Hi all,

Not strictly a benefits post, but this is a 'quiet' forum so hopefully Shaun and Ken will let me have some leeway...?

I've been pondering the idea of starting a group for WR advisers on Facebook but I thought I would get some opinions first.

I thought it might be good for three reasons:

1) we can know who we are talking to - there are so many people I've 'got to know' through Rightsnet, but haven't a clue who I'm talking to;
2) we can chat/rant/talk about stuff (benefits or off-topic) without having to be so PC/professional like we do on Rightsnet (mostly );
3) some folks who are close to each other could arrange socials;

What do you all think? Would you be interested? Is there a better/different/alternative way? How do we get invites out? etc, etc, etc.



Tony

well that's an interesting thought, but i'm not sure how you guard against being taken over by people who are not benefits advisors... whilst i'm on facebook (and even in two groups within it) i'm not at all sure how much control any moderator has. if that can be assured, then it might be an idea.

on the other hand, some of us can be recognised far and wide and so woudl maintain some degree of professionalism on that sort of forum...

mmm...

mind, if the BB software for rightsnet was changed, we could put avatars up and prevent posts appearing on google searches.... (my avatar is usually my horse....so that wouldn't help anyone!0)

The problem for me is that I don't have a computer at home
and our Council's IT blocks sites like facebook.

I'm on facebook too but not sure how we could arrange it for an only welfs section without every man and his dog joining in - and probably asking for advice too!!!

Would an "off topic" section on here that was password protected so only those who are actually members of rightsnet have access, be possible?

As far as invites to become someone's friend on facebook goes - you only need a name and e-mail address don't you?

I'm not entirely sure (never set one up before) but I think groups on facebook can be restricted to invited members only so moderators can vet who joins (I think people can ask to join). I think a group can be set up so non-members can't access any info from within including members.

What about any other alternatives?

i haven't got the hang of face-book...good questions though ...

i gather rightsnet is going through some changes...maybe we should talk about righsnet, community networks, and clarify some of the issues more explicitly and openly...

i've sometimes wondered, since the subs were necessary, whether the news should be free and the forums subscribed...? i expect there are good reasons why this is a stupid idea, but i haven't had chance to explore them aloud with others, as one sometimes needs to, because one doesn't always know when one is being an idiot. going off at a tangent again...

is there any way we could get a FAQ about this forum, which meets some of the needs you/we/some people/everybody is talking about, maybe that's an alternative, maybe not,,,maybe not yet...? the model FAQ as far as i'm concerned is the usenet alt.buddha.short.fat.guy FAQ, which i can't supply a link to due to permanence issues... : ) it is not silent on the topics of cannibalism and masturbation...

just brainstorming...would ken or shawn like to jump in...? : )

I dunno about Facebook - not sure how all that young 'uns stuff works (couple of my mates have got pages all about their lives and love of the Stooges and 60s US garage punk - bleedin' embarassing, if you ask me) but an alternative might be a forum similar to this.

I'm a moderator on a politics forum, so I know that it's possible to get softwear that'll do the job for free and also possible to restrict membership via application and approval. It's also possible to make particular sections (or indeed, the whole thing) invisible to non-members. Only drawback is likely to be hosting costs (somewhere between £20-£30 a year) and whether there'd be enough interested parties.....

I use this forum a lot to gather info on various topics. Being a debt adviser, Im not sure my directors would agree that subscription is required for my job disciption..

Hence I do not get access to many areas of the site which holds the most info.. Fair enough I think.. But lets not make the forum, subscribers only..

Another idea.. which would tie in with the facebook query though is.. many sites have am off topic area for members to speak to each other about all manner of trifle waffle..

Why doesnt rightsnet have this.. and maybe this section of the forum could be proteced to subscribers only.. ????

Reckon there should be a 're-designing the entire social security system' section on Rightsnet. Once everyone had worked out all the solutions we could flog the shiny new policies to the inevitable incoming Tory government, claim a £1bn consultancy fee (based on a 10% cut of the savings) split 500 ways (between all the contributors) and then live happily ever after in some far flung warm country whilst opening up "British" pubs to remind us of the old country.

Blooming Nora Steve Gale.. Are you a mind reader...?

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