March 07 - Announcement from the Alzheimer's Society

said

Registered User
Jul 4, 2006
643
0
London
Hello everybody

Talking Point has now been running for almost four years, primarily operated by volunteer members.

It has been a great success, and the Alzheimer’s Society wants to build on that success for the future by creating a permanent post to help run the forum.

For the next six months a part time post has been agreed, so that the role can be fully evaluated and understood – and operated.

Primarily the role will be:

Information

  • To be the “face” of the Alzheimer’s Society on Talking Point.
  • To provide guidance and support to the volunteer moderators
  • Contact members of Alzheimer’s Society staff for definitive position on complex queries/posts. Post replies based on this information on the boards.
  • Proactively link to relevant information on alzheimers.org.uk and sign post Alzheimer’s Society services and resources.
  • To keep members informed of changes to alzheimer.org.uk and how they impact on the way they use Talking Point.
  • Develop the FAQ section.
Supporting the volunteers

  • Liaise on moderator staffing levels.
  • Invite new volunteers to become moderators, get references etc
  • Be the point of contact between the Society and the volunteer moderators
  • Encourage volunteer moderators to come to joint decisions about issues that may come up on the board

Protecting the Talking Point membership as a whole

  • Make the final decision about whether a thread should be removed and whether or not a member should be banned
  • Issue warnings to members if necessary (after consultation with the moderators)
  • Communicate with members who have been banned
  • Change the status of TP members, banning or upgrading to moderator
  • Identify and deal with situations where inappropriate information is placed on Talking Point by people who are not genuine members
This is an important step forward for Talking Point and for the Alzheimer’s Society – and for the membership of the forum.

For the initial six months we are pleased to say that Brucie has volunteered to take on the part time role.

Brucie has been a member of Talking Point since January 2004, and became a volunteer moderator soon after. He has cared for his wife at all stages of her dementia since 1991 until the present day, and continues to do so.

We are sure you will welcome him to his new role.

Said Dajani
(Website Manager)
Alzheimer's Society
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Congratulations Bruce! I'm sure your experience will be invaluable, and you will be very successful in your new role.

Love,
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,447
0
Kent
Congratulations Bruce and thank you.

You are one of the best people for this role as everyone knows who you are and where you come from [metaphorically].

With love
 

Amy

Registered User
Jan 4, 2006
3,454
0
Thanks Bruce (sir) for taking this on - a captain who knows the vessel and the crew!
Does this mean that we have to be polite to you now?
Can I also thank Said and Tash for the support that they in particular have given the mods over recent weeks. Thank you.
Love Helen
 
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daughter

Registered User
Mar 16, 2005
824
0
Amy said:
Does this mean that we have to be polite to you now?
Goodness, I hope not Helen! Seriously though, congratulations Bruce and good luck in your new role.
Love from Hazel.
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Thanks everyone!

I'm assuming everyone knows that having everyone being polite to me would be a major shock to my system, and thus would not be advisable. I just ain't used to it.

On a serious note, if anyone has cause for concern about posts, PMs, topics, responses on TP, then please let me know. I may not agree, or then again I may agree strongly, but primarily I need to know when you feel things are not right for you, TP-wise.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Bit late reading this .

Just like to say well done Brucie:) :p Only joke not being rude lol :eek:

Thanks for the update Said
 

Canadian Joanne

Registered User
Apr 8, 2005
17,710
0
70
Toronto, Canada
Congratulations, Brucie

As I read the announcement, I thought "Brucie would be ideal for this". You have always been the voice of sweetness and reason in the midst of a turbulent, volatile, opinionated, vocal and sometimes rabid group. :D
Joanne
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Canadian Joanne said:
......voice of sweetness and reason in the midst of a turbulent, volatile, opinionated, vocal and sometimes rabid group.

I don't think the other moderators would like to be described in that way.... :eek: ;)

Seriously though, thanks everyone.

Before the public announcement, I posted a message to the other moderators that I want to post an extract from now [it is virtually all of it with just some now-out of date stuff removed]

[extract]..... I'm hoping it will go well. For my part, a key thing is that the part time role means that I can continue as normal with my visiting Jan. Another key thing is that it gives us all an opportunity to ensure that TP goes on, and from strength to strength.

You have all got many things on your hands, caring to be done. I am so fortunate in the way Jan is cared for, I have time that could not be better spent than on TP, and I want to put back into this whole area as much as it is possible to do.

I think you folks will be okay with this new situation, I certainly hope so.

I hope the membership generally will be, too.

I want to try to ensure that TP is a safe place for anyone to come, and if that means our setting a few guidelines and caveats, then that is the way I will suggest we do it. We will set up a better structure for agreeing these things, and I believe that the decision of the majority of the mods should be actioned. Where we have disagreement, we can seek ways to get consensus.

Always remember, I'll be working with you in the same way as before, with the same needs and hopes. I will just have a slightly different title on my member's signature - once I have figured what that might be.

Last thing - I'm going to be making some mistakes! Please bear with me and never hold back from telling me you think I'm on the wrong track!


All of the above goes for TP members as a group.
 

nemesisis

Registered User
May 25, 2006
100
0
bless you

Brucie we need people like you to campaign for Alzheimer's sufferers dignity and welfare
government should put the money these people have paid into looking after them with respect not relegate then to err perhaps one vist a day to check they are still alive which is what I feel social services are doing
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Hi nemesisis

whee... this is a thread I'd forgotten about, though I guess I shouldn't have since my 6 month appointment ends on 31 August.

Thanks for your kind words.

I think that the other moderators and all the members of this forum are the fundamental part of a large campaign for dignity, welfare and so many other things that need addressing, not only for those affected by dementia, but others too.

I'm just happy that, as a result of horrible situation for Jan and me, something good has emerged, and that a combination of our dementia experiences, and my past life working with computers and helping people use them, has come together in a positive way.

I'll be posting an update on the things I've been doing soon. :)
 

wendy2

Registered User
Apr 9, 2005
12
0
I am late, but congratulations Brucie.
You have always been most helpful to me.
Thank you and good luck.
Wendy
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