# The Forum's future - your ideas/feelings needed!



## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Over the course of this year we are hoping to make improvements to the forum and expand its influence. I think that, even if you have only been a member fr a short while, it will be clear what benefits the support of our peers can bring in helping people affected by diabetes, to learn about the condition and how to control it well. We need to bring this to the attention of as many people as we can, so I'm asking for your help in finding ways we can improve awareness of the forum, and also improve its usefulness to the members 


How can we spread the word?
What improvements could be made?
What do you find good about the forum?
What annoys you/do you find difficult to use, when using the forum?
What benefits do you think the forum brings to people?
How can we get people to engage more with the forum?
How does it compare to other social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, twitter) when seeking/giving support?

Any and all thoughts would be very welcome  There are thousands of people out there who I know would benefit from using the forum, but they may not even be aware we exist! Whatever ideas you have, please post away and let me know, thank you


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## Andy HB (Feb 16, 2015)

Hello Alan, here's my halfpenny's worth. 

--> How can we spread the word?
It does seem to me that the link with Diabetes UK is not as strong as it should be. They seem a little reluctant to advertise and promote our existence. Also, they no longer seem to have a personal presence on here either. I think strengthening that link could be good.

--> What improvements could be made?
I think the layout of the forum is fine. Maybe some of the sections are a bit under-utilised now though and are in need of some re-invigoration.

--> What do you find good about the forum?
Frankly, you Alan! Also, more often than not, someone always gets a reply to their question or post pretty quickly. I don't recall the last time that someone got no responses at all (except where it didn't matter!).

--> What annoys you/do you find difficult to use when using the forum?
I honestly cannot think of anything! 

--> What benefits do you think the forum brings to people?
The clear benefits are that people can tap into a very wide range of knowledge. Hopefully, the downside to that (i.e. how to apply such knowledge to yourself because we are often very different) is frequently mitigated because, mostly, that advice is well moderated (we don't have the know-it-all 'gurus' that often frequent other sites).

--> How can we get people to engage more with the forum?
This is a tricky one. I do wonder because we have pretty well established members here, whether that can sometimes be a deterrant to new members (they can feel like outsiders). I have seen, in the past, new members almost 'hounded out' when their opinions were in conflict with others. There can be a bit of a 'pack mentality' at times.

Another thing which I notice happens a lot is the single poster on the Newbies forum who then never posts again despite getting lots of responses. I don't know why this happens and if we can understand/find out why, perhaps that will help the forum grow its active member list?

--> How does it compare to other social media?
Sorry, no opinion on this because I hate other social media!!

Andy


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks Andy, very constructive and echos many of my own thoughts


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## Robin (Feb 16, 2015)

What Andy says! regarding his point about people joining and then never posting, as a new member myself, I lurked for ages before joining because what I wanted from the forum was to keep up with advice and new ideas. occasionally there was a thread where I thought I might have been able to add something, so I joined. But since then, I have tended to think, there are so many of you with huge experience, who post excellent and thoughtful answers, that why would you need to read anything I could add? I don't mean I'm intimidated, I just mean, I imagine people reading my post and thinking, who' she? 
I have mentioned this forum to my diabetic nurse ( by which I mean the general practice nurse who has been lumbered with dealing with us lot) but I got the feeling that she tended to steer well clear of the places. I stressed the link to Diabetes UK, but I agree with Andy, if there was a stronger DUK presence here, she might feel more confident about using it.


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## stephknits (Feb 16, 2015)

I think the forum can and should be a great asset for Diabetes UK.  Agree the kink should be stronger, a regular slot in balance?  Need not be big, but just a here's what they have been posting about, or something.  It would also be great if info about it could be put in welcome letter/pack if it isn't already.  I think this is a vital service, which compliments the helpline and should be promoted as such. 
Can't thi.k of any useful suggestions with regard to getting more active members, perhaps we could have a say hello section and a new to the forum section or something, maybe add a link from just posting you are new to the forum and diving in to everything else. 
You know how great I think the forum is Alan, so will spare you the blushes again!  Keep up the wonderful work


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks Robin  All input is welcome, so whilst you may not feel qualifed to offer advice or explanations for people, your own personal experiences will always add to the 'bank' that people can relate to. Diabetes is such a varied condition in how it manifests itself, so the more we know of an individual's experiences, the broader our collective knowledge becomes 

I think that maybe fewer people post as often as they did in the early days of the forum because we have now built up a searchable repository of topics that people can refer to instead of perhaps asking a question that has already been covered. But fresh input and perspectives are always welcome as things can change so quickly in the world of diabetes! 

Certainly, we are hoping to build closer ties with Diabetes UK over the coming months (whilst retaining our independent voice and freedom to air our views!), so ideas of the kind of things that would be good in this respect would be very useful


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

stephknits said:


> I think the forum can and should be a great asset for Diabetes UK.  Agree the kink should be stronger, a regular slot in balance?  Need not be big, but just a here's what they have been posting about, or something.  It would also be great if info about it could be put in welcome letter/pack if it isn't already.  I think this is a vital service, which compliments the helpline and should be promoted as such.
> Can't thi.k of any useful suggestions with regard to getting more active members, perhaps we could have a say hello section and a new to the forum section or something, maybe add a link from just posting you are new to the forum and diving in to everything else.
> You know how great I think the forum is Alan, so will spare you the blushes again!  Keep up the wonderful work



Thanks Stephknits  There should be an upcoming article in Balance about the value of social media for support that I did an interview for recently, so watch out for that  I have also mooted the idea in the past of something like 'A View from the Forum' as a potential regular feature


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## BobbieH (Feb 16, 2015)

> How can we get people to engage more with the forum?
This is a tricky one. I do wonder because we have pretty well established members here, whether that can sometimes be a deterrant to new members (they can feel like outsiders). I have seen, in the past, new members almost 'hounded out' when their opinions were in conflict with others. There can be a bit of a 'pack mentality' at times.


