Excessive off-topic and inappropriate chat in the Depression support room

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johnd205
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Location: Hell

Excessive off-topic and inappropriate chat in the Depression support room

Postby johnd205 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:01 pm

I'm disappointed in the amount of off-topic and inappropriate chat in the Depression support room. This situation has been going on for years now.

Two worn-out responses I get when I bring this up in the chat room:
1. "You can control your own chat using the "ignore" function." No, this is not practical. I'd have to ignore at least a quarter if not half of the chatters at any given time.
2. Invariably, someone will screech: "well we don't want to _only_ talk about depression!". Some of these same people are the ones who stay in the room and mock people who come here with actual problems. They would be better served by any one of hundreds of other chat rooms.

According to the channel listing there is a Lounge room for social chat. Why is it not open?
Would it be possible to actually put some teeth in your own rules and do maybe 30 minutes a day of effective moderation? I'm not the only one who thinks is nothing like it once was, that its users (are allowed to) ruin it. Who would want to bare their soul in an environment like this?

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Stephen
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Re: Excessive off-topic and inappropriate chat in the Depression support room

Postby Stephen » Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:19 pm

I understand your concerns. I also find it annoying when there is both the #lounge and #leisure to talk about off topic issues. I don't understand what you mean by 'not open'. Both are open. All you have to do is click on #lounge or #leisure.

I don't believe only 30 minutes a day of 'effective moderating' is applied to the #depression support room. I for one do more than that.

I see the off-topic rule brought up a lot. However, people can't be forced to talk about certain subjects all the time -- as if they were like subjects of our realm (isn't that a dictatorship?).

You obviously feel very passionately about this, and that is to be applauded. I agree with the general premise of this post. Due to that, and the passion you express about the support room, why don't you ask to be considered as a moderator? https://www.depression-understood.org/contact.htm

Thank you for your feedback, it is most appreciated.

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johnd205
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2018 2:19 pm
Location: Hell

Re: Excessive off-topic and inappropriate chat in the Depression support room

Postby johnd205 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:04 am

Yes, the #lounge and #leisure rooms apparently are there. I was not using the correct way to get to them.

But "dictatorship"? No need for hyperbole. Call it what you want, but the place needs to follow its own stated rules. Yes, people can be forced to stay on topic, or get kicked from the room. Other chat rooms have no problem doing this. On rare occasions I've even seen a mod here trying to enforce this. Last evening, like most times I have visited the #depression chat, it was out of control. People were talking about sexual "threesomes" in a place that's supposed to be about depression support. Chatters with obvious problems were being ignored. Pointing this out in the chat only gets one mocked. One has to assume that the current moderators are okay with this. You're the ones in control.

There are hundreds of other social chat rooms to choose from for general socializing. At this point I ask why bother calling the site "depression-understood", when it really isn't that anymore?

If whoever controls this site cannot or will not set things right, then I'll be advising anyone I care about to stay away from it.


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