Let's keep our boards from dying

[hawkward]

Hi, ladies. The AL boards are slooooow. I know it's largely an effect of what's happened in the last few weeks, but CAL was also already dying off with no new members. I'd like to do a little social media recruiting (linking back here with a "we're talking about this at [*link] right now, come join us!" type of message), but I don't want to be directing people toward dead boards. 

So, with that in mind, any ideas to liven things up? 

Edited to add update- Can I get some volunteers who are willing to start some weekly fun threads?

[addymac]

Specific daily posts? Like FFFC Friday? Confessions? Ask Away Wednesdays? (Ask any Qs, don't feel dumb? Idk!!)

I've never been super active on a forum before TCF/here so I don't know specifics but maybe something like that could help. Or ask a grad weekly posting. Idk. I'd love to help where I can to keep threads going, even with working night shift my hours are wonky but these loss boards have helped me a lot this past year so I don't want them to die.

[caer]

I'm new to the loss boards but I agree with posting daily check-in type threads (or at least more often). I think it will help new members feel more comfortable joining.

FWIW, I had a loss while TFAS and I moved to GKU and the loss check-in instead of CAL because the board was so slow and I wasn't sure how to jump in. On GKU, it was easy to ease my way into the board and "'meet" other posters through the TWW/WTO and loss threads.

[ajetter]

I also don't post on the AL boards as much because I already have LC. I certainly don't want them to die, and I wouldn't say I've ever felt unwelcome, I just never want to offend anyone either.

[fikafairy]

I like the idea of specific threads each day - like addymac mentioned.

UO, FFFC, TPT, etc, with check-ins? I feel like those types of threads will get people participating more. Sometimes the loss boards feel like they can be limiting to just talking about loss, which is hard to do on a daily basis. At least in my opinion.

[orangepickle]

I agree a ton with fikafairy about how it can feel like we're limited to talking about loss on these boards - I love talking about my son and sometimes I need to vent/cry/feel all the feels, but whether it's for a few hours/days/or occasionally a few weeks when I'm just exhausted I just need to draw my focus elsewhere for a little bit to keep my sanity. I think sometimes we fall into the trap where we think support looks a certain way (the sad, ugly cry kind of help) but I'd love for us to think about what we could do to support each other with the uplifting, even happy stuff too because we all need a bit of both. I'd also agree with everyone else that some of the regular check ins would be great.

[hawkward]

enchanted, last night I had a dream that you basically shut down the Loss boards, and I tracked down your phone number and called you to tell you how mad I was. That's what I get for thinking about these things before bed!

TTCAL was always a good respite. There were a lot of loss threads and a lot of TTC threads, yes, but there was so much other action, you could post and avoid both topics if you needed to do it on any particular day.

[pink]

I just want to say I think that having PGAL and PAL active too helps.

I miss BPF on Pgal! I always love lurking on that thread!

Also, random, but I'm happy to see the name PgAL and TTCAL back... I mean really no biggie, but I like it anyways.

ETA: I realize I didn't really say much to help the conversation ... but yeah.

[Radley]

Why can't you or hawkward post?

ETA: Oh I missed the TTCAL part

[hawkward]

Jun 4, 2017 22:23:45 GMT -6 pink said:

I just want to say I think that having PGAL and PAL active too helps.

I miss BPF on Pgal! I always love lurking on that thread!

Also, random, but I'm happy to see the name PgAL and TTCAL back... I mean really no biggie, but I like it anyways.

ETA: I realize I didn't really say much to help the conversation ... but yeah.

Me too  

[oldbaylover1024]

I try to keep a Meal Plan Monday and Thankful Friday thread going on PAL. We also had some kid check-ins. The more the merrier!

I like the idea of a grad question/answer type thing on TTCAL and/or PgAL. I often don't post there because... IDK... I felt awkward. Maybe I need to do a better job of offering advice or jumping in if I think I can help (adding siggy warnings if necessary of course).

