After Yet Another Spat in the comments and some disregarding of the commenting guidelines that have been in place since last year, I am setting up a forum, using social networking site Ning.
Please join up with Baggage Reclaim on Ning if you would like the opportunity to have ongoing discussions with other people that comment.
The purpose of this is to allow people to support each other without disrupting the comments box by having personal, off topic discussions that are exclusionary to the thousands of people that read the articles on this site each week. It also adds to the sense of community and let’s people be social with other but in a designated place. I appreciate that some of you have made friendships and are supporting each other but that has come about through using the comments like a discussion board, which is basically like forming groups around topics.
You can now set up groups, you can post questions in the forum and have them answered, plus you can use the chat function (we’ll see how this goes), amongst quite a few other features. I have just literally set it up this morning so it is a bit bare so please join. You can also invite other people to join.
Please note that:
1) You don’t have to use your real or full name
2) You shouldn’t be posting personal information about other people and don’t post personal information about yourself that you are not prepared to leave there.
3) The terms of use of this site still apply and postings that are deemed to be malicious, racist, prejudiced, hateful, bullying etc will be removed.
This then leaves the comments box to do what it is supposed to do – let people comment on the subject of the post and stay on topic.
This means commenting about the subject of the article and that even if you add your own anecdotes, they are in reference to the subject of the post.
This means not posting the same comment across numerous unrelated posts.
This means not bouncing from post to post each time I publish, continuing discussions even though they are off topic from the new subject of the post.
What this also means is that if comments do stay on topic making the comments more readable, I can actually respond to comments again – yay!
If anyone has any questions about this, either post them in the comments on this post or email nml AT baggagereclaim.co.uk
{ 7 comments }
Thank you. I always felt it was a shame the Forum was not used and as soon as I can get Ning to stop arguing I shall post there. As the site here will be able to function properly (one hopes) with just the few on topic replies as was the case in the past then this should make life easier for everyone and more appropriate follow ups easier to find too.
That being said, there comes a point where it is the follow up needed – not a lonely hearts club (I personally took great offence to that comment, given that I posted here mainly to help others not to seek help myself if that makes sense, and yes I am ok
). The stories from others helps a lot – perhaps there should be a thread for positives as a sticky? Rather than trying to follow the actual site itself because that duplicates all the work you need to do and you have ENOUGH on your plate lady 
As soon as Ning allows me (I have a Ning account with that email address you see) I shall join and I will post here when appropriate too.
I really welcome this as I started to feel I almost couldn’t post due to the ongoing conversations between a few people. They seemed to form a clique exclusive to them, whether intended or not. They only one who responded was Butterfly actually and that was always appreciated!
Thanks for this, NML.
Awww thank you! I popped in here to say that a link for the Forum would be a good thing, making it very obvious and clear for people, appreciate that G thank you.
I think what happened was that a wave of people developed over time – this will happen again, it is human nature, like when people start school they are more likely to bond with people in the same year then the same class in that order. I know all the others definitely didn’t intend to exclude anyone at all.
The Forum has the POTENTIAL (using that positively lol) to be fantastic as well as giving people the ability to write their own blog – far more interactive. So Natalie – a big friendly button for the blog near where people can post, or maybe one there and at the end of your own blog, might help cut the clutter?
You’re welcome Butterfly!
If you read this, then I reckon your friends are right, you probably need to do things for *you* too
I think you’ve been a great ongoing source of comfort and support here.
Hope you’ve had/ are having a great trip!
All the best xx
Emotionally Available Men
Hi ladies, on the verge of opening communication with a guy a met online – it was one of the sites that supposedly matches people looking to settle down. And now the thought of getting to know and possibly dating a guy who seems to be really really interested in getting to know someone on a deep level, who has brothers and friends who are all married and seems to know what he wants – is scaring the crap out of me. Anyone else experiencing this?
Hi Cece, you need to post this question on the forum . Thanks
thanks will do