JWD "Chat": The Best Way To Meet On-The-Fence JWs. So Where Are The "Expert

by SpannerintheWorks 16 Replies latest jw friends

  • Vivamus
    Vivamus

    I agree with Obiwan. Bad boy Spanner!

    -

    And the world shall tremble in the wake of the Blue Bubblegum
    Dutch District Overbeer

  • SpannerintheWorks
    SpannerintheWorks

    REBORN: Thanks, and for the record, I have always appreciated your posts.

    Spanner.

  • LittleToe
    LittleToe

    Spanner:
    To be honest, "Chat" is a hard medium to discuss things in. When so many are coming in and out, and often only want to have some fun, it becomes hard to have a serious discussion. Add to that there are so many new visitors to this site.

    When I first came to the site a few of the "old timers" still frequented chat, but often had difficulty in conducting a coherent discussion in the conditions.

    There have been some changes to "Chat" over that time, too, often sparked by the abuses that were inflicted there that never came to light on the threads.

    Chat is used far more rarely than it was even a year ago.

  • SpannerintheWorks
    SpannerintheWorks

    Viv: Can you explain why I am a ""Bad Boy"? I know I am, but why do think I am?

    Spanner

  • onacruse
    onacruse

    For all the value of the main board, I must say that it was chat that saved my butt. I needed to re-connect to people!...chat was my first, and best, step.

    All the doctrinal arguments in the world wouldn't have made me feel better...it was the reaching out, and the touch back...via chat (to start with)...

    hehe, brings a tear to me eye to remember.

    Craig

  • Gamaliel
    Gamaliel

    Spanner,

    I noticed that you and Dansk hung out there constantly for several days and you were often there by yourself for hours every time I looked up there. I had the feeling you were monitoring for visitors or maybe waiting to discuss new anti-WT tactics with Dansk. Anyway, I was only there once when a brand new person came in who had never posted yet, and I agree that a good initial chat experience can be the best thing possible for someone going through some kind of issues that need addressing at the moment.

    Maybe, Simon, with his unlimited time and money, could write a program that does the following:

    (Before I take this too far, we need to redefine "expert." Many who have been labeled experts will be the first to admit that their area of (ex)JW expertise may be narrow and will not automatically coincide with questions or interests of the visitor who needs an "expert." So why not define these "experts" as anyone who can point a new person to "expert" advice already posted, or who can be nice to people, even potential trolls, who might just need a shoulder to type on)

    So here's that program for Simon:

    1. An on-screen scheduling program that anyone willing to be an "expert" can easily sign up for: just check a time slot and you just volunteered to sit in chat for that hour. email reminders will be sent to you six hours, then one hour, then 10 minutes in advance, and a PM if already online. The schedule is always available to view so that other folks who just want to chat with you can also see when you plan to be there.

    2. A chat-bot named "expert" (not a real person) always sits in chat ready to tell a visitor that if this is their first time in chat or if they really wish to speak with someone immediately, they can click a button/URL available on the chat page that makes the request, and PMs the people who are online and have previously volunteered in other timeslots as "experts" in the above schedule. Another pulldown list with potentially urgent topics can send the visitor to a page that highlights previous postings or research pages deemed excellent sources for visitors. If the topic is suicide or pedophilia or "unspecified urgent request" then that list of the people currently in chat is changed slightly to highlight the visitor's name in red or flashing red (instead of in black as they are now).

    3. If the issue is recognized as serious by the information given to the chat-bot, a list of volunteer's phone numbers, appropriate ministries, or even various social services might be included.

    Any other suggestions?

    Gamaliel

  • Vivamus
    Vivamus
    Viv: Can you explain why I am a ""Bad Boy"? I know I am, but why do think I am?

    I was in chat, I know what was said! Don't make me repeat it here ...

    -

    And the world shall tremble in the wake of the Blue Bubblegum
    Dutch District Overbeer

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