You have hit the nail bang on there Andy.

As a newish member it is very hard to get past the established members who in my opinion really only chat to each other.  Maybe I do not have anything of use to say.
I have learnt a lot just by reading other posts without taking part. 

i think every doctors surgery  should have this webpage displayed.  I only came across it by accident


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

BobbieH said:


> > How can we get people to engage more with the forum?
> This is a tricky one. I do wonder because we have pretty well established members here, whether that can sometimes be a deterrant to new members (they can feel like outsiders). I have seen, in the past, new members almost 'hounded out' when their opinions were in conflict with others. There can be a bit of a 'pack mentality' at times.
> 
> 
> ...



I am sorry to read this, I must admit I haven't been aware of people being 'hounded out' here, I thought we were a friendly and welcoming bunch on the whole. There have been the occasional misunderstandings, but I did thinmk we were much more tolerant than some forums in not preaching or denigrating the views of others.

Regarding established members chatting to each other - this is something that is difficult to get around really. It is the regular posters who are most likely to respond to new members and threads, so their presence is bound to be prevalent, but I would hope that we are inclusive of everyone. Inevitably, friendships will be built over the years in which case higher levels of familiarity between those members, but I would have hoped that newcomers would still feel welcome to join any discussions. It's obviously hard for me to judge because I am clearly so close to everything, so I welcome people's perceptions of this


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## BobbieH (Feb 16, 2015)

Perhaps I put that badly. I certainly don't feel hounded out nor do I feel that what I have to say contributes very much as it is often ignored.  I love David's quizzes though.


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## Copepod (Feb 16, 2015)

I'd like to see more emphasis on the fact that this forum is supported by a diabetes charity, rather than a company that sells diabetes products.


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

BobbieH said:


> Perhaps I put that badly. I certainly don't feel hounded out nor do I feel that what I have to say contributes very much as it is often ignored.  I love David's quizzes though.



That's good to hear BobbieH  David is a legend, we are lucky to have him here


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## Lindarose (Feb 16, 2015)

I've been reading these posts and as often happens my thoughts/ideas have been pretty well covered already When I finish work ile spend a little time sending my views


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## Robin (Feb 16, 2015)

going back to what Bobbie was saying, as a newbie, whether it's joining an evening class, an exercise class, or a forum, I think you have to hang in there feeling a bit new until one day you suddenly find you're regarded as one of the old hands. i have enjoyed doing David's puzzle pages (when I can do them!) as a good way of getting used to chipping in regularly until I feel I have something to say on the diabetic topics. 
I should have said earlier, of course, what makes the forum start feeling like home is Northrner!


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## KateR (Feb 16, 2015)

I've just one tiny niggle. When I get to the bottom of a long page I have to scroll right back to the top. I know I'm lazy but a 'back to the top' button would be helpful.  Otherwise I love the forum as it is.


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## BobbieH (Feb 16, 2015)

I should have said earlier, of course, what makes the forum start feeling like home is Northrner!

Tried to add thumbs up but failed miserably. lol.


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## Pumper_Sue (Feb 16, 2015)

Not sure if this can be done but can a report button be put on/in the members profile page? This would then make it so much easier for mods to be able to remove spammers.


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## Michael7 (Feb 16, 2015)

One thing I have found is that this is not like a lot of other forums, the information given to a diabetic is very important, and so is the ability of the user to take it on board with the correct perspective.
This is an area I am struggling with!
I think I would like to see some form of nationwide consistency with the medical profession, so that if I have a query the answer should be the same throughout the country. 
Is this something the forum should strive for?

Michael


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## Andy HB (Feb 16, 2015)

Northerner said:


> ... I haven't been aware of people being 'hounded out' here...



Sorry, that phrase was started by me! 

One person I felt who was not made fully welcome when first posting here was Alan S. To a certain extent I also think that he bowed out from the forum because he felt his time was better spent elsewhere. He was (and probably still is) a prolific poster/blogger and posting here as well meant additional work for him.

There were others, but I feel that most of them contributed to their departure by being a little too 'abrasive' themselves!

But I don't want to give the impression that this is a common problem because it isn't. I think most people are given a really warm and supportive welcome. Especially those in need of help.


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## Andy HB (Feb 16, 2015)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Not sure if this can be done but can a report button be put on/in the members profile page? This would then make it so much easier for mods to be able to remove spammers.



I think this is covered by the Report button on posts, really. That is where most spammers reveal themselves anyway.

Andy


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Robin said:


> going back to what Bobbie was saying, as a newbie, whether it's joining an evening class, an exercise class, or a forum, I think you have to hang in there feeling a bit new until one day you suddenly find you're regarded as one of the old hands. i have enjoyed doing David's puzzle pages (when I can do them!) as a good way of getting used to chipping in regularly until I feel I have something to say on the diabetic topics.
> I should have said earlier, of course, what makes the forum start feeling like home is Northrner!



