Changes

[Lance]

Alright I may have missed somebody asking this before, but I'll ask anyway.

I see now that there are quite a few more "blue names" on the list. There's also a big list of new welcomers too. I'm sure there will be more to come also. My question is, when will we have done enough in your eyes, to start having things back? I can see the whole forum now, but I'm not asking for me, asking for everybody.

Your pledge has already began to be answered, so could you in return, give one part of the restrictions up? For instance, the chat?

Peace, Lance

[Ulrica]

Having been away for a week I've totally missed all this. I've just read all the posts and thought it over for a bit.

I want to say that I totally get why you need to do this Josh. I have worked for charities and other volunteer organizations myself and I know just how much one relies on members support, both financially and in other ways. I am glad that people can help in other ways other than paying actual cash, I know that help is just as much needed as the money itself. I think what you're doing is amazing and I appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping this site up and running. I bow my head to you, not many could do what you have done and I think it's wonderful.

I can see why people are getting angry though, I think it's the shock more than anything. Time will most likely be the greatest saviour here. As she is with most things.

I'll try and help in other ways too, see if I can post some things on the boards at my day center once they open up after the summer holidays.

And a big thank you to everyone who keeps this site up and running. Changes are never easy but sometimes very much needed.

Ulrica

[Joshua]

Lance

I completely understand what you are saying but the time has come where to be a part of this community you need to offer you support to the organisation in return for its support to you. This wasnt being done when there was the option to donate or an option to help out.

I am rethinking some aspects of this and will update this post as and when i come to a conclusion. The last thing i want is for this community to fall apart or for people to be without.

People think this is easy for me, that i just make a decision and then go with it without another thought, these people would be greatly wrong. I spend very much time thinking over and decision i make. This is not to say i will agree or change my mind with what any one has said but i will give it my thought

[Joshua]

After receiving your feedback i have reconsidered some of the changes made to our online services.

Members who just join the site can post up to 25 posts and have full access to EVERYTHING. AFter 25 posts they will need to either subscribe OR volunteer to help us in some way.

Existing members will have access to everything other than gallery, blogs, chat, the attention seekers forum and venting. Crisis forums will now be open as standard. Should existing members want access to everything else they are not able to use they will either have to donate or volunteer to help us out in some way (A list of what can be done is on its way)

Ok, so what do people think about this?

[Hopeless]

meh not bad i guess :bigarmhug[1]:

[Paris]

I think thats a pretty good suggestion, lets people who have just joined find their way around and start getting to know people, i like it.

Also think the idea of the crisis forums being open to all is very good as it has been made apparent on here that a lot of people only have that place for crisis support.

I know a lot of people are still complaining about the chat not being available unless they volunteer or donate blah blah was wondering if there was any way around that- although i absolutley agree with the idea of volunteering or helping in a financial way but i know some people arent able to for personal reasons, anyway was just a question :)

[Joshua]

I know a lot of people are still complaining about the chat not being available unless they volunteer or donate blah blah was wondering if there was any way around that- although i absolutley agree with the idea of volunteering or helping in a financial way but i know some people arent able to for personal reasons, anyway was just a question

I dont think this will change, chat will be one of the reasons people choose to help out if they choose to at all. If we made that open to all then all of this would have been for nothing and i should have just kept the place as it was

[sunshine_bear]

I like that! I think its very fair and I am very glad you have opened crisis back to everyone! I don't mind volunterring etc to use chat and other things cos they are a privalidge there are many forums that don't have that function so we were lucky to have it at all.

And I love the idea of newbies getting to see everywhere and settle in.

Very good Josh sunshine likes!

sunx

[Paris]

ok was just a question i keep getting asked , no sorry being yelled at by people -as i said im all for people contributing in some way and seems a lot of people agree - by the amount of yellow and blue on the board

[Joshua]

Thank you both for your support

[gingernut]

I am abit disappointed about the blogs being restricted, now I am in all a quandry.

I understand the need for support so I guess I will have to think about it.

Ginger

[Lance]

Mkay here's my thoughts again.

Josh, I appreciate you taking time to reconsider things, so thanks for that

Quick question though. Is this going to be forever? I mean, I see it as a good idea....however, I can only see it working well with new members from this point onwards. So, the thousands of members alerady here, do they ALL have to "contribute" to get back what they've grown to use so much? I know there are "lots of different ways" to contribute, but I run a few forums myself, and I believe that simply being a member and posting every day to keep this place alive is the biggest contribution anybody could give.

