PTSD Space - Coming Soon - Your Input

[anthony]

I am now developing a new PTSD website called PTSD Space, which is closed to all public until such time as development is complete (Next month or two). PTSD Space will be a sufferers myspace, if you like for better terms. It will work in conjunction with this website, where access will be invite only and not open to the general public. The website is for those suffering PTS and PTSD.

The website is administered if you like, by the members, where each member has their own space and they decide who see's it, who doesn't, whether its public, private, just for friends on a list, etc. If you think about social networking websites, it will be one of those for PTSD / PTS sufferers. You will have your profile, you will manage and create your own profile space, blog, comments, the lot... there is no administration from myself or another, it is your space to a point. Saying that, the space has limitations for the functions currently being reviewed, being you cannot change the look, but you should be able to change your space in other ways... depends on how it all pans out.

Whilst interactive layouts are cool for kids, they are often not so cool for those older people or those who just cannot learn HTML to design their own space without issues or assistance. So I am not so keen on that one yet unless I can find a way to allow each user to select a set template where the work is all done for them. See what happens with look... though I believe it will likely be a set design, just your space to do as with what you want.

It will contain:

• Profile
• Gallery
• Interactive Features TBA (Video / Audio Chat Maybe, Video Posting, Music and more...
• Live Chat
• Friends List
• Self Management
• Etc etc

Each user will manage their space how they want, including all content, added, deleted, comments, spam, etc.

Now... the site will be a closed website and only be open to those who are invited by others with PTSD, basically who you know with PTSD or find with PTSD, you can then create an account for them and invite them. This really means that if the community has people other than those with PTS or PTSD, it is a users fault and one that they / the community must then look to rectify. The interesting thing will be... if a spammer gets into the community, its because a member let down the rule of ensuring they know who they are inviting and that that person does have PTSD / PTS and are there to have their own space, not spam every other user. It is based to function as a community so those with PTSD get to know others with PTSD by having to interact with one another to ensure the community stays safe from all the Internet nonsense.

If you look at youtube, myspace, facebook, etc... all you get is spam and crap from people all trying to get numbers joining their profile to feel special, all of which is garbage and shows a low self esteem. This community is designed to help PTSD sufferers help themselves, give them their own space which they control, to interact with other sufferers on a different level to what one does upon a forum such as this.

What I am asking from members here... is your input. If you have social websites with features you like, then tell me about them, PM me a link if required so I can have a look.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ongoing Update on Actual Functions Once Installed

• Homepage - contains updated content
• Community Homepage - Contains updated community activities
• Profile - Your personal details, privacy settings, picture
• Friends - Search, invite, add members as friends
• Mutual Friends - Those friends of friends, basically more possible friends to connect with
• Friends Suggest - Same as Facebook, Orkut, etc... suggests people to be possible friends based on input user data.
• Groups, videos and photo albums (all member privacy set to public, members, friends or self)
• Video connect services, youtube, etc... video upload.
• Applications - These are addons each user can choose to have or not upon their profile, ie. Wall, twitter, blog posts, comments, videos, friends locations, etc. Member can set privacy levels on all applications.
• Private messaging system.
• Personal blog with user locked image upload. All blogs are set to member only access. User cannot set any restrictions on blogs.
• Live chat room
• Still on the lookout for seriously cool features to be added...

Issues

• Currently developing detailed FAQ section before releasing to the public.
• Removed some of the user interactivity due to the issues it caused overall. Fancy is nice, but it can cause software issues.
• Still trying to solve some minor software issues, nothing major now, just some little pieces I am still looking at adding if they work 100%.

 

[Grama-Herc]

I think this is a fabulous idea. I for one vote YES ! Will it be moderated or is it free space for us to express ourselves to our own special people?

 

[Noone.]

Sweet.

I'm in, sounds like fun.

Fire.

 

[Deleted member 541]

Anthony,

While I do understand the concept of this new website, I am not sure of it evolving into much of anything, other than like our home pages now. We can upload photos, create a blog, leave messages for each other ect ect.......

You clearly state that this website is for PTSD and PTS suffers ONLY!!!!!! Ok, so it's similar to here, with the exception of the carers having their section.

