United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I was wondering if there was any way that guest posts could be "timed" from when they are approved, and not when they are initially submitted by the guest - ie., added to the thread at the point they are approved and not "held in place" but invisible until they are approved?

It is difficult to follow threads when guest posts end up getting "inserted" further up because of the delay in getting approved. I occasionally go back over old threads, and only then do I notice that guests were also contributing, but I never saw their posts because I thought I had already read past that point in the thread. I think a lot of times, posts from guests in a discussion can be missed entirely because of this.

Kate

Kate,

As has been stated before on the message boards, the moderators have to review the guest posts before they can be approved and put up for all to see. The way software inserts the posts where it does; the moderators cannot change that.

We all have lives and do the very best we can to moderate the message boards on a regular basis, but it is all volunteer and it is time consuming to read through each and every post. If there are questions or concerns about the posts, they need to be discussed by the team. All this takes time and effort.

Perhaps when revisions occur with the message boards in the future we can make some changes and it won't be an issue, but for now this is the process that we have.

Well, gee... it was just a suggestion. Sorry to have bothered you!

Kate

No bother. It was just an explanation to your suggestion.

Kate

What the moderator was saying is that even with a team of moderators working it is not always possible to have someone on the board. Lately they have a huge amount of "guest" posts. We have people in every time zone around the world posting to the Message Boards. Our team is spread out across the USA time zones to accommodate those who choose not to post with a log in. The moderator was stating that they are all volunteers and try their best to move things along and occasionally things do not get approved as rapidly because they are all busy. We do not have someone at the board 24/7 waiting for a guest post to appear.

I think the moderator tried to answer your question. Our team of Moderators do a fine job and give so much of their free time to making this board function and keeping it a comfortable place to post.

All UBPN board members are involved with bpi as you are and have other obligations. They are giving their time to support the mission of UBPN.
They must also deal with ROM and therapy and time constraints that this injury places on all of us. UBPN has no salaried employees all of the work of UBPN is accomplished by volunteers.

Kathleen Mallozzi
UBPN Secretary

Kath and moderators,

I just don't see why so much defensiveness was necessary in response to my suggestion. My suggestion was very specifically "can the timing be changed" to reflect when guest posts go up rather than when they are submitted. If I had wanted to be critical about how long it takes to get posts approved, I am quite capable of expressing that. However, I am WELL aware of the fact that the moderators are volunteers, overworked, have lives, etc. etc.

A very simple "The software doesn't work that way. Maybe we'll consider it when it is revised in the future" would have sufficed.

Kate

Kate, let me jump in here if I may please.... Your original post asked the question about the timing of guest posts. The board moderator did answer your question with the response of...

.....As has been stated before on the message boards, the moderators have to review the guest posts before they can be approved and put up for all to see. The way software inserts the posts where it does; the moderators cannot change that.

I do belive that this was the answer that you were looking for that you stated in the post today. The software doesnt allow us to do this.

You havent bothered anyone here, we are always open for suggestions from our community! Pleas I just ask that you have patience with us.

Courtney
UBPN board of directors

I agree with Kate here...sorry...but the statement by UPBNmoderator5 that was offensive and taken wrong was..."We all have lives here..." That is understandable, and the tone to which we write words on paper can be as effective as non-verbal indicators of communication...The message without those words would have completely answered Kate's question and would have been more appropriate for a moderator...

I Am sure that this will be taken into consideration but it is something that people do need to understand, and there are many that really dont or dont accept the fact of the matter. It just seems like there are always people "offering suggestions" on how to do things but no one ever volunteers to help out. If we could get more volunteers from the community things could be easier for all involved parties. Please understand that that comment was not made to sound rude, I am sure, that is not the intention of UBPN.

COurtney
UBPN board of directors

Courtney,

Thank you for your response, and I did see the response to my suggestion buried in the original moderator response. But I also saw a lot of defensive reaction to something that I didn't even say?! To quote: "As has been stated before... etc" "I just ask that you have patience with us" "it is not always possible to have someone on the board" "If there are questions or concerns about the posts, they need to be discussed by the team. All this takes time and effort."

If my post was interpreted as complaining about the amount of time it takes moderators to approve posts, I suggest you all try reading it again! I was acknowledging a reality, and suggesting one way that might make it easier to cope with that reality. The response has made me sorry I even dared to make any suggestion whatsoever.

Kate