Posted by Minnie-Haha on May 24, 2005, at 16:26:21
In reply to Re: Small boards - only viewable by members??? » partlycloudy, posted by Dinah on May 23, 2005, at 9:24:16
> ... given that small boards are a given, which Dr. Bob has told us they are, wouldn't it be better if they were also private?
>
> That way they'd be more like IM's or Babblemails or any number of the other private off board contacts that already take place. And there wouldn't be the feeling of pressing your nose against a window you can't breach, watching friends enjoy conversations you are not free to join, and knowing they like it that way...I was so the outsider in junior high and high school, so I think I understand your reluctance to have private groups. And though some might like feeling exclusive, I don't think that's what this is all about.
The Psycho-Babble community has grown to the point where some feel lost, or left out, or bullied... or whatever. I can't keep track of but about a dozen people myself. It's like trying to feel cozy at a huge convention. Some must have thought "Wouldn't it be nice if we could have a forum like this, that was smaller (again)?"
This site is strange because it's private in one respect: you have to register to post. But it's very public in other respects: you don't have to be registered to read the posts, and in fact you can Google and find all sorts of interesting stuff. Even find out about people with real names (for those who don't have anonymous names or "handles" or whatever you call them).
One month ago, I tried to start a Yahoo group for Psycho-Babble women -- a complement to the PB boards. You had to apply to join (send an email sharing your PB name) and the posts were all private. The only things public were the links, which all members could update. My gosh, you'd think I'd committed a crime. I thought it might be a more intimate group for lady Babblers, but the idea was received like a joke, or maybe a threat. (Though some joined and we had a few good threads: menopause, beauty products, stuff like that. Thanks ladies.)
> So that's my limited aim. Since Dr. Bob is going to go ahead with something I think is not such a good idea, it at least seems acceptable if he identifies what is public and what is private.
I haven't really made up my mind yet about whether or not such boards, when and if they do arrive, should be public or private. But I don't think it's traitorous for some to want them, just inevitable.
poster:Minnie-Haha
thread:441543
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20050517/msgs/502334.html