Yes, I think you're spot on there Robin  I think also that people are very different, and their confidence in posting will vary accordingly - some people may be new to forums, or have had poor experiences in the past, or even be pretty new to using the interweb! Thanks for the vote of confidence also 



KateR said:


> I've just one tiny niggle. When I get to the bottom of a long page I have to scroll right back to the top. I know I'm lazy but a 'back to the top' button would be helpful.  Otherwise I love the forum as it is.



Yes, I agree - I find this especially annoying when using a tablet. However, on the laptop I use the 'Home' and 'End' keys to take me to the top or bottom of the page. Hopefully, when we upgrade the forum software a 'Back to Top' key will be included.



Pumper_Sue said:


> Not sure if this can be done but can a report button be put on/in the members profile page? This would then make it so much easier for mods to be able to remove spammers.



There's a 'report' button if a spammer posts, and mods can 'give infraction' on a profile. However, there is no button to report a person on the profile display for non-mods.


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Michael7 said:


> One thing I have found is that this is not like a lot of other forums, the information given to a diabetic is very important, and so is the ability of the user to take it on board with the correct perspective.
> This is an area I am struggling with!
> I think I would like to see some form of nationwide consistency with the medical profession, so that if I have a query the answer should be the same throughout the country.
> Is this something the forum should strive for?
> ...



We can certainly strive for it Michael. I think the main problem is that, by the very nature of their role in healthcare, GPs (and practice nurses) are not specialists, and their knowledge about diabetes can vary considerably, depending on whether they are particularly interested in it, or indeed in keeping up with their knowledge about it. I have been told that, unfortunately, some GPs do not consider diabetes a 'sexy' problem and many are judgmental  and adhere to the misconception that it is a self-inflicted 'lifestyle' disease, and therefore doesn't merit the sort of attention that something like cancer might command. Sad, but true, but thankfully not true of all - there are some excellent medics out there too. Medicine is also often open to personal interpretation of the guidelines (hence test/don't test). 

As a voice feeding through our thoughts, opinions and experiences through Diabetes UK we can have some influence, and hopefully this aspect of the forum's work can have greater impact in future.


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## Pumper_Sue (Feb 16, 2015)

Andy HB said:


> I think this is covered by the Report button on posts, really. That is where most spammers reveal themselves anyway.
> 
> Andy



Yes I know about that button but one in profile would be fab as some spammers come in late at night and then don't post until their new membership is out of view. Hence why see them register then zap the profile to be checked before they post


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## heasandford (Feb 16, 2015)

Andy HB said:


> --> What do you find good about the forum?
> Frankly, you Alan! Also, more often than not, someone always gets a reply to their question or post pretty quickly. I don't recall the last time that someone got no responses at all (except where it didn't matter!).Andy



Instant response with balanced views - perhaps potential new people don't expect that, judging by some other social media sites, they are expecting stirred-up nonsense! You manage us very well Alan, and whenever we venture into slightly aggressive responses you seem to prevent further posting! We must promote this.

I go through phases of responding, perhaps there are a lot of simple 'lurkers', and they should also be encouraged too? Once they've been there a while, they might start to post more?

My daughter's friend doesn't come here any more, decided that she isn't a joiner - but she hasn't converted to looking anywhere else either. Age related - have we got any appeal to a younger population?

The search button seems a bit quirky, any chance it can be made a bit more specific?

Where would I look for help if this wasn't here???


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## robert@fm (Feb 16, 2015)

BobbieH said:


> i think every doctors surgery  should have this webpage displayed.  I only came across it by accident



Quite. I only found this forum because I was actively searching for one.  Balance magazine has a mention in every issue, but it's small, rather superficiaal and easily overlooked.

Re. improvements, one which has been long overdue is a CSS tweak so that links are rendered in a style different from plain text.  It's annoying to have to mark links in blue and underline, to make them look like links...


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## DeusXM (Feb 16, 2015)

A mobile version of the site, or an app.

I'm sure it won't be used by everyone, but something like this would make the site much easier to browse on a tablet or smartphone and I think that would improve accessibility for all ages.


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

robert@fm said:


> Quite. I only found this forum because I was actively searching for one.  Balance magazine has a mention in every issue, but it's small, rather superficiaal and easily overlooked.
> 
> Re. improvements, one which has been long overdue is a CSS tweak so that links are rendered in a style different from plain text.  It's annoying to have to mark links in blue and underline, to make them look like links...



Both points duly noted Robert, and I agree with you - Balance and general prominence to the forum should be given wherever and whenever possible - if people don't know we exist they won't join up!



DeusXM said:


> A mobile version of the site, or an app.
> 
> I'm sure it won't be used by everyone, but something like this would make the site much easier to browse on a tablet or smartphone and I think that would improve accessibility for all ages.



Definitely on the list DeusXM. Things may seem to be moving at a glacial pace, but there is more momentum now than there has been in previous years


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## robert@fm (Feb 16, 2015)

Regarding spammers, I think that even before posting, most of them give themselves away with usernames such as "Buy cheap Uggs" or "scniouhnicnw" (what I call a "my cat just walked across the keyboard" style username). Even if they don't choose an obvious username, sooner or later they will post and get splatted not long afterwards, so that a spam post here is a very rare sight.