The problem is......Are there enough members on THIS site that know of others, that suffer from PTSD or PTS to make it a place to grow & share???? Maybe doing a poll first to see if there are members that know of other sufferers, and if they would be willing to join a site such as the one you have in mind.

I do appreciate the effort that you are putting forth, as far as trying to bring in more for the forum and it's members. I would just hate to see you put in the effort, energy, and $$, to have it not get ff the ground.....

Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Mina]

I like the idea of not having it terribly customizable. One thing that led me to get rid of myspace was people's pages full of videos, slideshows, complex sparkly flashing backgrounds and songs that all load and start playing when you go to the page. HATE THAT and it always took forever for the page to come up. I think even Facebook has too much crap with MafiaWars and VampireWars and sending gifts and favors and tokens and all kinds of add-on apps like MyZoo and quizzes and such. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't care about any of that...you have a virtual zoo, wtf? :rolleyes: I've changed the settings as much as I can to not notify me or display those things, but it only works so well. My preference would be to keep things simple.

 

[Luthien]

I think it's a neat idea. I'd join.

I like the formats on Myspace, or cocreatingourreality.com...maybe we could have something similar eventually?

I'll PM you my link so you can see what I mean about cocreating..

Thanks.

 

[fin]

I am interested Anthony I am also IT challenged too and wonder if I could be able to access this , and there might be others similarly somewhat anxious about the newness of the kind of website you are describing

 

[Nicolette]

I am not sure of it evolving into much of anything, other than like our home pages now.

Well, that comes down to the attitudes and opinions of those using such a site.

 

[anthony]

Will it be moderated or is it free space for us to express ourselves to our own special people?

It is free space for a user to express themselves. If you moderate something in your space, it is because you choose to do that. If you add, delete, edit, whatever, all your doing.

I am not sure of it evolving into much of anything, other than like our home pages now. We can upload photos, create a blog, leave messages for each other ect ect.......

I think you could we way off mark Wendy... way off. This website contains only a handful of PTSD sufferers around the world. It would be ignorant of myself or any other to believe this website hold the majority of sufferers. Military websites hold the majority of PTSD sufferers. This site is said to be the best PTSD resource online in the world today by some extremely reputable sources, however; that doesn't make it the best for an individual. It just makes it the best resource.

You clearly state that this website is for PTSD and PTS suffers ONLY!!!!!! Ok, so it's similar to here, with the exception of the carers having their section.

Not even close to here. Have you been on MySpace, FaceBook, etc? They are designed as interactive profile pages with blogs, basically speaking. They are designed to bring people together in a social environment. This forum is not a social environment, far from it. People said the same things about MySpace... it is one of the largest social networking sites in the world. Facebook came along, people said it wouldn't go anywhere because MySpace had it all sewn up. Wrong again... now people have both, Twitter, etc. The world demands social networking, which a forum of this nature is anything from a social network, it is here to help you heal trauma and PTSD.

The problem is......Are there enough members on THIS site that know of others, that suffer from PTSD or PTS to make it a place to grow & share????

I could send out 10 invites to military sufferers with PTSD, they could send out 10 invites to their mates with PTSD, etc etc.... that quickly adds-up to thousands of like people in one space all looking for others who understand, but don't want to be their to talk trauma all the time, instead want to meet others who understand them that they can socialize with. Very very different agenda's.

I do appreciate the effort that you are putting forth, as far as trying to bring in more for the forum and it's members.

This isn't about bringing in more members to this forum... shit, if I wanted to play the numbers game I wouldn't have deleted thousands of non-participating users and this forum would say it had over 10,000 members now. I think you may off forgotten what I am actually like Wendy, because numbers is not me, never has been, never will be. I want quality, I do things because I know what I want and I know what a lot of others want from my connection to so many with PTSD. I have a lot of people within the military sphere who have wanted such a thing for a long time.

Invite only makes it easier for the users, not for me. If I just let anyone register, then users would be fighting constant spammers, sexual predators, trolls, etc etc.... why do that to people if its not necessary? If the site was like MySpace, a global social network, then it would be stupid to be invite only, but when you make a site dedicated to a niche, then invite only says users a whole lot of time. Everyone with PTSD soon knows someone else with PTSD, especially with the Internet.

