Outcome of testing the new group layout

Your last sentence says it all....... 'how invaluable it is for our members to be able to talk to someone who understands' - yet you won't listen to the very people you are talking about.  The categories 'are confusing' - if I am honest and it will sound like I am being rude - I'm not, this is said out of love and affection for this online community and wanting it to continue as the place to be, here goes....

Apart from 'new here, say hello'.... the other categories are all the same - just different words.  You could reply to any of these...

Questions about diagnosis and treatment (a new member could be asking the same in their post) hence confusing.

Emotional support and friendly chat (a new member would be looking for this in their post) and of course if you have posted in the 'emotional support and friendly chat' because you aren't new here - you might be posting in the 'ongoing discussions'.

Ongoing discussions (a new member would want their originally post to be an going discussion to help them get through this).

From the outside - the categories all look good - but they really aren't practical.

If you was to try what Grogg suggested a 'New here, say hello' with 'stickes' for Rads, Chemo, Treatment underneath, followed by the 'everyday' threads including 'Awake' etc - I am sure this would work.  It might not look 'pretty' having different categories - but I do think it would work.  People are stressed when they first come here and they need 'simple and straight forward'.

Please have a re-think - or at least 'try it'.

No offence meant - just talking from the heart.

I think I’ve posted in the wrong thread, @Ellen B-Macmillan, please do have a read of  my post in the other thread you began about feedback? I’ve answered the reason for the apparent  ‘increase’ in uptake, cancer diagnosis and beginning of treatments got badly hit in Lockdown 1 - as all the cancer specialists feared would happen. So this is the real reason for the increase, it’s taken (inevitably) time for numbers to get diagnosed and find their way here. I’ve stated a few more reasons for my thoughts too. 

Plus if you look at the 'threads/posts' that are in there - many have been 'dragged' over from the old layout
(maybe transferred would be a better word).

So, Macmillan,  you appreciate and are open to our feedback, but you are going to ignore it and keep on doing what you planned anyway. Thanks for that.

I'm done with feedback.

I know exactly how you feel,  and am inclined to agree. 
I wonder how long the ‘new here’ sub-group will get till us users won’t be able to distinguish between the ‘new here’ that we helped and the ‘new here’ that someone else helped and therefore never ever be able to find our answer again??? And also how huge that sub-group will get???? 
I’m not sure anyone has thought this part through? sadly I suspect that sub-group will rapidly get so huge it will be unmanageable and posts being so similar in title that they themselves will become indistinguishable! 
I have a feeling that the main reason about numbers that Admin feel pleased about is because they have climbed; but they are a direct result of how cancer diagnosis slipped such a lot during the first lockdown, when all the NHS struggled to cope with organising how to deal with the pandemic. 

Hello & moomy

We are listening and taking everything you’re saying into account when making changes on the site.

We have a great deal of other data and feedback from across the whole Community, which we also need to consider when updating groups. Our aim is to make the site the best possible place for peer-to-peer cancer support for everybody who needs it.

We will continue to listen to all feedback and analytics from the site so we can use this information to improve the accessibility, functionality and welcoming nature of the Community.

We really appreciate your support in improving the site for all of our members.

Best wishes,

So thanks but no thanks.  I too struggle to keep up with the number of 'new here ' posts sorry for I'm out!  

I am posting this in here and have also posted this on "Feed back on new layout" - I felt it is wise to post here to........

You say..... (each are quotes/extracts from your reply)...

""We have a great deal of other data and feedback from across the whole Community, which we also need to consider when updating groups"".

You are carrying out these changes to the Breast Cancer Group based on a). the 'whole Community' or b). the whole Breast Cancer Group Community?......

if its a). When why does the Breast Cancer Group have to suffer because the wider community has concerns with their own Group.

if its b). I can't say I have seen anyone saying the original layout/structure to the Breast Cancer Group was confusing. We have complained of 'site' issues - genuine problems eg attaching photo's - but, not about the 'structure'.   

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You say.....

""The more recent changes made to this group are as a direct result of feedback from our users. We are hearing that users are finding it really hard to find their way around the site, and struggle to know where to post when they’re new. As mentioned previously, these categories are not there to categorise people or experiences, but simply help users find what they’re looking for"".

The Breast Cancer Group is being changed based on a direct result of feedback from our users......  
I can honestly say I have never seen a post in the Breast Cancer Group saying they are finding it hard to find their way around the site.... I am seeing very many 'now' saying they are finding it hard to find, navigate and confused where to post.... I hadn't seen it before.  

I totally agree with LondonLass, when I first came here, my opening words would be 'my way of asking for help, I don't know if I'm in the right place, or can someone please help me' (I've not looked back to check, as it was one of the worst times of my life) - however, whatever I posted would be 'my way of gently saying to the ladies on here .... I'm lost, I need help .... not lost on 'the site' ..... lost in life!! 

We don't want to go back to the old platform - we understand that needed to go.  We are asking you to stop all these categories - because like it or not 'you are categorising us' - even if you say its not meant to.... it is categorising us!