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

robert@fm said:


> Regarding spammers, I think that even before posting, most of them give themselves away with usernames such as "Buy cheap Uggs" or "scniouhnicnw" (what I call a "my cat just walked across the keyboard" style username). Even if they don't choose an obvious username, sooner or later they will post and get splatted not long afterwards, so that a spam post here is a very rare sight.



Yes, I can usually spot them by their chosen User Name, often computer-generated, therefore obvious, or other trademarks on their registrations. 'They' are nearly always Type 1 (it's the first option) and give a birth date around 1980 , and a timezone of 'Midway Island, Samoa'  Plus, I have other tools available if they are not so obvious. The upgraded software also prevents new posts with hidden links appearing until moderated, so very little sees the light of day nowadays


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## trophywench (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm not even sure that new diabetics are told about DUK let alone forums.  Our local branch of DUK used to fund the starter packs for the hospital and  GP surgeries around Nuneaton, not sure if that's still done.  I was gobsmacked that it had to be paid for by the NHS anyway.

The posters I see in my diabetes clinic are all from drug and meter cos (mainly meters) and I've never seen a single one at my GPs.  Only ever actual NHS stuff about eg Flu jabs or whatever.  If they did it for us they'd have to do it for every Health specific charity too so I imagine that's why they don't.

Only ONCE have I ever been given info on a health condition I had, by a GP - 5 pages on depression printed from GP Notebook.

Another forum has downloadable 'business card' type cards to print on A4 and cut up yourself and keep a small supply of in the depths of your handbag or wallet - so at least members can hand em out should they meet another diabetic out there.  Another has 'half A4' fliers for the same purpose.  Oh - both have car stickers.


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## grovesy (Feb 16, 2015)

I too agree about mobile version or an app. 
On the medical agreement nationwide, I think that is highly unlikely, I worked in Healthcare for 40 years and it was difficult to get Doctors to agree on anything!


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## qwertyfan (Feb 16, 2015)

I find the forum very useful, for a variety of reasons, but I can see how the regular chitchat rather gets in the way, where you can end up with a great long thread that has wandered off topic.
Perhaps a method of live chat might be more appropriate in accompaniment to the threaded discussions.
And with that a mobile app and version of the site would be useful.
And promote the peer support side of things as the reason for the site in the first place, as has been mentioned, not the sales opportunists!


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## Catsmother (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: lurking*

I think, in a way, the forum is a 'victim' of its own success. It is so easy to find useful, helpful information and reassurance in other people's posts that it doesn't seem necessary to start a new thread to ask a question or even reply to an existing one if someone has already said what you wanted to say! That certainly accounts for my tendency to 'lurk' rather than participating more. I am here almost every day, but I don't always log on, so I suppose I don't show up as a regular.

Can I just say that I like that there are not too many sections in this forum? Some others are so 'busy' they are a bit off-putting. And I really appreciate the way you can read the beginning of the first post when you 'hover'. That helps to reduce the number of topics I get drawn into.

Finally, my thanks to everyone on the forum who has helped to guide me through my first 18 months with diabetes. You are all appreciated - whether I tell you so, or not!


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## Lindarose (Feb 16, 2015)

Most of this has already been covered here but personally I find it a great help to read other peoples experiences and questions and how they cope with all things D related. The replies are given by people who know through their own experiences rather than text book answers from medics. There is so much knowledge on this forum and info about it should be given at diagnosis I have to confess I'm going to google Balance mag as haven't heard of it! It took me almost 2 years before I stumbled here by chance. 
As with all groups of people some are more outgoing and chatty than others.  It's a confidence thing with me. Although I've gained so much knowledge from here I hold back on replying to questions even if I have ideas because I'm afraid I may give wrong advice. And fortunately others can word things better. 
I only use my iphone so not the best way of accessing the forum. I'm constantly hitting wrong keys and lost count how many times I've looked at profiles instead of the thread! Also can't seem to get icons but have to hope any comments are read in the way they are intended!


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## HOBIE (Feb 16, 2015)

Good luck with the Forum ! Its a tricky thing to do !  Advertising.  The way it is now its got people who want to be here. Duk have there own site which is not as good but similar. Farsebook has its own thing & this site feels more "homely". There is a lot of people who used to come on site & have gone ?   They might be CURED


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## ypauly (Feb 16, 2015)

there are a couple of forums I use where topics appear on my Facebook feed and a few have shown interest from this. I have no idea if this is automated in someway or if a mod does it though.

The newbie problem is common across forums others do things like not let you post on first visit so you KNOW how to return one even makes you wait 2 weeks lol other make it a day or two. This forum is different though as it can be despair that brings people so immediate responses are sought and when this turns out to be 2AM it's not so easy.


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## banjo (Feb 16, 2015)

I am not a massive forum fan in general, but i am mostly comfy using this 1 - i can see how some people would find it a tad intimidating posting especially on speciality threads where people are asking in depth questions, i do tend to stay away from these a bit ---- but and its a big but what i learn from those threads is invaluable and 1 day i maybe able to offer the same advice either here on the forum or elsewhere in life. Layout wise seems fine to me easy enough to use even for a forum noob like me. Live chat or instant messaging would be intresting - even if it was in a side bar like i have seen on some forums it might help people interact more.
Finally - have to say a big thanks really to all who post/comment and are otherwise involved with this forum for the help and support i and everyone else have had from you.
Hope i can repay that as time goes on.


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## Northerner (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, they are really appreciated!


