Do you use other diabetes support forums?

[Northerner]

Or did you try any others before coming here. and if so what put you off using the others?

I compile some basic statistics about our site and comparisons with other major diabetes support sites each month, and one particular thing that always strikes me is that one of the other big diabetes support forums in the uk, at diabetes.co.uk, generally gains many more new members per month than we do, yet they lag far behind us in terms of member participation (new threads, posts). For example, last month we gained 189 new members, but in comparison they gained 902. Yet new posts were roughly similar, and we tend to post many more each month, despite a large disparity in membership numbers. I suspect that many people are attracted to this other site because they mistake it for the home site of Diabetes UK - I did exactly that myself after diagnosis.

What worries me is that this probably means that there are many people looking for support but are not finding what they were hoping for, yet maybe we could offer them what they need. This isn't a criticism of that site, I'm just worried that people might be giving up on forums if they don't find what they want there.

I'm hoping to get much more promotion of our forum from DUK, so that people try us first! 🙂

 

[Vicsetter]

It's quality that counts Alan. I found the other site dominated by some aggressive women and gave up with it.

 

[Caroline]

And how well moderated it is. I used a couple of forums that became so full of adverts spam and other clutter I gave them up and stayed here. On one forum several of us even offered to keep the rubbish off, but the forum owner didn't want to know.

 

[Tina63]

I can't even remember now how I found this site. The only website we were advised to visit by our DSN was the Diabetes UK website, so I guess there must have been a link from there? I liked the Diabetes UK website for direct fact and information, but felt I wanted answers to my own personal questions and this forum has provided that. I guess I also felt I needed friendship from people who understood too. All the links at the top of each section are so helpful too, and I know if there is something I really want to know I only have to type a question and someone comes back with a link to click on. For someone not really computer literate, that is so useful and something I am eternally grateful for.

I have tried the Children with Diabetes website but find that deeply frustrating. You just end up with ridiculous amounts of emails in your inbox, way too much to want to read. It feels like it is just a chatroom for a bunch of young mums. The same few names pop up all the time. I have never really got into that website, I just found it too frustrating.

This forum, by contrast, is brilliant. It provides direct replies to questions, worries, happy news etc, it is really uplifting. It seems to have members of all ages and both sexes, providing a much better balance than the other one I feel. You certainly get replies from all angles, which I find really helpful and interesting. People jump in to help each other, everyone is so friendly.

I would definitely say 'Quality rather than Quantity!'

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Another site I visit, has loads of members! Some have 2 or 3 logins many are just advertisers and spam.With trolls to add to the membership. The Moderation is appaling and that's being polite.

Quality posts are the ones that win through and this forum has that plus good moderation which is a winning combination. Oh and as an after thought we have a good admin 😉😛🙂

 

[smile4loubie]

I only ever used this forum. And soooo glad I found it! Xxx

 

[Dizzydi]

Tried diabetes. Co. UK and not for me.. I still get emails but don't read them.

 

[sweetsatin]

I tried a couple but not for me as it was mostly spam or i got no advice, i get the odd email but i just delete it.

I would only use this forum.
The admin are great and all members help each other and give the best advise we can.
This is a very friendly forum and i class you all as good friends not strangers.

 

[PhilT]

I only ever use this forum.

 

[Steff]

I only ever use this forum.

Ditto with Phil only this one

 

[Monica]

I found this forum through FB Diabetes UK page. Before that I didn't even know that forums exist and I dealt with D on my own. It only took 3 years from diagnosis to find you lot 😱
After I found you, I had a look at Diabetes.co.uk forum, but I didn't like it much. I'm also a member of CWD (children with diabetes). I agree with Tina, you get far too many emails from the same mums. But I have to disagree about the age thing. Young isn't what springs to mind. I have met lots of those mums at FFL diabetes conference last year and at age 43 I was in the majority age group. There were more teens there than little ones too.

I actually find that I don't post much on either forum, because If I did, I'd be spending all day on the PC. Also I find it a bit difficult to bare my frustrations. For example - I wish I'd mentioned Carol being high all the time a bit sooner, then someone might have been able to suggest sooner that the insulin might be off 😱
Another thing is of course- to have a proper "conversation" you have to be online at the same time as others. As I rarely go on the PC in the evening, I tend to miss "conversations" and by the time I see them, I feel it's too late to comment.