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You say.....

a). ""There is definitely overlap across the categories and we aren't trying to have a really structured site where you can only post something that's about the category you're in.   We recognise experiences are all unique, and there will be some more emotional support threads in the treatment and diagnosis category, and vice versa. The categories aren't there to categorise people or experiences, but rather help group content so everyone can find what they're looking for a little easier.

b). We can make amendments to the categories as we go along, if the current ones aren't working how we want them to"".

a). This sentence says it all for me....  you can see there is an 'overlap' across the categories - so this should let you see New Members will be confused on where to post and existing Members will easily miss new posts or lose the thread to reply to.  

b). You say you can make amendments to the categories - the categories are 'not' working, they really aren't.  They may look nice as you look in from the outside.... please see they are "not working".

We are having to fit/post into a category - we didn't do that before.  Before, we could all see new and old posts and easily reply.  If you look at your feedback since you introduced these categories you will see very many people agreeing 'the categories' don't work.

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I would like to add, I think how different threads have been started for this ---

1. Would you like to help us test a new group layout

2. Notice; we're making some changes

3. Feedback on new layout

4. Outcome of new testing of the new group layout

All the above 4 threads/posts relate to the same subject  ..... in the old layout/style we understand it.... you are posting these in the very same way that we understand.....

However, in your new structured categories .... this is confusing, just like we are saying.  All the 4 threads/posts should be looped together - because our responses, replys, questions, concerns, upset, etc have all been spread out over 4 posts - this does not feel right - we don't know where to reply and more so ..... most members won't reply, they are here because they are desperate, they have either had or have got cancer (now you have made me type 'the' word) - they don't want to be designing websites.... they want to be able to 'read' posts, decide if they want to join, join, then post....

In truth.... I don't think many (I would not of wanted to) want to have to feel they have to go in the first category 'New here, say hello..... this would possible of put me off posting ... I don't want to be .... Hello look at me, I'm new blar blar.  I think most want to sneak in and write things like .... I need help - please can someone from anywhere help me -  If we were joining a 'Bingo online Community' then.... go for it.... New here, say hello....I'm new here, I'm form Northbourne, I am so missing going out to the bingo, I was buying 6 books twice a week - anyone else here missing our trips out!!!! 

Sadly, its not like this..... We are desperate, we come here for help, support and to be lifted.  I don't think you are realising how the categories don't work.  If you look at this from our side, you need to be looking from "I'm vunerable, my like feels like its ending, I don't know what to do, I want to find someone that might be able to help me whilst remaining anonymous - until I feel comfortable to share my personal information and life with you.  For now I want you to take me by the hand and guide me...... all of which we were getting without categories .... three years on and I have only just started to give my name out, and this stopped as quick as it started as I don't want to get mixed up with another member with the same name.

An open letter to admin...... was a way of hoping you would listen.

I don't think you can see what these changes are doing.... it's creating upset, stress and worry - the very opposite of what Macmillan is about.  We are being made feel that we have to fit into box's, new people can only post once they have posted in "New here, say hello".

My final part to this post..... You might notice since your new design/categories many of the long standing members aren't on here so much  I don't blame them.  Why not update the site with straightforward things, move the completion with the Top 'percentages' ..... fortunately, we all get on... but seeing most members are 1% and the another member is a 50% (luckily she loves us and we love her, she was always galloping about )  - you did say this was not intended for use and it would removed, yet its still there.... tidy the site up instead of breaking it up.

I'm not meaning to offend anyone, this is said from the heart, from a stressed mind that really doesn't need this - but, like others, we need to speak out - so you can see.  I have nothing to gain from any of this - I am trying to help new people that follow in our footsteps - I want them to feel the true warmth and love you can get from this Group - before it changed. 

Now where do I post this.... hmmm will it get noticed if I post in 1 or should it be 2, hmmm maybe it should be 3 or 4.... I'm going with 3 - Feedback on new layout arrrrghh xx

I've changed the blue text back to black 

Hi, Admin,

please see my latest post on your other thread, (Feedback) about the ‘new’ sub-groups, about the Macmillan figures of 50,000 late/missing diagnosis just from the first lockdown. 

Admin I feel you need better preparation to deal with the rest of the iceberg as I feel we’ve only just seen the tip, this group needs to work FAR more efficiently with less searching from us, your remaining helpers, to comfort panic stricken newbies who end up posting ‘wherever’ in anxiety and anguish! I easily counted 9 , yes, NINE places that new people could legitimately post. We need this number of places to search to be dramatically lowered otherwise you will lose your unacknowledged helpers!

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your continued feedback.

We understand that everyone wants this group to work as well as possible for those who need it. We wanted to test this new layout as we had a lot feedback from users, new and old, telling us that finding posts was really difficult and they struggled to see where they could go to post.

Amongst other developments, which we posted about in our Community News Blog, we wanted to test this layout. This helps new users find their feet, as well as helping keep the groups on the site clear and easy to use.

We understand there are still some issues with the layout, such as the latest activity feed and not being able to move the larger threads. We are working on these and we are hopeful this will be resolved soon.

We will continue to take on board all feedback and use data from across the site to help us improve the Community. We decided to set up a feedback thread in this group as we understood that some members preferred this. However, as a team it can be difficult to ensure we’re capturing all feedback so we would encourage you to send any feedback we might not have addressed here to us by filling in this form or emailing the community team on community@macmillan.org.uk.  

Best wishes,

Ellen
Macmillan Community Team