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## Sally71 (Feb 16, 2015)

I've never joined Facebook or any other Internet group before; and indeed I lurked here for over a year before I took the plunge and joined up.  I've been a member here for almost a year and have to say that I felt accepted straight away.  I like that this site is so well moderated, there is none of the trolling that goes on elsewhere. I quite like the chit chat, it's another way that the site feels friendly, I can leave chatty comments too if I feel inclined.  I have been guilty of falling into the trap of my written words sounding harsher than they were intended, so I try to be more careful of how I phrase my posts now but I don't think I've lost any friends over it!  Everyone on here is lovely.  I'm a bit of a sporadic poster, having a busy day today but might well disappear for a week or so after this; I read every day though, just don't log on unless I feel that I can add something to a conversation.  Sometimes by the time I get there everything had already been said by others.  But I like the way that whatever questions I have there will be someone with an answer.  It's nice to think that I might have helped someone else in some small way.  And it's great when you just need to have a rant about something, there will always be someone who understands!

I can't think of any way to improve the site at the moment, I am usually on my iPad and don't find it difficult to use. I'll post again if I think of something. Keep up the good work everyone


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## trophywench (Feb 16, 2015)

It's the lack of moderation that messes up Farcebook discussions usually.  Here or on t'other DSF there are qualifications that your membership depends on - ie that you either have yourself or are closely associated with someone who has, diabetes.  On Farcebook you could be anybody.

You can still get trolls though no matter how careful you are - can't you Northie?  Mind you - you got him/them banned before they had a go at here, in view of the experiences elsewhere!  And a fair bit of that behaviour was in the chatroom, not the forum itself.

Bearing in mind all the Moderators are volunteers, it's asking a lot for them to keep an eye on multiple platforms IMHO.  Most of them have lives aside from D.  And it still needs to be someone who's experienced and can spot things like flaming or trolling PDQ on any interwebnet doings.


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## Amberzak (Feb 16, 2015)

How can we spread the word?
_Depends on whether you have funding or not. Advertising I would say. And word of mouth. _

What improvements could be made?
_Not that I can think off the top of my head. _

What do you find good about the forum?
_Mix of all types on one forum. I love how people with both type one and type two chat. _

What annoys you/do you find difficult to use, when using the forum?
_Sometimes I miss private messages I get because it doesn't pop up to tell me. _

What benefits do you think the forum brings to people?
_Togetherness. Support. Advice. _

How can we get people to engage more with the forum?
_There will be many people who drop in and out. But I think it naturally engages people. I suppose us regular people could be conscious of new people and ensuring we engage with them. But personally I find that people often already do. It's such a supportive place. _

How does it compare to other social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, twitter) when seeking/giving support?
_Well, I'm on a facebook group for my coeliac, and they tend to get really impatient when new people come on and ask the same questions. People here tend to be supportive and always offer advice. _


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## ypauly (Feb 17, 2015)

chatroom? what chatroom? I don't rememebr ever coming across a diabetic chatroom


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## KookyCat (Feb 17, 2015)

No surprise here but I love the forum, wouldn't have stayed if I didn't so here's my two pennies worth.  It isn't promoted very well by DUK I found it out of desperation whilst thinking I needed to talk to other people using insulin or I'd burst.  I'm not a joiner really but I really needed to know that someone understood.  So on the newbie front maybe encourage discussion between the newbie folk specifically, live chat would be good but doesn't necessarily have to be.  There are two strands to this experience for me, one I needed information and two I needed someone who'd been there or was there right then to reassure me that the way I felt wasn't going to lead to a breakdown.  Part of being new to all this is feeling utterly overwhelmed by blood sugar, medication, life, the universe and yes everything, expressing that to a group of people who are managing is hard.  I think we're a very lovely bunch but we are copers and to those not coping that might be intimidating.  Same for youngsters as someone else said, it might be good to have some targeted discussions for the young adults.

I'd advertise the targeted discussions on DUK and perhaps Google or other reputable search tools and maybe have a guest speaker or two.  A bit like webinars?

On the hounding front I think it's less hounding and more overwhelming for the reasons I've mentioned above .  I dislike the search, I can't seem to find anything on it and I'm very impatient, I am famous for three clicks and you're out and it's just too much to trawl through most of the time, otherwise I like the format.  Apps would be brilliant because I use my phone quite a lot, and maybe some way of distinguishing information posts from empathy posts in the search.  By that I mean a bit like the stickies I suppose.  Empathy and support is very important (says it in the name) but sometimes I just want information.  Not explaining that at all well sorry.

The other thing that occured to me is a bit off piste but those members who've been here for a while and are willing could write some biographies of themselves, their experiences etc, and maybe offer some mentoring or targeted information for newbies in the same situation.  So say Alison or Stephknits were willing they could write about being misdiagnosed as type 2 and the process of unravelling the actual diagnosis.  Some of the people with complications could write something about that.  Andy and his diet and exercise success.  It could be a jumping off point for newbies.  Again my brain is not making this very clear to my fingers


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2015)

KC, I take your point about it being a bit overwhelming for the newly-diagnosed or those who are struggling when they see so many people coping. However, maybe it shows a lot of people who thought their situation hopeless that there are ways of dealing with it, including perhaps a lot of things that they were unaware of, which might be reassuring and positive. I think we have always been a pretty positive forum, but without rubbing successes in people's faces or suggesting that any individual has all the answers, if only you do as they do.