 

[Northerner]

...Another thing is of course- to have a proper "conversation" you have to be online at the same time as others. As I rarely go on the PC in the evening, I tend to miss "conversations" and by the time I see them, I feel it's too late to comment.

You're always welcome to put in your two penn'orth Monica! I think the beauty of a forum over something like FB, for example, is that things don't go wandering off into oblivion as time passes, so the various threads are always there to be read, referenced or added to 🙂

Thanks for all your comments folks 🙂

 

[Monica]

You're always welcome to put in your two penn'orth Monica! I think the beauty of a forum over something like FB, for example, is that things don't go wandering off into oblivion as time passes, so the various threads are always there to be read, referenced or added to 🙂

Thanks for all your comments folks 🙂

You're absolutely right on that score! I've given up on the FB page, I've stopped commenting, because I when I did I then had to go searching for it pages and pages further down. I must admit, I do still go and read the first page every now and then.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I use the DAFNE website on a daily basis, mainly for its online diary facility and to talk about DAFNE specific problems, its not got that many posters, but lots of lurkers.....it was after i completed DAFNE and signed up there that I was made aware of online diabetic communities, I then found here, no need for anywhere else.....🙂

 

[MeanMom]

Ditto everything Monica says about other forums🙂

I was 'sent' here by Monica who I 'met' on a FB group. Luckily quite soon after Dx, but I did flounder about for a couple of months just on FB.

I do go on other forums for other things (there is a good one for Thyroid problems for example) but none are as well visited or well moderated and easy to use as this one.

And (unlike Monica😉) I do feel like I can 'off load' on here - and have on several occasions - that may be because I have retained my anonymity to all but the select few...

Northerner - I did spot a query on another (non D) forum the other day and I pointed the person here (it was about T2 so I didn't feel able to answer
properly) - they replied that they didn't want to go on specific diabetes sites as it was too 'scary', which I found a bit weird

This site does need better publicity as I don't think there is a better place to find out Diabetes information - I always come here first and rarely need to go anywhere else.

 

[Northerner]

...Northerner - I did spot a query on another (non D) forum the other day and I pointed the person here (it was about T2 so I didn't feel able to answer
properly) - they replied that they didn't want to go on specific diabetes sites as it was too 'scary', which I found a bit weird
...

I wonder what sites they have been going on that has made them feel this way? I know some are subject to quite a lot of controversy over things like low-carbing etc., but perhaps they have encountered a lot of negativity and doom and gloom elsewhere? I've always been very uplifted by the positive attitude of people here, even when they have all sorts of things to contend with, it gives you hope for the future and faith in people 🙂

 

[Salinda]

I too can't remember how I found this forum but I visit it several times a day and have found it extremely useful. The other forums I visit are hobby related but in my experience this one is very well administered and moderated. It is good to know that no question is going to be thought stupid and all are given considered answers
Linda

 

[Austin Mini]

Last week a member posted about DAFNE. I have never heard of them but did a search and found their site. I signed up for membership then I found its more than what it seems. Looks like you go on a DAFNE course and follow their advice. Trouble is my health service isnt part of the scheme of things and you cant pay to go on it. Anyway its nice and cosy here thanks.

 

[Robster65]

I've never used any other site other than a quick dip into diabetes-support for a look and of course shootuporputup, which I stumbled upon by accident but have never actually contributed to (shame on me 😱).

Hard to know how we could publicise better. Interesting to read.🙂

Rob

 

[Ellie Jones]

Alan
You aren?t going to be able to do a realistic comparison between DCUK and our forum as you already seen that certain aspects don?t seem to add up, why is it that a forum can attract 902 new members against our 189, yet the threads and posts generated are pretty similar.
.
DCUK is a business its forum is a method of attracting punters to their business websites, and is totally run on this base?s? Basically ?hits? are far more important than content the more hits the forum gets, the more likely it?s a punter for their business!

If you removed all the spammers from its membership you would find that it?s membership would be drastically reduced, then if you analysed the remaining members you will not only find users with multiple usernames but a very high percentage of these using their other user names as Sock Puppets, you would even find threads that the same individual will use his/her various sock puppets underpinning their own thread.

In reality the DCUK forum is a lot smaller than portrayed and it?s true size is probably not a lot different to our forum..

Most forums that I've come across seem to have undertones to them and heavily influenced the Admin and moderation team, trying to ensue that everybody is singing off one particular hymn sheet...