Youreable disability forum down?

TimeLord1

Just noticed that DLF have removed links to the youreadable forums so they don't want any contact and basically ignoring everyone or not answering their questions or emails. I think the forum will not be returning. DLF must think the same ten thousand members just dropped without any notification. Oh well I won't bother with this now. 

scottleag

AS far as I can see they've still got the same message they've had up for several months. "Excited to be re-opening," blah blah blah "last few internal checks" more blah.

Coming up to a year I think since it was closed "for maintenance." You're quite right. Obviously they've no intention of re-opening. Treating users with absolute contempt. The main issue for me is not letting people know. There's a wealth of information and advice on there that could have been downloaded by users if they'd given any notice. As it is only the most foresighted of people who save anything that's useful to them or retain copies of their own posts have any access to material.

There was absolutely no need for this. I ran a forum for fifteen years before I found I couldn't do it any more. I closed off new registrations, restricted access to then registered users and gave three months notice of closure so that people had plenty of time to download and save whatever was useful to them. If an individual can do that there's no reason for an organisation like DLF not to do something similar.

On top of the lack of notice of closure there's been the lack of communication with users, the nonsense claims of re-opening and this message now up there for months claiming re-opening soon and even asking for moderators. It really is contemptible behaviour. 

TimeLord1

There's was links to that page under DLF but contact is now just email and Facebook +X  Twitter so what Shaw Trust is doing who knows. I mean they would have all the members emails to send notifications but nothing whatsoever. I spoke to one employee on DLF who said hundreds of people had asked but she basically said tough wait. 7 months ago. 

TimeLord1

That I never knew. Shaw Trust is commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide the Work and Health Programme in Central England and the Home Counties. Perhaps the DWP don't want it anymore 

Newcad

Well spotted @TimeLord1
Removing the prominent forum links from the Living Made Easy website main page(s) is an interesting step for them to take.
Perhaps they just got fed up with people new to the site asking why the forum was always closed?
But they haven't given up on it entirely.

There is a section about YoureAble here: https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/DLF-about-us
Which has a link to: https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/about-us/youreable

There is also still a link in 'About Us'>FAQ's>'What if I would like to speak to someone for advice'.

There may be others but I'm not going to search the whole site.

If I recall correctly Youreable closed "for maintenance" on 17th Nov 2022", so it's just a few days shy of a year ago.

Robbie64

Why don't they just announce the forum has closed?

TimeLord1

Newcad said:

Well spotted @TimeLord1
Removing the prominent forum links from the Living Made Easy website main page(s) is an interesting step for them to take.
Perhaps they just got fed up with people new to the site asking why the forum was always closed?
But they haven't given up on it entirely.

There is a section about YoureAble here: https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/DLF-about-us
Which has a link to: https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/about-us/youreable

There is also still a link in 'About Us'>FAQ's>'What if I would like to speak to someone for advice'.

There may be others but I'm not going to search the whole site.

If I recall correctly Youreable closed "for maintenance" on 17th Nov 2022", so it's just a few days shy of a year ago.

Hi Nuke, I have watched various bits but seen how the DLF have been further distancing themselves from anyone asking as for the DWP sitting quietly in the background gathering information which was open for anyone to read anyway seems underhanded maybe using Shaw Trust as the front to get people to join perhaps they gathered whatever they needed to and no longer fund it, leaving the DLF looking rather embarrassed and clueless as to what happens next. It doesn't take a year to update software only to look exactly the same a year later. I'm still logged in according to my profile also noticed a 503 error message yesterday not there now. I don't think DLF are to blame I just think they're as lost as us it's Shaw Trust and DWP that only know it's fate. Added images below but not sure if they will load up. Navigation is working and I'm logged in yesterdays error message 

Newcad

A 503 error means that the server is down for some reason.

It's up again today so that may be a sign that someone was actually working on it yesterday.

Well what do you know - I HAVE JUST LOGGED IN TO YOUREABLE

And then logged out again.

PS. Please don't start a rush trying to logon to YoureAble - a rush of logins could hamper any work that is going on.
You can logon but there is nothing to see, nothing is available at this moment.
It still says that the forum is unavailable and 'reopening soon'.

Being able to now login is a big change - and a sign that someone is indeed working on the website.
Who knows - they could even be aiming to reopen exactly 1 year after closing?

PPS Shaw trust working for/with the DWP has nothing to do with it.
Many charities and welfare organisations have contacts and links with DWP these days, CAB even run the 'Help to Claim UC' for them.
Whilst some do regard such links as being suspicious it does give them a toe in to better influence things at the DWP.
(Forget the old saying - When you are inside the tent it doesn't mean that you have to P*ss outwards, you can P*ss inwards with more accuracy).

scottleag

Newcad said:

You can logon but there is nothing to see, nothing is available at this moment.
It still says that the forum is unavailable and 'reopening soon'.

Being able to now login is a big change - and a sign that someone is indeed working on the website..

Unfortunately I don't think so. I've logged in many times over several months and got the same message you saw. Did it again a couple of minutes ago and exactly the same as before. 

TimeLord1

503 Error message again maybe it will open for Christmas 🎅 don't hold your breath though.