Hi Doug,

I'd suggest:

1. Getting some chatrooms

2. Setting up a system for IM's

3. A way we can get on the site without letting others know we're here

4. Getting some doctors who will offer free advice for those in real need

5. Establishing a way for those considering suicide to get "instan" help

I hope you will adopt some of these ideas.Thank you for a great site.

JimK

hi, jim.

good news:

1) we are almost done with #s 1-3. aiming to show it to you next week.

2) re #4, we have a number of doctors who regularly participate on the communities, and we're working on ways to show off their contributions more clearly. with 50,000 members, it's hard to open up the floodgates and set the expectation that everyone's questions will be answered, but we've got ideas that we're going to work on soon.

3) re: suicide, we have set up a list of resources so that any member can forward crisis resources to another members. just look at the bottom of any page on the site and click on CRISIS RESOURCES. we don't have members' phone numbers or addresses to go out and "find" them.

great suggestions. thanks!

how about a block button for someone being obnoxious in the discussion boards...like on aol.

great idea, and we're planning on that one pretty soon as well.

I'd like to be able to pop back and forth directly b/w my different communities, messages and such without having to always have to go back to "my page" first. Maybe like a quick pull-down menu?

Or am I just ridiculously lazy? *laugh* Darn my dial-up!

Thanks for asking us, Doug.

How about showing when there is a comment on your journal. That would be helpful too. You know where it shows new messages and new hugs, it would be helpful to know when you have a new comment in your journal.

I like JimK's 1-3 but you say you are already working on that, looking forward to see how they work

I like JimK's suggestions and tangerinedream's

I agree a better way to get from one community to another would be great! Another idea, something sort of like myspace's bulletin posts where you can instantly send out something to all of your friends but not where it send them a regular message. or a thing where you can subscribe to a friends journal, again like on myspace (yes I'm a myspace addict!) it will send you something when a friend that you choose writes a journal.

be nice to send a hug to multipals like we can with messages and i like the chat room idea's too

these are all great ideas, and ones that i've added to our list. Chat is next up, and we've recently improved both Search and Treatments. keep these ideas coming.

I once sent a message and asked why we couldn't send a hug to more than one person at a time or why we couldn't send them a hug AND some flowers. I was kinda shot down...:(
I see now that jiggly has the same idea...maybe now that more than 1 person has the idea it will go up on the drawing board. I would really appreciate that.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER AND SIGN IN TO BE ABLE TO VIEW JOURNALS...ETC.

BLOCK BUTTON

One of mine is much like Finally's. I am always ambivalent when I am on the depression page and see a message because I know I am going to have to go back to communities, back to depression etc. I wish there were a way to just get straight back to depression.

Also I would like to see a pet loss forum. I know we have a grief forum but I don't think either mourners of people or of pets necessarily feel comfortable with each other. This is such a big issue these days I am surprised DS has not already done it!

I know that there are doctors who are here on DS, but what about taking advatage of the nurses that are already here too. There is a vast array of experience and knowledge that isn't being utilized which may be a good addition.

Also, I've wanted to see a community for suicide survivors (those left behind). I know that there is a berevement community, but survivors of suicide face many specific challenges that include so much more than just the loss of the loved one. Please concider that.

I would like to be able to jump between my comminities without having to go back to my page. I know someone else suggested that.