Once my month of subscription is over, will I be restricted once again? If that is the case, then I see this as officially a pay-for-use forum...which in my book takes away the meaning of "donation". Donation should be optional (and I'm not just talking about money). But it seems that this is now going to be a requirement, yeah?

Look, I'm all for this new idea, but I have a small idea to input too. Could you not make it so that after a certain amount of donations (both money and voluntary work), your restrictions are perminantly lifted? I've given money 3 times to this place, could you not make it so that after 5 monthly payments, you are unrestricted perminently? Or perhaps if you subscribe to a year (which is a good sum of coins), you also are perminently unrestricted.

If you think about it, new members will already be aware of this before they register, so they shouldn't have any problem with it because it was their choice after they read the terms. And to be honest, I think this will get you a lot of support financially.

Just a couple ideas. I hope you take it the way I intended, and not as another disagreement

Peace, Lance

[Fairy]

I think your admendments are very fair Josh, very fair indeed.

Hopeless, Just because you are not receiving attention as soon as you would like, does not mean people do not care or hear you. Making spiteful remarks towards me will not help anybody.

Fairy xxx

[yorkiegal73]

The only downside to this is newbies not getting involved and posting on the forum because they want to keep their free access to chat, or people creating double accounts. I hope that doesn't happen. Thanks for opening the crisis threads to everyone again. :)

[sunshine_bear]

We can't have double accounts you get suspened.

sunx

[Joshua]

Yes were good picking up double accounts and those people are just banned.

[Joshua]

Hi Lance,

Thanks for coming back to me. Ive spent some time thinking back to when i was heavily dependant on internet forums etc. I couldnt find anything for bpd and even now the places you find for bpd are usually just a message board with a few members and if your lucky a chat room with few people in it. (UK)

If i was offered a chance to pay £30 a YEAR for this place in which i got a book, dvd, newsletters, extras on the forum etc etc etc i would have taken there arm off. I say that as fact.

[Lance]

You know what man, I'm beginning to agree with you here. If you had had these terms from the very beginning, I believe it would still be as popular today. But I think the issue here is because of the sudden change. I can accept these changes personally, and I'll still continue to use this place. However, do you think you could gradually put it into practise? Like, could you put everything back and slowly take them away throughout the course of a month, maybe 1 thing every week. This would give people a chance to finalize any posts, blogs or galleries they want to get into. Still do what you are doing, just not all at once. Does that sound fair at all?

If you give people an official close date for each section, people would feel better about I think. You're a reasonable guy Josh, have a think about it aye?

Peace, Lance

[Joshua]

Lance yes i could have done that, and maybe i should have but now its been done i will stand to it.

I agree with you in regards to the if it was always like this etc. The reality is though it would never of had to get this far if there were offers to help etc.

[ramfan007]

I am still not in agreement with this, I think you really need to re-consider how you deal with those members who really are broke and canot volounteer because of there illness.

And forgive me if I am wrong, but why would we want a copy of your book, I sorry but if I wanted to read it, I would order it fom amazon, is this just a way to shift copies of your book Josh, because from where I am sitting it sure seems so.

Oh and I did subscribe to this site on 14th November 2007. I did this becuasue I wanted to show my support even if it was a small amount. Do I now have to subscribe again

Sorry but still angry

Ram

[ramfan007]

I have just checked my paypall account, I have subscribed twice since I joined this site

[Joshua]

And forgive me if I am wrong, but why would we want a copy of your book, I sorry but if I wanted to read it, I would order it fom amazon, is this just a way to shift copies of your book Josh, because from where I am sitting it sure seems so.

Oh and I did subscribe to this site on 14th November 2007. I did this becuasue I wanted to show my support even if it was a small amount. Do I now have to subscribe again

Sorry but still angry

Ram

You have a right to be angry, but i wont listen or respond to rubbish about selling my book etc. Im a published author which means i dont have to push to sell it. Also the copies i have had printed of it and sold, the money has gone into BPDWORLD.

[sunshine_bear]

You have a right to be angry, but i wont listen or respond to rubbish about selling my book etc. Im a published author which means i dont have to push to sell it. Also the copies i have had printed of it and sold, the money has gone into BPDWORLD.

Really? Oh I helped then cos I bought one!

Ram alot of people are not well but are still volunterring all it is is helping out a little bit.

sunx

[ramfan007]

Ram

[Joshua]

The book is something that is included within the package. The same as anything else added within in, pens, dvd's etc....

Insisting people have a copy of my book? Put it in the bin when you get it.....

Its something included within a package, thats all.