Review on Trustpilot. New site

Cantilip · September 16

I have put my thoughts on the forum on Trustpilot, since I do not think they would last five minutes here. A copy has gone to Scope.

I have valid points and I expect to be heard, not told to stop being a little silly and go and play a nice game. Just put what you had for breakfast, dear. Adults are not to be addressed as though we are six. Who on earth do you people think you are? 16 million people are supposed to be as you define us or sat on and shut up since we are not. Not surprisingly, 15.99 million do not belong to this forum.

I have also begun a Website. www.thisispanther.net. Biting comment on disability issues or anything else for that matter. I’m not particularly well and I don’t remotely claim I shall regularly update it but at the moment I have things to say. As a personal site it may for instance have an art gallery and poetry. It will have a bit of zing.

WhatThe · September 16

Cantilip, oh no, have I done it again??

I mentioned you because of something you'd said though I'm not sure where. I had no idea anybody felt excluded here for not being ND and was concerned about you wanting to leave because I enjoy reading your posts!

This is something we should begin to address and understand.

My browser won't let me open your website (settings perhaps)

chiarieds · September 17

Hi @Cantilip - the suggestions, & that's all they are, to join in with threads in the Coffee lounge, or try the games, will not of course help everyone; tho they do undoubtably help some.

Scope cannot possibly help everyone, & it does have the 'Kaleidoscope' thread where people show their artistic talents, which include many mediums. We also have several, myself included, that enjoy poetry. Depending on who is about, we've also had discussions about books, films, TV series, etc.

The 'Coffee lounge' & the games do offer the opportunity to get to know other members more, so they definitely have their place, if not for everyone. They are not meant to replace/exclude any serious content, & all members are welcome to start a discussion of their choice.

Scope does include discussions about disability issues, benefit queries, etc., but most of all it seems it's a place offering support. This somewhat surprised me, as I thought benefit queries would be the main reason why people joined Scope, but no, the main reason was support.

I wish you well, & hope you can also offer that all important support on your site as well as interesting discussions.

chiarieds · September 17

Hi @WhatThe - I think you only mentioned you were open to discussing 'being next door to ASD,' something I'd be keen to see your opinions about, as this seemed to cause another member a problem.

It seemed to be thought by Cantilip that Scope is 'a mental health forum run by the ND for the ND and the rest of us can go along with it or go away,' but I don't think they meant that; I think they meant neurotypicals, tho could be wrong. They also seemed to think there was some sort of division here because of that. Condiments, we all learn from each other, & long may that continue….we are united by whatever disability affects us, & yes, I can only say personally that I welcome any & all discussion about being neurodiverse as it helps me to understand more.

Bluebell21 · September 17

Hi @Cantilip You are a star and thank you for your post. You have given me the courage to stop being a "wimp" and to be my true self.

My daughter who is no longer with us would be deeply disappointed that I have allowed myself to conform to certain conditions.

I tried to get on your website but was unable to could you please check and just see if it is in the right format.

You will probably not see much of me in the future as I will probably be banned for saying what I have.

I wait to see then I will post my own review of Scope.

WhatThe · September 17

Hey chiarieds, I appreciate your support 🙏

A bit drained today after so much time online yesterday amid the whirlwind of conflict and resolution but definitely think we should come back to this subject and progress our understanding of one another, ND or not.

WhatThe · September 17

Bluebell, I'm sad that you also want to leave the forum and I hope you'll stay!

I'll come back later and hope you find a way through your mistrust and fear of speaking up on this site. Misunderstandings are common in any communication but practice makes perfect!

I only joined last year but can see just how much time the mods spend behind the scenes trying to keep everyone happy when things get frosty on the forum, always trying to find the right balance between civil debate and fruitless squabbles.

Very, very sorry to hear about your daughter 😓

Albus_Scope · September 17

Hi folks, I thought I'd post this openly so all can see and I hope it clears a few things up. Apologies for the wall of text. 😁

Thank you for the feedback @Cantilip, it's always appreciated and it's good for us to know what people are thinking. Though I'm sorry to hear you feel we're shutting discussions down. We have to think of everyone's health with these discussions and while we don't want to close discussions and we value people speaking their mind, often the discussions get to the point of becoming arguments, which most people on the community come here to get away from. There's a very delicate balance. Especially when there are several discussions all saying the same thing, this can often lead to some people asking for help not recieving it as quickly as we'd want. I don't want to say "We're all in the same boat" we're all different in our disabilities, but we do want the community to be a safe harbour for all our boats to receive support.
As for as the community only talking about their lunch, we welcome community members to make their own discussions, as that's how people get to know each other, so if there's something you want to discus, we welcome it. :) The team do work on new discussions that people may find interesting, or fun. Though we feel sharing conjecture over what could happen with the government often ends in people getting upset, so we try to stick to what is known. When the time comes, we can all discuss the outcome together.
We do forward concerns and ideas on to our campaigns team, so you're not shouting into the void. But we have to be very careful, as we are a charity and need to be politically neutral, but we can still hold the government to account and have been in talks with them regarding potential changes to benefits.

@bluebell21 I'm sorry to hear you feel you've not felt able to be your true self. We don't ban people without careful consideration from the whole team, so please don't feel like you can't be you here.

WhatThe · September 17

Another way of dealing with dissatisfaction on this forum is to message community_Scope or email them or feedback your thoughts on the Scope survey thread.

As a new member, I was put on the naughty step for a while and Jimm had no idea just how upset I was until I told him, privately through email. I was unable to express myself well but I'd like to think I've learned to along the way. I had NO voice until I joined Scope forum and I continue to learn from everyone here. Thank you all for being here 🙏

WhatThe · September 17

trying to find the right balance between civil debate and fruitless squabbles.

LIVELY debate is a better word here.

Albus_Scope · September 17

I'm very glad to hear you've found your voice with us @WhatThe and thanks for mentioning community_scope and our email. I always forget the obvious things. 😆

Bluebell21 · September 17

I am sure you are aware @Albus_Scope that I have been warned that I cannot be my true self and that I am not free to say what I would like.

MW123 · September 17

Could someone help me understand this better? I have been a member for a couple of years and haven’t personally felt unable to participate or be myself. However, I am aware that some people feel they can’t be their true selves here, and I am genuinely concerned about this.

I would really appreciate any insights into what might be causing these feelings and how interactions or responses could be contributing, as I am having trouble pinpointing a specific cause in what I have read so far.

Gaining a better understanding could help us work towards creating a more supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.

luvpink · September 17

I looked on trustpilot having never heard of it before but I couldn't find scope or much else on it. 😍

WhatThe · September 17

Bluebell, I also found the 'warning' pretty distressing (with the threat of being banned). Perhaps Scope could review their emails? Speak to Adrian or Jimm privately and be as frank as you like!

Cantilip, I'm also deeply concerned at the Labour Party's betrayal of our elderly citizens as are others. Just baffled that anyone thinks we can't or shouldn't address this here. One member claimed otherwise but I don't believe that. It's essential that we discuss it on the Scope forum and take effective action. Likewise with the two-child benefit cap, a wicked Tory policy which Labour pledged to cancel until they got into power!

I don't want you to leave. I don't want Bluebell to leave.

JessieJ · September 17

Good for you, @Cantilip, having your own site means you can vent, say what you like when you like without you or anyone else on here getting overly stressed.