The biographies idea is a great one 

Regarding chatrooms - I'm really not keen for a few reasons. They are very difficult to moderate, and time-intensive for whoever is moderating, plus, although some may not like the 'chit-chat' threads particularly, I know there are a lot of people who enjoy reading them, even if they don't directly participate. As is often said, diabetes can be a very isolating condition, and I think a lot of people appreciate some 'normality', that it is not all about diabetes, we are all just ordinary people from all walks of life who happen to have something in common. I think it adds to the 'community' feel of the forum, as long as it doesn't become cliquey or exclusive. If such discussions took place in a chatroom they would be lost to the forum. Chatrooms are also dependent on people being available and joining in at the times the chatroom is open - it can be dispiriting if there's no-one there to respond!

Certainly, I think we would benefit from greater DUK involvement, whether via targeted discussions with a professional answering queries, or on a particular topic, such as complications, or sport and diabetes, family and friends support etc. And we definitely need greater promotion. DUK has something like 150,000 supporting members i.e. people who pay a subscription to the charity, and I often wonder how many of them are unaware that we even exist - getting a regular word out to them, whether via Balance or a newsletter, I think would be a 'quick win'. Then we could work on attracting the other 3m who would beneft from us as a resource... 

Keep 'em coming folks!


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## DeusXM (Feb 17, 2015)

> Chatrooms are also dependent on people being available and joining in at the times the chatroom is open - it can be dispiriting if there's no-one there to respond!



The other thing is there's such a thing as responding too quickly, too. I know a lot of people come here wanting answers quickly, but diabetes is pretty complex and I think most of us when we reply put quite a bit of consideration and thought into what we're posting.

Because a chatroom's real-time, you can't really get across your point unless you use very short sentences and then you're missing out a ton of stuff as more questions come. Also, from a selfish point of view, I know I suffer badly from verbal diarrhoea so I find chatrooms difficult 



> I think we would benefit from greater DUK involvement, whether via targeted discussions with a professional answering queries, or on a particular topic, such as complications, or sport and diabetes, family and friends support



That depends. I know this board is sorta independent but I worry that if it was more involved with DUK whether that might affect the discussion. At the moment we can be pretty wide-ranging and there is a healthy skepticism about some of the 'traditional' advice you get from the NHS, DUK etc. Closer involvement from DUK might mean we start to lose the sorts of discussions that make fair criticism of the charity's (or anyone else's) conduct or advice. I'm all for bringing more people in but if that means we can no longer have free and frank conversations, I think that's a negative.


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2015)

DeusXM said:


> ...I know this board is sorta independent but I worry that if it was more involved with DUK whether that might affect the discussion. At the moment we can be pretty wide-ranging and there is a healthy skepticism about some of the 'traditional' advice you get from the NHS, DUK etc. Closer involvement from DUK might mean we start to lose the sorts of discussions that make fair criticism of the charity's (or anyone else's) conduct or advice. I'm all for bringing more people in but if that means we can no longer have free and frank conversations, I think that's a negative.



I have already discussed this with DUK, and they agree that they should not be immune from the kind of criticism that appears here. It keeps them on their toes, and in touch with what actual people with diabetes are thinking - it would also give them the opportunity to respond and put their point of view, or correct anything which was incorrect or a misconception. I've never encountered any censorship from DUK, however harsh the criticism may have been, and do not expect any in the future - as you say, that could diminish the value of the forum and stifle discussion


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## robert@fm (Feb 17, 2015)

As well as the broad knowledge base and the community, another thing I like about this forum is that there's often something funny or cute to cheer me up.


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## Flower (Feb 17, 2015)

The one thing I'm mindful of is posting about serious complications in the General Messageboard. I realise there are already a number of categories but wonder if a specific Complications category would be better so that people can choose to read posts or steer clear.

I find it such a help to write down what I'm going through with my legs and sight loss and have had brilliant support and help but I'm very aware that a lot of newly diagnosed register and ask for help. I don't want the problems I'm dealing with to terrify people who are already coping with a lot of new medical information.

Apart from that I'm so glad I joined. You do a fantastic job Northerner and the other moderators


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2015)

Flower said:


> The one thing I'm mindful of is posting about serious complications in the General Messageboard. I realise there are already a number of categories but wonder if a specific Complications category would be better so that people can choose to read posts or steer clear.
> 
> I find it such a help to write down what I'm going through with my legs and sight loss and have had brilliant support and help but I'm very aware that a lot of newly diagnosed register and ask for help. I don't want the problems I'm dealing with to terrify people who are already coping with a lot of new medical information.
> 
> Apart from that I'm so glad I joined. You do a fantastic job Northerner and the other moderators



It is tricky, Flower. I think that, on the whole, it is better that the full spectrum is available in the General Messageboard - I'd be loath to create a separate category, as there is then the potential that a) people might simply avoid reading posts there, and b) the person posting about the complications may not get the wide-ranging support they currently do. There is something available in the current software called 'tagging', I might investigate and see if this can be used in some way - might also provide a way of separating 'empathy' posts from 'information' ones, as per KookyCat's suggestion.

I've personally learned a lot from reading others' experiences with various complications, and I admire the courage of people who are prepared to discuss them.


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## stephknits (Feb 17, 2015)

I like kooky cat's idea for biographies. 
  Would be happy to help.


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## HOBIE (Feb 17, 2015)

stephknits said:


> I like kooky cat's idea for biographies.
> Would be happy to help.



