Consultation: The Alliance Forums

[mcdermott]

As quick starter for this consultation section, I thought it might be helpful to get some sense of what users thought about the forum. Don't feel as though everyone needs to respond to or have an opinion on everything, but some of the points it might be helpful to address could include:

How did you first learn about The Alliance forums?
Were your initial reasons for coming here about seeking some sort of help/information, or were they more social?
Which parts of the site do you find most helpful?
Which parts of the site do you find least helpful?
Are there any features that you feel are missing and we could usefully include?
What is it about the site that makes you stick around?

Feel free to feed back on any other aspects of The Alliance's website/forums that you might want to talk about that I haven't actually mentioned above. The more you've got to say about this stuff, the more likely we are to be able to improve it.

[alli]

I'd like to address the points you mentioned - hope my responses are helpful.

-  a friend of mine who used the website told me about it
-  came to seek information/support
-  the parts or posts that related to what I was going through, e.g. people detoxing on methadone and how they were finding it or had found it in the past.  Also - any posts that I could identify with or had shared views or interesting topics.
-  there are no parts of the site that I found or find least helpful
-  maybe a category just for people who are trying to detox off methadone - post all the previous posts relating to it, or like will'c said - I kind of methadone detox coaching cat.
-  the interesting discussions and topics - social side

[will-c]

How did you first learn about The Alliance forums?

I stumbled across the methadone alliance forum through goolge back in 2003, I think, roughly about that time. The forum had a different style then, I was a regular poster until the system/forum stopped for ages and I drifted off on my merry ways for a spell

Were your initial reasons for coming here about seeking some sort of help/information, or were they more social?
I was looking for a space to discuss my trials and tribulations, between the alliance forums and the ukhra I found this siste far more user friendly

Which parts of the site do you find most helpful?
The forum, I prefer the lay out now.

Which parts of the site do you find least helpful?
Not sure of the Karma thing, as yet... I also find it a bit worrying see the word staff and moderator under alot of peoples names. Then I am an anxious person by nature, so worry about teacher pupil roles

Are there any features that you feel are missing and we could usefully include?
sticky threads


What is it about the site that makes you stick around?
I like the honesty and vibe...

[H4U]

I came across the forum through google, i was reading up information on methadone on google search.

[mcdermott]

These comments are all really helpful, people. Thanks for taking the time, and please keep them coming.

[maggiem]

*Googled
*Sheer desperation and help! Wanted to ask questions and know that I would get an informed and honest reply. At times social.
*Obviously for me the 'Carers Corner' is an area that offers advice and support from like minded people.  Unfortunately it is not used enough, there must be others out there in the same situation as me that just have not seen the site. Ask a question/general discussion is great for info.
*Was unsure of the Karma +/- ratings thingy!!
* I think the site has greatlly improved over the past few months with the inclusion of books/media sections I think there could be a danger of moving too far away from the core information and scare some people away!!  But saying that what about a section where people could show off their talents: art, poetry etc,etc.  Raising self esteem.
*For me its a daily visit.  I have learnt a lot.  But sometimes as 'carer' feel a bit excluded, but that maybe my own paranoia!!
Keep up the good work.
Maggiem

[willow]

How did you first learn about The Alliance forums?
i googled methadone looking for info and found this  site.
Were your initial reasons for coming here about seeking some sort of help/information, or were they more social?
support and infomation
Which parts of the site do you find most helpful?
ask a question is my fave because you can ask a question (obviously duh!) and remain anonymous not thati have anything to hide i just like being able to ask things without feeling like a dick
Which parts of the site do you find least helpful?
i find that when people start getting personal and bickering unhelpful but i suppose that is part and parcel of people swapping opinions

Are there any features that you feel are missing and we could usefully include?
not sure maybe a page about our rights as methadone users is there some sort of guidelines that our service providers should stick too that we should know about things like should we have careplans when receiving methadone, can our methadone be stopped suddenly for using on top etc....

What is it about the site that makes you stick around
helpful advice, company and chat, a good mix with people like myself and professionals like simon, sam mcgrail etc...