[bpcyclist]

Right. Would fb allow us privacy? I have never used it. All my sz pals and I are on snapchat together, well, the regulars, anyhoo. Almost all of us w our actual names and phn #s. Lotta trust there. Would we be able to recreate what we have on fb, do you imagine?

I am in the ground without you guys
Simple as that. I try hard to give and love here, but for me, losing you all would be truly life-threatening.

[*Beth*]

You're not alone, bpc. Frankly, I sure hope Healthline or somebody steps up, because I fear for how a shut-down of the PC forums would affect a lot of us.

A group can be entirely private on Fb, yeah. And Fb wants everyone to use our real names, but there are ways around that, too, not difficult to do.

It's something to keep in mind. Certainly not like these forums, but at least an online mental health support group.

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by BethRags

You're not alone, bpc. Frankly, I sure hope Healthline or somebody steps up, because I fear for how a shut-down of the PC forums would affect a lot of us.

A group can be entirely private on Fb, yeah. And Fb wants everyone to use our real names, but there are ways around that, too, not difficult to do.

It's something to keep in mind. Certainly not like these forums, but at least an online mental health support group.

K. Thanks.

You should create a Facebook closed group and then you can post freely there with each other.

[bpcyclist]

Okay, guys. I dug into it. We are totally fine. If they destroy PC, We can easily build ourselves a new site with rules created by the users IF we decide we would like another place and folks think that sounds like a good idea for people. Money will not be an issue and we could possibly eventually get a grant to pick up the bill. Until then, it is no problem. Like it or not, there are growing numbers of folks who do not want to do this kind of thing on fb.

No, I am not hypo or manic or psychotic. I am actually depressed, maybe a 4 outta 10. Just cannot lose this thing

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Okay, guys. I dug into it. We are totally fine. If they destroy PC, We can easily build ourselves a new site with rules created by the users IF we decide we would like another place and folks think that sounds like a good idea for people. Money will not be an issue and we could possibly eventually get a grant to pick up the bill. Until then, it is no problem. Like it or not, there are growing numbers of folks who do not want to do this kind of thing on fb.

No, I am not hypo or manic or psychotic. I am actually depressed, maybe a 4 outta 10. Just cannot lose this thing

Thank you, bpc! I agree that Facebook is not a popular option, and would be a last resort for a better-than-nothing support group.

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I'm afraid I'm less positive about this development than most members seem to be. Healthline is, in turn, owned by some other company called: "Red Ventures", which is (it sounds to me from what little I've been able to find) what is typically referred to as a holding company. All these sorts of companies are interested in is profits.

I was on YouTube when Google bought it. Prior to that most of the members I knew had beautiful channel pages they had designed. First Google took those away & all members could decorate was the border around a large white space. Then they took that away & all you could have was a banner. The rest was simply white space again. Now, it appears, members can't even have a banner (which is okay with me, I prefer not to have one) unless you're a paying member of one sort or another. Oh, & yes you can get rid of all the ads, if you pay Google to take them away...which to me is sort-of like extortion. (Pay us or we'll fill your YouTube videos with ads.)

Anyway, I'm taking a wait-&-see attitude. But I have to say it makes me seriously uncomfortable to think about posting anything of a personal nature on a website that's owned & operated by some enigmatic corporate empire. But, then, I've never been on Facebook or Twitter or any of those sites either. So perhaps it's just me.

Thank you for this important information. I won't feel safe posting a lot of personal information on a site owned by a conglomerate. I do post on other sites like YouTube but only very superficially.

[DechanDawa]

I would not do FB but I would go to a spin-off site if it is properly moderated. Could be.fun.

[DechanDawa]

It seems that change is the nature of the internet. I have really appreciated the stability of Psych Central. I won't be loyal to a new corporate owned Psych Central if it doesn't meet my needs. Ads are a huge turn-off as is any kind of fee structure.

[bpcyclist]

Maybe we will all hafta be on Caplyta and Spravato...

[MoxieDoxie]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Should we begin planning now.? We cld build our own psychcentral. Much easier than when he started it

Maybe we should see what our respective posses think. Guage the temp maybe?

If they do destroy it, it would be way better to have a plan than not have a plan. It is worrisome that noone from HL has yet written a reassuring post. For sure
I would have, Day uno.

