and I will surely become experienced in using the whole forum. Thanks Mods for trying new things and making it a good place to come.

Agreed... I am new here, but the simplicity is most user friendly. Take Google vs. Yahoo, I will use Googles search engine any day because there are not 5,000 unnecessary other things on the page cluttering it up.


This is a most excellent point - user friendly is a plus.

The modifications here appear in the blue strip under the forum navigation - they do not flash, or follow me as I scroll, they are unobtrusive. I think they are easy to locate while also being easy to ignore -> wish every thing in my life worked like that.


I would hate it is the features were distracting but they aren't


Maybe we just need one of those maps like they have at the mall ---> it shows where I am located as compared to the rest of the mall. I can get lost here but shoot I was getting lost here before the new features!

Haha. On that note many of the complaints I have voiced and seen voiced in this thread also apply to Google.

But as long as Google and this forum make sure that the extra stuff is fairly unobtrusive, I can deal. ;)

I used to be a moderator here and it was a lot of work.

I moderated on a larger site with a small number of moderators I know its a hard and mostly a thankless job. But newbie moderators do not know that
on day one :)

Oh the site I moderated on was an aspergers site and changes on that site often triggered a lot of complaints because a lot of people on the autism spectrum are change adverse. So depending on the percent of people with ASD
on this site you have a segment that will all ways have a problem with too many changes.

I'm not even asperger's but change is still hard for me. The only one I really like here is the thank yous. It's just too hard for me to figure out new stuff -- I still don't know where the personal blogs are kept. But since a lot of people seem to enjoy the changes, I'm good with them. I appreciate how hard the administrators work to keep making this site better. I figure not liking new stuff is just my own personal issue. I don't like it in my real life either.

I haven't been in here alot since the changes. I was kind of "lost" when I first came on with the new changes. I actually stopped for awhile just because I didn't want to have to deal with figuring out what all the new stuff was! At that time, I was at my peak of frustration about what was going on in my life, that I didn't have the patience or time!

When did everything change, in Dec/07? Some things are good like the thankyou's.

This is my only forum and I am not big on too much "stuff" but that is probably because I am not big on computers (I think they make people waste alot of time), so more stuff just makes you stay on longer (for me, to try and figure everything out!)
I find some features can add to the pressures of the real world for some. I do understand that alot of people use forums to "socialize" and make friends. Nothing wrong with that. But for "outsiders" to fit in if they don't come in on a regular basis, may feel they can't get "friends" here either. Just my thoughts as I have been thinking of getting my son to join who has problems with the friends thing and notices things like "who is friends with who" and why isn't he friends with them etc. He isn't much of a writer or reader, so I don't know how often he would come in here. He doesn't have any friends that he emails.

I do think it is amazing what people can do with making programs etc.
I also feel some people, (like myself a couple of yrs ago!) that are new to the whole computer/internet/forum thing, feel, the simpler the better.

But, my need for answers about ADD outweighed my fear of figuring out this forum.
I am glad it was easier when I joined.

Hi all,

First, thanks for the input / feedback. It is always good to know where you all stand considering this isn't just one person's "home".

We have tried to keep all of the feature modifications as unobtrusive as possible by keeping the links only up in the NavBar. There are other ways to get to the new sections like blogs, chat, gallery, game room, etc, but they shouldn't be in-your-face, or hopefully in the way. We'll try and keep it like this so they do not distract overtly to our main purpose in the forums.

As for members with addiction or compulsion issues when it comes to features like games, I don't really know what to say. If people have an addiction to games, they can find them anywhere. We simply added the feature for those who might like to play games or compete against other members in the game room in their spare time.

It would create a lot of additional work (more than we need) to create multiple user groups to handle all the situations, and then keep up with them, who qualifies, who wants to be added & removed, etc. So, while this make some happy, it will create an admin headache so that probably is not going to happen.

ADDForums isn't going to try to be all things to everyone; however, we are going to try and evolve as new technology emerges and is available to us such as: Blogs, Social Network type profiles, etc.. These are things that a vast majority of people enjoy.. We are not going to try and have all the features of "MySpace" but I certainly do like the idea of member's being able to customize their profile pages into more of a homepage feel. On that note, our "interactive profile" pages cannot yet be customized like social networking sites such as Myspace, but we are getting closer, and as long as it doesn't get in the way of what we are about, I am for it. Members will always be able to visit the forums and if they don't want to see the profile pages, it is very easy to simply not go to them. Same with blogs, etc..

To address server and resource loads. While ADDF is a fairly large group of people / community, it is not a giant resource hog, and I have not noticed any higher loads due to ADDForums, nor differences in page load times. Adding another server or two is on the agenda, but the new upgraded script & features are not the cause of this.. It is general growth and bandwidth progression over time, for the most part. If a forum is properly configured and the queries per page loaded (ie. server resources used to generate the page you are looking at) are kept low, it is really more dependent on just how many members and guests are requesting pages (surfing ADDF), doing searches, etc.

The only other things I can add is that we will be having a new graphical "skin" coming in the near future, BUT... We will keep the "stock" version (what you see today - date of this post) available for everyone to select if they prefer it. We may even offer one that doesn't have any top banner at all for those that want a totally stripped down version.

Thanks,
David

You guys are doing a great job, I thought the user group idea was far fetched myself, I think the site is great the way it is now. Thanks again for the updates (from one of the members that appreciates it!) :)

I find some features can add to the pressures of the real world for some. I do understand that alot of people use forums to "socialize" and make friends. Nothing wrong with that. But for "outsiders" to fit in if they don't come in on a regular basis, may feel they can't get "friends" here either.Mrs. A., I haven't refused one friendship request yet so ask away. Perhaps some members are shy about sending friendship requests to some people for fear of rejection? Other members may not be interested in befriending anyone.

