Testing Forum Under Used IMHO

[anthony]

This forum has a specific forum created for members to use so they can test functions of the forum without risk off penalty or warnings imposed, yet I still find members who post live links, don't understand the icons via the advanced editor, like the video icon which allows you to post and render YouTube videos and other sources video content as the video, not as a live link, directly within your posts.

This forum allows you to learn, yet only a few members use it and seem to avoid any type off issue with staff and the rules as a result, because they learn how to use the forum functions to achieve things within the rules scope, in an environment to purely test and learn, without punishment.

IMHO, I don't get why people don't use it, especially if you don't fully understand something, but you want too.... so instead off avoidance, you can learn what a function does without repercussion.

 

[AdamAnt]

Anthony, I'm supposing you want honesty.

Look at your nomenclature just from that one post..."Penalty", "Warnings", "Imposed", "Punishment", "Avoidance", Repercussion"....

If you honestly want people to try new things, lighten-up dude!

 

[anthony]

Hi Adam, if you weren't the one listening to the bitching after the fact because someone fails to do something simple like, read the rules, then you wouldn't likely say that. Just ask any one who moderates here or another forum... Am I uptight over it? No... so please don't envisage such a thing, as you are only taking what you want from the statement, not what I am actually asking / stating.

 

[AdamAnt]

Anthony, I'm a mod on a fairly large forum...the only reason I felt I had ANY right to respond. Could we possibly continue this via PM?

 

[anthony]

Then you know about the bulleyes often drawn... just figured it was interesting being raised. No need to continue, not an issue.

 

[Nicolette]

P

I'm a mod on a fairly large forum...the only reason I felt I had ANY right to respond.

I find your comments interesting AdamAnt as all un-restricted members are free to respond and the word 'right' seems to me like your interpretation of this forum is tighter than what this choice of words portrays.

While I respect that you may be the moderator of another forum that doesn't mean you are comparing apples with apples.

As I know Anthony I would be confident in saying his intention was to draw members attention to a resource. And he is right in saying you would be surprised how many members complain via PM about not knowing how to do something after getting a warning.

 

[anni]

Hi,

Can I just say that for me specifically, I don't use things I don't understand only because I'm a really, really basic user of all things technical. Copy/paste and attach is as far as I've gotten with the best of intentions before that stupid confusion thing sets in. It makes one feel pretty silly, too, when one has to call the 11 year old over to perform some function for one.

When I see things which seem out of my league, I pretty much just assume it'll shut down my system, so at least for me it's not avoidance so much as knowing my limits. I have to say that here in the forum, there really is zero anxiety over 'getting in trouble' any more, having had excellent exposure 'therapy' with the infractions in the past. The way they are handled has been just a plain blessing.

 

[Artista]

I will be honest. On an outside look... because I haven't been here for long, this is the first forum I have taken part of that had such "infractions." At first I was a bit taken back. Almost paranoid that again as in many aspects i will do something "wrong" so this seemed an odd fit to such a forum. Almost made me stop posting. I am paranoid and always under thumb in other areas and it almost felt "unsafe" and didn't wanna feel that here! In the end I took it as a useful tool and I guessed I wasn't going to be kicked out for yet another misspelled word. I am usually anal about words, but here where my emotions are raw, I found myself being a bit loose in my form... sorry. It was actually indicative of feeling safe. It did feel authoritative at first in a weird way. I can see how it could be misconstrued quite easily without knowledge of the inner workings.

 

[Still Trying]

I think the biggest reason for the under-use of this area of the forum is simply human nature, or whatever you want to call it. If we think we know how to use something, why practice? Does that get us into trouble or cause issues? Constantly. Does it change us? Rarely. In the states we have all of these ridiculous warnings on things: "warning: coffee is hot"; "please raise lid on toilet before using." Ya think?????? All those blatantly obvious signs come from people doing stupid things and then suing about it.

On a more psychological level, it probably has something to do with self-confidence. Using the testing area of the forum makes me admit I don't know how to do something on what I believe is a pretty basic thing - the forum. PTSD magnifies it of course, but we spend a lot of time in day-to-day life showing how insecure we are and how little we know. Sitting at the computer, alone, we feel safe and in control of at least this part of our world. To then go and admit on that forum that we don't know how to do something that seems as simple as post is hard to do. I certainly realize the forum reaches all corners of the world, but we're still usually alone typing and reading. It's the same thing that gets so many people in awkward places on facebook, myspace, and other social networking sites. We think we're alone, in control, and only people we like and trust will read and respond. It's probably why people respond so dramatically to the infractions, too. It feels like a personal attack from this thing we trusted.

My free opinion: worth what it costs.

 

[Deleted member 5760]

I think this is a lot of people reading far too much into something very simple (possibly from both sides)

This is a really ~friendly~ site :)

 

[James B.]

Am glad for the testing area.

Think its a very thoughtful feature, providing us with a means to learn. Once my ground conncection in on (this week) and I make the permanent switch from mobile to desktop, had intended to get in there and run a bunch of tests anyway.

Its another jesture from Anthony that he understands user needs. And understands them with great attention to detail. Doesn't get any better than that. :-)

The structure of this place, including the rules, helps me feel safe and is one of the main reasons am here. It respects everyones rights, and protects them with a finite set of well documented guidlines.

I have had to question my own patience, my own ability to read and retain information, and find this, once again, a very thoughtful freature. Learning involves making errors, the penalty system has alerted me to my fundamental need to slow down and pay attention.

Just my 2 sents.

 

[goingonhope]

Am glad for the testing area.

Me too.

Though I'm frustrated at times with life, and would like more available time on this end to get in there and really learn, like next how to successfully post polls.