I honestly think their is a lot of unused talent on here and we can design and build our own site like this that is designed by those that have been struggling with exactly what we post on here. Now we need:

Project management
Web designer
And I have no clue how to do this.

[seesaw]

My biggest concern with other communities I have joined for a while, both on Facebook and elsewhere, is that they are moderated by individuals who have no experience facilitating and are put into positions of moderation because they started said group, and basically it turns into the worst parts of high school. What I like the most about PC is that the overarching community guidelines have been created by a professional and said professional, DocJohn, oversees the administration of the community guidelines, albeit, yes, by community volunteers, but there is a review structure in place. Every other place I've been, to me, is actually quite unhealthy because it's not overseen by a professional who can gauge the community dynamic or they put in place moderators with no training or who are not stable, simply because they have a lot of time on their hands. Online "support" communities can become toxic really fast when they are basically run without expertise.

Even NAMI facilitators for their peer groups, who are peers, go through substantial training to lead the peer support sessions.

To me, the reason these forums are so successful is because of how they have been created and moderated. Peer support groups I've seen created and run by peers with no professional involved have always turned into super toxic environments.

[~Christina]

I understand the concern , everyone has there own worries and possible negative reactions of how this all could change

For me ? I'm not going to get my panties into a twist until Healthline comes in and we see what changes might happen, DocJohn assured us he will stick around at least for a year.

Ad's ??? I can scroll right past any ad's on Facebook that do not interest me and on the TV I fast forward or use the mute button. So no one will make me read any of it.

As for a pay site?? Honestly over the years there has been lots of conversations about PC charging a small fee.. Hell I am legit always broke but I'd scrape together a small fee monthly or yearly.. Sometimes I get annoyed that we are like an ant farm and people can come by as visitors and literally see into our lives, Or the college student needing to better understand mental health on a paper that's due next week .... But I am the one that shares so I cant blame anyone but myself LOL

So I am going to be positive about this and see what happens.. maybe something wonderful will be added on top of the amazing site DocJohn built.

Cheers

[DechanDawa]

I can't be as positive when it is a conglomerate taking over. I have ad blocker and don't go on any sites with ads. I stay off FB. No, I would not come on a Psych Central with ads...especially ads for drugs. Nah.


There are also problems with paying. Sometimes it makes people feel entitled. This happened on another site I was on. People were not very cordial and they were always on the lookout to see if they got their money's worth.

No, I would not go on a paying mental health site.

I never minded the visitors on this site. Everything is anonymous. And if someone can come on and got some information...heck, even to do a paper...so what? To me that seems like a good thing.

[WastingAsparagus]

Ufff. PC is so cool. I would hate to see it be ruined in any way.

There's literally no other place on the internet where I feel comfortable sharing my emotions and how I'm feeling, how I'm doing in general, and anything else I feel like sharing.

I would very much hate to see it be changed materially.

Just my opinion...

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by BethRags

I don't know if anyone here has seen this. I just did. I'm pretty sure we can expect plenty of ads...."In addition to serving consumers, the acquisition will provide another trusted brand for Healthline’s direct advertising partners to reach their customers, Hallock added."

Healthline Media Acquires PsychCentral, Bolstering Healthline’s Role as the Top Digital Health Publisher | Business Wire

I checked out some other sites mentioned in this article. Not at all like Psych Central. More like "sound bite" articles. I can't imagine the Psych Central forum will survive...as it doesn't seem to fit the profile described in this article. This conglomerate seems more about brands and consumerism. Good Bye Psych Central Forum!

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I understand the concern , everyone has there own worries and possible negative reactions of how this all could change

For me ? I'm not going to get my panties into a twist until Healthline comes in and we see what changes might happen, DocJohn assured us he will stick around at least for a year.

Ad's ??? I can scroll right past any ad's on Facebook that do not interest me and on the TV I fast forward or use the mute button. So no one will make me read any of it.

As for a pay site?? Honestly over the years there has been lots of conversations about PC charging a small fee.. Hell I am legit always broke but I'd scrape together a small fee monthly or yearly.. Sometimes I get annoyed that we are like an ant farm and people can come by as visitors and literally see into our lives, Or the college student needing to better understand mental health on a paper that's due next week .... But I am the one that shares so I cant blame anyone but myself LOL

So I am going to be positive about this and see what happens.. maybe something wonderful will be added on top of the amazing site DocJohn built.

Cheers

Good post

(deleted)

Respect to all

[DechanDawa]

I said goodbye forum.