Perhaps some members are shy about sending friendship requests to some people for fear of rejection? Other members may not be interested in befriending anyone.

Yes, this is what I think could be a problem for my son, which is why I mentioned this in the first place. He doesn't need to feel more rejected than he already does in the real world but I guess he will have to learn to deal with it. Like Facebook, MSN etc, my daughter has had her share of problems.

I want him to get in here on his own so he can learn from others how to deal with his ADHD, but I can't really do anything about it.

He isn't much of a writer or reader, so I don't know how often he would come in here. He doesn't have any friends that he emails.A forum requires a lot of reading and writing, as does email. What is he passionate about? There are forums online for specific hobbies and activities. It's easier for kids to talk about shared interests. Is he interested in XBox, anime, or . . . ?

Perhaps your son would do better nurturing friends in person. Are there any ADHD/ADD support groups for kids in your area?

At first this site was just daunting. But in time, learning the features, using things like thread subscriptions and new posts, it quickly became managable...actually, it quickly became fun. There is always something to do or see or investigate and, to me, that is one of the things I like about this as an ADD community.

So, in short, I really like the mods. Keep em comin'!

:D

I want him to get in here on his own so he can learn from others how to deal with his ADHD, but I can't really do anything about it.

There are some great teens who pop in here from time to time, and my son was a goofball on here a while back. He enjoyed the private forum for teens the most.

I'm a bit embarrassed to bring it up, since everyone seems to love the "thank you's" - but since we're all being honest...I have to admit I find it very distracting. It's like...there's an element of competition now. I'm sorry - I know it's not intended that way. But I can't help it - I'm always looking at the thank you numbers and comparing. I feel as though my helpfulness is now being judged and rated. I admit, I'm ultra-sensitive to any kind of "performance ratings", but I can't help it. It bugs me... I can't help looking at it. Yeah, distracting.

No offense - I know it's meant to be a way to be nice to people. Still, just thought I'd voice my reaction in case anyone else feels the same way. Maybe it's just me.

I'm a bit embarrassed to bring it up, since everyone seems to love the "thank you's" - but since we're all being honest...I have to admit I find it very distracting. It's like...there's an element of competition now. I'm sorry - I know it's not intended that way. But I can't help it - I'm always looking at the thank you numbers and comparing. I feel as though my helpfulness is now being judged and rated. I admit, I'm ultra-sensitive to any kind of "performance ratings", but I can't help it. It bugs me... I can't help looking at it. Yeah, distracting.

No offense - I know it's meant to be a way to be nice to people. Still, just thought I'd voice my reaction in case anyone else feels the same way. Maybe it's just me.

I kind of feel the same way, I start looking at how many thanks I have compared to other people, and I feel bad when I don't always think of thanking people for their posts. And sometimes I don't even notice it.

I do the same with the friends feature - this person has more friends than I have, so what's the matter with me? But I am shy, and not as outgoing as some people, and I don't want to invite people just to have more friends.

I know, it's silly. And these things really only bother me if I think about them, and I try to keep it in perspective.

Overall, though, I like a lot of the new features, the ones I have explored anyway. Except the arcade. I really suck at the games. *lol*

there's an element of competition now. I'm sorry - I know it's not intended that way. But I can't help it - I'm always looking at the thank you numbers and comparing.

I have had a few folks want to turn their reputation point feature off and they give many of the same reasons you stated in quote above. Obviously you are not alone in other members apparently feel pressure due to perceiving these system as some form of competition.

its new since ive been gone.
a good idea, it shouldnt be a competitive thing i guess but a good touch none the less.
:)

I'm a bit embarrassed to bring it up, since everyone seems to love the "thank you's" - but since we're all being honest...I have to admit I find it very distracting. It's like...there's an element of competition now. I'm sorry - I know it's not intended that way. But I can't help it - I'm always looking at the thank you numbers and comparing. I feel as though my helpfulness is now being judged and rated. I admit, I'm ultra-sensitive to any kind of "performance ratings", but I can't help it. It bugs me... I can't help looking at it. Yeah, distracting.

No offense - I know it's meant to be a way to be nice to people. Still, just thought I'd voice my reaction in case anyone else feels the same way. Maybe it's just me.


I have been on other boards with a 'reward' system. It is a bit distracting at first but after a while you tend to get used to it and not think about it much.

Sigh...... I like both features. Is it possible to give users the option to turn off certain features that are distracting to them, but still let the rest of us who like these features still be able to use them??? Like it is for some of the other features?

I agree with both but like Mary's suggestion.

I also would suggest a "Reply to All" button for Private Messages.

I'm all in favour of modifications. Like languages and communication - sites evolve and change over time. Some things turn out to be really useful, others turn out to be crap. The only way to discover either way is to plonk a modification in place and see the user response.

However, you can't please everyone - you have to aim for the middle road and be as broad as possible... and stick to your site aims, (aka policies), then things will go well.

A case in point: The "thank you's" is a fantastic idea. It's quick and easy to thank someone, (which is the way it should be). If it wasn't quick and easy we'd forget about it. It took me several months before I realized there was a reputation system.

Can I make a suggestion? Maybe, as a new modification is added, then a new poll is put in? Then you'd get some instant feedback on the new modification.

So, David and Co. - you're doing well. Keep it up.

The ‘thank you’ button works well. It’s so much better than all those ‘me too’ posts that we normally get on other boards when we just want to agree with the post above.