Widows & Widowers Support Group
This community is dedicated to those who have lost a husband, wife, or partner. Anything is open for discussion here, with the hope that we can focus on grief, bereavement, life after loss, and continuing on after a great loss.
Hi All,
One of the things that was discussed in the conference call with DS, which goes to a lot of the complaints here, was the formatting of the new site. We were told that the new site has been designed and optimized for viewing on a mobile device - i.e., cell phones - as that is how most of the users are using the site. Personally, I doubt that very much, but I have nothing but my own experiences to draw upon. I don't look at this site on a phone - I started on a desktop computer and use a laptop now. When I travel, I use a tablet. I am 59 which means tiny print is hard for me without my reading glasses, and arthritis in my hands makes all that thumb-scrolling not a good idea. But maybe I am in the minority on these things. If you wouldn't mind answering the following, it would help me figure out if it's just me that has these problems, or whether I need to take that back to TeamDS.
What type of device are you using to come to Daily Strength?
A. Cell phone/mobile phone
B. Tablet or iPad
C. Desktop or Laptop computer
Which age group are you in?
A. Under 30
B. 31-45
C. 46-65
D. 66+
I don't normally ask for this kind of info, but I feel it would help me understand better, and I would pass this on to TeamDS so they understand US better.
Thanks,
Martha, co-Community Leader
I primarily use my desktop/laptop to access the site. I also fall into the age category of B (37).
Thank you for speaking on our behalf about this new unfriendly site. Like others have said, I didn't ever have problems accessing the site from my cell phone on the few occasions that I would check the message board from my phone.
I hope you are able to make some positive headway with all of this new information.
I use a desktop and tablet. Prefer desktop. Am in group A and D, which means I am young at heart and hopefully,wise in age.
Appreciate knowing the reason for the change in format but think it's a bad idea from an interactive point of view. People who are using their smart phones usually suggests they are on the go--I see so many people in public and even in social situations who are glued to their phones and this cuts into social interactions. I think it's rude when my son's girlfriend comes to visit and when there is a pause in the conversation will stop to read a message on her phone or make a call. I appreciate technology, but not at the cost of connecting with humanity.
With the huge photos and advertisements that take up so much space--leaving us only two lines of type, it feels like the heart of this site has been ripped out.
I say thumbs down to smart phone technology, in this particular case, and wonder if DS has any concerns at all about losing its users.
SuzA
SuzA, That's pretty much how I feel, too. We have conversations in our group, not soundbites. And I prefer to spend time with people I care about, not give of myself in tiny 120-character increments. That's not connecting, in my opinion, heck, that's hardly even passing through and leaving graffitti behind. Yeah, I'm old fashioned in some things I guess. I don't think you can "tweet" grief. However, I have been looking forward to the new site, and along with the other CL volunteers, put in a fair amount of time on it, but it's not working for me. I am trying to find a constructive way through this. I have invested several years of effort here, and I am reluctant to throw in the towel just yet. I am not an employee of DS - the CLs are members and volunteers. We gave of ourselves and our time because we believed in it, because we cared, because it helped us, and we wanted to pay it forward, too. This has been very hard for us.....