If you read the press release you can see that they want to emphasize information and products. There was no mention of community or support.

You can also go to other sites they have created and observe a very different format. A lot of ads and short pithy newsy type articles surrounded by colorful illustrations.
Please don't growl at the messanger.

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

Good post

I don't think its helpful to be thinking or saying things like ''good bye Psych Central''

Respect to all

I didn't say goodbye Psych Central. I said goodbye forum...because if you go to the sites created by this conglomerate you will observe a very different style. They probably won't keep the old format and the forum could very possibly be replaced. If you read their press release it says they want to highlight products and information.

I am sad because I love psych central just as it is but the winds of change are howling.

[MoxieDoxie]

I have been saving snippets from articles and from posts from members that have eloquently described something I could not put into words on my profile wall for years. I copied and pasted it all into a google document as I am afraid once they change everything here it will get wiped out. It was a safe place to put it and not worry it would be found on my computer.

When push comes to shove people will only think about saving themselves. You think the members on here would have been a consideration when it came to selling out this site but we were not. Remember that in anything in life like someone you think really cares for your well being (therapist). They care up until they need to save their own *** and your *** is in the way or there are no consequences to dropping you like a hot potato.

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by MoxieDoxie

I have been saving snippets from articles and from posts from members that have eloquently described something I could not put into words on my profile wall for years. I copied and pasted it all into a google document as I am afraid once they change everything here it will get wiped out. It was a safe place to put it and not worry it would be found on my computer.

When push comes to shove people will only think about saving themselves. You think the members on here would have been a consideration when it came to selling out this site but we were not. Remember that in anything in life like someone you think really cares for your well being (therapist). They care up until they need to save their own *** and your *** is in the way or there are no consequences to dropping you like a hot potato.

I was thinking this, too. It kind of reminds me of when I rent apartments from big conglomerates. On the way in it's "Here's a special key chain," and "hope you enjoy your new home," - but on the way out suddenly you are a stranger...even after renting for four or five years! No one even waves goodbye.

I have had a few online communities I love sort of melt away. I always think I am prepared for it...but I never am. I always felt Psych Central was the exception...that is was a safe place...forever. That was probably naive.

The lockdown has kind of made me sick of the Internet. I don't want to feel a part of something important online and then have the rug pulled out from under me.

I feel sad.

[TishaBuv]

One nice thing about having PTSD is I never felt anything was permanent. If my thousands of posts ‘poof’ disappear, I’m fine with it and always expected it anyway. Heck, I threw out every diary I ever kept, too. I have very much enjoyed the time I have spent here. It doesn’t matter to me if it endures moving forward. I do care about the people here and will be sad to lost touch though.

[DechanDawa]

Right now I am part of another community on the Internet I really, really love. But it is starting to fall apart. It has nothing to do with mental health. It has to do with certain creative arts. It's kind of like...when you find a college you love (which I did)...and you want it to last forever. It has been a source of joy throughout these hard times.

I suppose everything has its season.

Eventually...we all have to graduate.

[*Beth*]

I saw the same as DechanDawa, with regard to Healthline. It is what it is.

I would severely miss PC forums if they close, but I'd make it, we'd make it, it's a matter of adjusting. My primary concern is, as I've posted earlier in this thread, I have been involved with 2 forums that, with zero warning, closed. I went to login and - gone. It was a rotten way to lose connection with a group of people I had relationships with.
Once burned, twice shy.

So I want to keep Plan B in mind, just in case. It's good to know, just to be prepared, that there might be another mental health forum online that we would be able to use.

Also, it might turn out that Healthline wants to use PC as a site for their first forum. That would be cool!

[Yzen]

Originally Posted by BethRags

I would severely miss PC forums if they close, but I'd make it, we'd make it, it's a matter of adjusting. My primary concern is, as I've posted earlier in this thread, I have been involved with 2 forums that, with zero warning, closed. I went to login and - gone. It was a rotten way to lose connection with a group of people I had relationships with.
Once burned, twice shy.

I was on another forum and it shutdown without warning and lost all my connections. I would like to think there would be some announcement on this forum if they shut it down since this place was part of the acquisition. The other forum that shutdown was due to the owners not having funds to pay their bill and it was shut off.

I was also a member of a forum that was sold and the new owner reorganized the forum categories and changed the guidelines, but at least it survived.