How much time have you got   After 48yrs T1 I could write a few books & tell a few tales


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## Aoife (Feb 17, 2015)

I've only skimmed through the thread but as far as social media goes Twitter has a huge diabetic community, I think tapping into that could create a lot more traffic for the forum for example GBDOC have weekly tweetchats, if the forum had a twitter site just a few tweets in the tweetchat would direct loads of people to their profile page and therefore the forum.  I have no idea bout facebook as I dont use it!


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2015)

Aoife said:


> I've only skimmed through the thread but as far as social media goes Twitter has a huge diabetic community, I think tapping into that could create a lot more traffic for the forum for example GBDOC have weekly tweetchats, if the forum had a twitter site just a few tweets in the tweetchat would direct loads of people to their profile page and therefore the forum.  I have no idea bout facebook as I dont use it!



We do have a twitter account, it's @DSForumUK, perhaps I should use it a bit more often!


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## qwertyfan (Feb 17, 2015)

Northerner said:


> Certainly, I think we would benefit from greater DUK involvement, whether via targeted discussions with a professional answering queries, or on a particular topic, such as complications, or sport and diabetes, family and friends support etc. And we definitely need greater promotion. DUK has something like 150,000 supporting members i.e. people who pay a subscription to the charity, and I often wonder how many of them are unaware that we even exist - getting a regular word out to them, whether via Balance or a newsletter, I think would be a 'quick win'. Then we could work on attracting the other 3m who would beneft from us as a resource...
> 
> Keep 'em coming folks!



they'd have a few more supporting members if their online joining worked!
I tried a few times, and it failed on the direct debit page each time.
I could phone up I guess, but that just presents another hurdle ...


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## qwertyfan (Feb 17, 2015)

I do like the biographies idea also.... one of the threads I found most useful was the one about how many symptoms were present (and missed) before diagnosis. 
It's like a great tick off list. Perhaps we could have one about post diagnosis too, then save them in a section, more concise for new members/newly diagnosed people as a quick starter?


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## Northerner (Feb 18, 2015)

qwertyfan said:


> they'd have a few more supporting members if their online joining worked!
> I tried a few times, and it failed on the direct debit page each time.
> I could phone up I guess, but that just presents another hurdle ...



I will pass your complaint on!



qwertyfan said:


> I do like the biographies idea also.... one of the threads I found most useful was the one about how many symptoms were present (and missed) before diagnosis.
> It's like a great tick off list. Perhaps we could have one about post diagnosis too, then save them in a section, more concise for new members/newly diagnosed people as a quick starter?



Good ideas, I can see this being very helpful and a great addition to the forum. I will ponder how best to implement it


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## FergusC (Feb 18, 2015)

the forum strengths are the strong base of REAL diabetic people with REAL experience of the problems of D, and how they helped conquer it.


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## Northerner (Feb 18, 2015)

FergusC said:


> the forum strengths are the strong base of REAL diabetic people with REAL experience of the problems of D, and how they helped conquer it.



Absolutely spot on Fergus!


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## KookyCat (Feb 18, 2015)

What about asking if Tesco can advertise the forum (in stores, or on their website not TV ads or anything )  their partnership with DUK is in full swing and they could maybe include the forum in the events they do and on leaflets and the like?


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## Northerner (Feb 18, 2015)

KookyCat said:


> What about asking if Tesco can advertise the forum (in stores, or on their website not TV ads or anything )  their partnership with DUK is in full swing and they could maybe include the forum in the events they do and on leaflets and the like?



Good idea


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## Sally71 (Feb 18, 2015)

KookyCat said:


> What about asking if Tesco can advertise the forum (in stores, or on their website not TV ads or anything )  their partnership with DUK is in full swing and they could maybe include the forum in the events they do and on leaflets and the like?



Or on the collection tins they have at the tills, or on the leaflets and posters they have on the subject!


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## Michael7 (Feb 18, 2015)

Brilliant ideas, I trust/hope you have the infastructure in place or ready to roll out to support both you and the new people who come onto the site. 

Not meaning to pour cold water onto anything just asking the question

Michael


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## katie (Feb 18, 2015)

I think that the forum really should be advertised in Balance magazine every month. Also, it would be really good if there were leaflets advertising the forum in waiting rooms, along with all the advice leaflets they have in those places.


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## Northerner (Feb 18, 2015)

katie said:


> I think that the forum really should be advertised in Balance magazine every month. Also, it would be really good if there were leaflets advertising the forum in waiting rooms, along with all the advice leaflets they have in those places.



Yes, the web address is usually included these days, but I always have to look really hard for it - needs to be far more prominent. I also think that the forum should always sit above FB and Twitter wherever they are displayed together!


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## ukjohn (Feb 19, 2015)

Being one of the first members of this forum on the day it opened, and I know that I have been missing for 2 years, I hope you don't mind me responding to this post.
I have no intension of referring to the past but one thing of importance I think is a statement on the opening page letting members know that this is a support group, and no one is qualified to give medical advice and can only refer to ones own experience. I mention this because I get annoyed when I see members tell others to ignore what the doctor tells them and do such and such. The other thing I think would add a nice touch to the membership is to have a dedicated person prepared to do the job, of showing interest in those that have been missing for a while by emailing them to check on behalf of the forum if things are ok saying that we were concerned at not seeing or hearing from them for so long and is there anything we can help with. This shows the member they are still thought of and may keep an higher membership. Anyone not heard from or not posted for a year should be deleted to tidy up the true membership, they can always re apply.
There are many many established members that have gone missing for over a year, perhaps the above suggestion might help to arrest that problem. Although missing for 2 years myself I still take a look in from time to time, I have had great times at most of the meets, this forum is still the best diabetic forum online

Best wishes to everyone
John.