Should we post a blast on the General Discussions board and let folks know these boards exist? Maybe getting some existing members to participate would liven things up. And show folks we talk about more than loss.

[hawkward]

Jun 5, 2017 7:47:29 GMT -6 oldbaylover1024 said:

I try to keep a Meal Plan Monday and Thankful Friday thread going on PAL. We also had some kid check-ins. The more the merrier!

I like the idea of a grad question/answer type thing on TTCAL and/or PgAL. I often don't post there because... IDK... I felt awkward. Maybe I need to do a better job of offering advice or jumping in if I think I can help (adding siggy warnings if necessary of course).

Should we post a blast on the General Discussions board and let folks know these boards exist? Maybe getting some existing members to participate would liven things up. And show folks we talk about more than loss.

I think a lot of us came from the "check-in" generation of TTCAL on TB when we had a lot of active threads. Remember when PAL was practically empty, and now it's one of the busier AL boards. 

I know there are a lot of AL posters on GD. A lot of us are grads, but there are some that are TTCAL or PgAL that just never made their way over. That may generate some interest. 

[oldbaylover1024]

I asked my BMB if they would be interested in participating in the PAL and/or TTCAL (as applicable) boards. The general comments were that, as time passed, they didn't feel the need for the AL boards. They generally went to their BMB or a general board because they assumed the focus on the AL boards was, well, loss. I get it - lots of folks don't need the same type of support sometimes.

I think if we brought some new threads to all the loss boards and encouraged more (appropriate, of course) participation on the TTCAL and PgAL boards, we have a better chance of getting more activity.

I also think we have lots of lurkers. That could just be my perception based on the 'views' v. the posts on some threads.

We may also lose some folks to FB. I'm not huge on FB, so I'm hoping more people come here.

[menrandes]

I think it's a huge misconception around the rest of the community, apparently, that ttcal and cal were all about loss. That's why we joined, but the vast majority of the conversations did not revolve around loss at all.
I think we would not be as close as we are if that is all we discussed.

[hawkward]

Jun 5, 2017 18:02:56 GMT -6 menrandes said:

I think it's a huge misconception around the rest of the community, apparently, that ttcal and cal were all about loss. That's why we joined, but the vast majority of the conversations did not revolve around loss at all.
I think we would not be as close as we are if that is all we discussed.

You're right, I think that's an unfair perception (and one that I admit to having had). I was just now checking it out back on the place that shall not be named, and and it wouldn't be fair to even say it was "mostly" threads about loss. I think I perceived it that way because I remember a time when we went through pages of threads in a day. 

[oldbaylover1024]

Jun 5, 2017 18:32:21 GMT -6 hawkward said:

Jun 5, 2017 18:02:56 GMT -6 menrandes said:

I think it's a huge misconception around the rest of the community, apparently, that ttcal and cal were all about loss. That's why we joined, but the vast majority of the conversations did not revolve around loss at all.
I think we would not be as close as we are if that is all we discussed.

You're right, I think that's an unfair perception (and one that I admit to having had). I was just now checking it out back on the place that shall not be named, and and it wouldn't be fair to even say it was "mostly" threads about loss. I think I perceived it that way because I remember a time when we went through pages of threads in a day. 

All of this ^^^^

Plus, I think we all get busy with new babies and adjusting to life after LOs arrive that it's hard to jump into PAL. I know there are lots of folks that intro from PgAL, but don't have the time to participate. That's been said a few times. IDK how to get more PAL participation. Except provide babysitters for all those new parents so they can come here. #priorities LOL

[wickedcandy]

there hasn't been a post on TTCAL in almost a week

[agpjt413]

Oh LAWD re: nightly confessions!! ::fans self:: naked push-ups, anyone?! (menrandes?!) 😜

[menrandes]

Jun 6, 2017 17:20:55 GMT -6 agpjt413 said:

Oh LAWD re: nightly confessions!! ::fans self:: naked push-ups, anyone?! (menrandes?!) 😜

....i knew that would be brought up again sooner or later!