Debt Diaries!

themaccas

I think as time has gone on the board has evolved and now there are a lot of many items: Diaries, challenges, stickies, it is what has 'made' the board what it is, if you remove one to a sub-board then you should move them all to their own. I really don't see the diaries as that big a problem, there are just as many 'challenges'.

I'll go away and hide now............

lynsayjane

haven't read all the replies on here but thought i'd add my tuppence worth. i don't think moving the diaries is a good idea. it runs the risk of a lot of people only browsing the diaries section and not checking the whole dfw thread. i know thats how i'd probably be. but it also runs the risk of people not getting the support in their diaries that they need as the board will get split.

LJD1_2

I like reading the diaries so i'd read them if they were in a sub board or on this one. If there was a sub board it might new people would miss them and as people have already said there's a lot of good information in some of them.
So....i'm undecided!

mcardinalblue

A YES from me it was reading the diaries that made me start my debt free journey, I found them inspirational.

all_hours

I'd vote to have them moved to a sub forum and keep the main forum for SOAs and straight forward threads for problems + questions.

It's not such a problem if theres only a few on the front page - but some days most the threads are the ones with hundreds of posts.

I think those very long threads can be daunting to newbies - it looks as though there's a lot to read and know before you can start working through your own problems.

I also think southernscousers thread for new posters should be renamed to something like First time posters - SOA template.

Snaggles

I really enjoy reading the debt diaries, I'm not really bothered whether they are kept on the main board or moved to a sub board, but I'm not sure I would spend as long looking at the main DFW forum if the debt diaries were elsewhere.

And I can accept that debt diaries can be a teeny bit self indulgent (or massively self indulgent, in the case of my diary lol), but it's worth remembering as well that the people who are on here regularly, offering advice and suggestions, don't get paid to do so, they are doing it purely to help others, so if a little bit of self indulgence helps to keep them coming back day after day, that's not a bad thing is it?

So in conclusion....I don't know....lol!

southernscouser

Yesterday I was for moving them! Today I am not! And no I'm not a woman!

I'm honestly surprised to see quite a few newer members say they are inspirational/motivational etc. From my own point of view my diary is only there for my own benefit, and to provide me with motivation. I know it's available for everyone to see but don't appreciate that it could help others. (OK I know mine doesn't help others but other peoples do :rolleyes: )

Maybe we just need to make more of an effort to keep the pleas for help on the front pages!

shoe1206

As a newbie here, I find them confusing. I have read a few and they are really interesting an useful, however I agree they clog up the boards. I feel they would be better on a sub board.

I could then choose to look at a diary, or look on the DFW for everday posts. I have posted a few times and only had 1 or 2 replies, because the board is so busy.

clarab_3

southernscouser wrote:

Yesterday I was for moving them! Today I am not! And no I'm not a woman!

I'm honestly surprised to see quite a few newer members say they are inspirational/motivational etc. From my own point of view my diary is only there for my own benefit, and to provide me with motivation. I know it's available for everyone to see but don't appreciate that it could help others. (OK I know mine doesn't help others but other peoples do :rolleyes: )

Maybe we just need to make more of an effort to keep the pleas for help on the front pages!

Im no expert on the affect/strain it would put on the servers to run - but i still think maybe upping the space by listing 50 threads per page might stop there being so much turnover on the page - things dont slip off the first one (or at most two) without getting some constructive advice? I agree with your OP about the importance of that initial contact getting a positive response. (Hark at me - sound like a customer services manager!)

Snaggles

southernscouser wrote:

From my own point of view my diary is only there for my own benefit, and to provide me with motivation.......... (OK I know mine doesn't help others but other peoples do :rolleyes: )

It cheers people up though SS, and gets them in the right frame of mind for a bit of debt-busting - so it does help!