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## Northerner (Feb 19, 2015)

Great to hear from you John!  You know you will always be welcome here - I have missed your posts.

Your suggestion about enquiring after members who go missing is something I have had in mind for quite a while, so hopefully we can get something sorted for that on a regular basis. I think it might also help to keep connected with those people who are new to the forum, but only post once or twice and disappear 

Regarding medical advice, we do try to be very careful and only allow people to make suggestions of questions they might ask if we disagree with something they have been told to do (or not do) by their nurse/GP, or relate personal experiences. Testing for T2s is a clear case in point, as is people who are on a restrictive insulin regime like mixed insulins which are causing them problems - informing members of alternatives that they may not be aware of. Certainly, we should never tell a member to stop taking medication, and I would hope that, if such a thing was not spotted by a moderator, then other members would highlight it


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## spiritfree (Feb 19, 2015)

I think that it could be a good idea to ask hospitals and doctors practices to put a poster of this forum and how we help each other.                                      WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE NORTHERNER,ALAN.                                            Thank you so much Alan.


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## Northerner (Feb 20, 2015)

spiritfree said:


> I think that it could be a good idea to ask hospitals and doctors practices to put a poster of this forum and how we help each other.                                      WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE NORTHERNER,ALAN.                                            Thank you so much Alan.



That's very kind of you to say spiritfree


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## Laura davies (Feb 23, 2015)

Bobbie i agree, northerner makes me feel at home and is wonderful


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## grainger (Feb 25, 2015)

I think it would be great if the Calendar showed more than birthdays and perhaps gave a summary of when the meet's are and where - I still never know where to look for this. Other than that I agree with others that an app/tablet friendly version would be fab.
On the whole I think this forum is fantastic. Don't know what I would have done without it when first diagnosed, during my pregnancy and basically whenever I have anything diabetes related go through my head!


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## woniqidi (Mar 2, 2015)

Thank you for creating such a wonderful resource. Im having a hard time dealing with so much information but everyone her is extremely nice.


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## robert@fm (Mar 2, 2015)

Hi woniqidi, welcome to our forum!  You may like to head over to the Newbies section to introduce yourself; this isn't compulsory (I didn't do it), but it could be helpful.


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## Highlander (Mar 5, 2015)

This is a good forum, people are always helpful and generally polite to each other.  

Things to consider:

Would it help if DUK put a link to the forum on all or some of its posters and other material.   They already have a link on the web page, although not very prominent.

Another thought could there be a section on Pens, needles and Pills and also types of insulin.  Perhaps DUK could support this link.  It may also be useful for newly diagnosed diabetics. 

Do we need a section for Type 1 and Type 2 - not quite sure about this as it could split the forum into two parts.   See what people think.

I used to be a moderator on another forum, which, unfortuneately has now closed, due to lack of support.  It was a photography forum.  I supplied computer security information about updates and vulnerabilites.  As we all use either PC's or Apple computers I would be quite happy to keep this area up to date, if you think it would be of interest to the members.  If you would like to see an example of such a post, let me know.

Cheers

Vic


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## Northerner (Mar 5, 2015)

Thanks Vic  The hope is to include many more references to the forum address - make us more visible. How can people benefit from the place if they don't even know it exists? 

Interesting point about the medications and kit - Diabetes UK have just included their latest comprehensive meds and kit guide with the current issue of Balance magazine, it would be useful if they have an online version to have a link to, I will try and find out.

Regarding separate sections for Type1 and Type 2 - this is something that was consciously avoided in the original forum design. Splitting things into what may appear to be logical sections can result in fragmenting the site too much, and since there often areas of overlap that are pertinent to all types then the person posting may not be sure of where to post. I think having all types on the same board also helps raise awareness of both the similarities and the differences that people experience, making this a more inclusive community 

I think information on possible O/S vulnerabilities and problems is often useful here to help members keep their systems protected - you would be very welcome to post anything you come across in the Off the Subject section, thank you


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## Bloden (Mar 5, 2015)

I like the way we're all lumped in together. It's interesting to read about T2, pumps, parents, etc.


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## trophywench (Mar 6, 2015)

I absolutely agree Bloden - I've learned one HELL of a lot from T2s as well as T1s !

Over on 'other ' DSF we've had polls about splitting it at times - and almost unanimously our members have always wanted to keep us all together.

Let's face it though we all have Diabetes - whether we're T1 1.5 or 2 - our personal difficulties with our D manifest in numerous different ways - no two actual people are the same notwithstanding 'Type'.


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## Robin (Mar 6, 2015)

I agree, being all in together is good. And for those people, like me, who were misdiagnosed as one type then rediagnosed as another, it helps to stay in one place.


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## Highlander (Mar 6, 2015)

Hi Northerner, just got my copy of Balance this morning, so obviously if they can sort this one out online, all the better.

I take your point about keeping everything under one heading rather than splitting into T1 and T2 will always be better and give people all types a better understanding.  It was just a passing thought really.

Regards


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