I like the idea of not having it terribly customizable. One thing that led me to get rid of myspace was people's pages full of videos, slideshows, complex sparkly flashing backgrounds and songs that all load and start playing when you go to the page.

Yep... the idea is to allow the user to completely manage what they see and do, participate within, etc. If people do silly things, then like other social networks, you can ignore them, turn off images, only allow "x" people to see your stuff and so forth. This is all why its going to take me a good month or two on and off to play with it, get good design and so on.

I think it's a neat idea. I'd join.

I like the formats on Myspace, or cocreatingourreality.com...maybe we could have something similar eventually?

Thanks for the site Luthien, I will check that out.

I am interested Anthony I am also IT challenged too and wonder if I could be able to access this , and there might be others similarly somewhat anxious about the newness of the kind of website you are describing

Like everything online... you either adapt or you bury yourself. Technology changes; you either change with it or get left behind. The www is the same... it is constantly evolving and if you as a www user are not prepared to learn new things, read how to use a site and features, then you get left behind. Anyone can learn if they want too... even if they have to be shown vs. read... anyone can learn though if they choose too.

Yes, I would ensure a very unique and well documented FAQ exists to cover as much as possible, obviously without knowing every question. I can even put a support system in if needed, like a searchable knowledge base.

Thanks for the support, I think it will be an outstanding idea and no doubt will have to evolve once member participation begins. I can only create it with a solid base, and hopefully members will see things, want things, notice things, to improve the system and overall functionality. The site will have no editors, as every user is their own editor.

 

[Deleted member 541]

Anthony,

I think you are taking everything I said the wrong way. I am NOT against this site. My point is, that many of us here have stated that we know NO ONE (in person) that have PTSD and this site is the one site that they have to know others with PTSD.....If this is the case then WHO do you invite, as the site is ONLY available for those with PTSD.....

When I made this statement.....You clearly state that this website is for PTSD and PTS suffers ONLY!!!!!! Ok, so it's similar to here, with the exception of the carers having their section. I was talking about the site that you are developing NOT here......

 

[anthony]

Hey Wendy, I know what you are saying, but I believe you are wrong. You are one person, and those here who know nobody else are also limited. People meet people with PTSD by coming online to these such communities. I am registered in other communities and know other people in those communities, of which they do not come here, and I do not want them to come here because they are happy in those communities. I meet people with PTSD outside of this community, as do many others.

You are referring to yourself from my understanding, which is one person is millions around the world with PTSD. Millions of PTSD sufferers have MySpace and Facebook accounts because they are social places, not a place where they just talk about how they feel or because they want to heal trauma... but more to be with like minded individuals from around the world that they would otherwise just not meet. It only takes a few and suddenly things are huge...

I talk with a lot of people through email who are not members off this community, but they might find me through here, but still do not register here. There are a lot of members here, in one small place, that do the very same thing and participate in MySpace, Yahoo Groups, FaceBook, Twitter, etc etc... all finding others with PTSD, others who are vets, served in combat, had MVA's, been raped, sexually abused, assaulted, bullied and so so much more.

I understand what you are saying... that you are saying you know nobody, but if I sent only you one invite and nobody else, you just stated above that you do actually talk with others here, so you would send them invites, then they would send members here they know invites, then off those members, people would know others outside of here, and so it continues. That is how communities get build, word of mouth... and I have a big mouth when needed.

I can understand people not liking new things... it can be daunting. I haven't tried myspace or facebook myself, but I have been to them and I have watched others on them, so I know what they are about, what they can do, etc. I used to help my eldest son design his facebook page, well, get him into customizing it how he wanted. He knew nothing about it, but after a couple of weeks of learning he became quite skilled at it. I think this is a problem with older generations, in that they become used to certain things and do not like change. Change is good...

Will the site appease everyone? No... no different from this community and every other of the millions off online communities that already exist. My plan for the site is the same as this one... listen to the users feedback and develop it over a good year, then it should run quite well. Everything takes time and takes getting used too.

I do believe you closed yourself off to the idea though before even seeing it. Your choice though, and that is ok... things I do are not for everyone and I respect your opinion as your opinion.

 

[Nicolette]

and I have a big mouth when needed.

Sorry...couldn't let this pass without agreeing :poke: