I HAVE HANDED BACK MY ADMIN BADGE

[IannodaTruffe]

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRETY OF THIS POST BEFORE REPLYING OR LIKING.

For those who don’t know me, I have been a follower of the HealthUnlocked Couch to 5k forum for eight and a half years and I have been on the forum admin team, initially as a mentor and then as an administrator, for approximately half that time.

Many do not fully understand the structures of these forums, but the C25k, Bridge to 10k, Marathon and Race support forums along with Strength and Flex and Active 10 forums are run by a volunteer admin team with some crossover between forums, providing familiar names and faces for those moving between them. The wonderful current team is ably led by roseabi, again, as a volunteer, despite the amount of time and organisation that it requires to run it all smoothly. All these forums, along with a huge range of other community forums based on specific issues, covering mental and physical health, are hosted and supported by the HealthUnlocked (HU) platform, who somehow manage to keep our pages free of advertising.

Just think, where else do you go on the internet that is ad free?

HealthUnlocked do a wonderful job enabling communities to set up their own forums and I have no beef with them as an organisation, but as community admins we have to enforce their terms, conditions and guidelines. These have recently changed, which leaves me with no option, in my mind, but to hand back my admin badge as I cannot, in all conscience, continue to carry out all the duties expected of me.

On September 2nd 2021 HU raised the lower age limit for membership of all its forums from sixteen to eighteen. We were informed of this by roseabi, on our admin forum. Having duly read the communication, I forgot all about it until I saw a post on the C25k forum from an admirable young man who had completed the programme, persuaded his father to start C25k and then entered a race raising funds for a cancer charity. Thanks to the new biog box under each post, I could see that he was sixteen.

The C25k forum was an eye opener to me when I joined it, in being such an all inclusive, welcoming, supportive island of positivity for new runners, amongst the sea of venal and divisive social media on the internet and I have taken great joy in upholding this ethos over the years. While I reluctantly accepted the previous sixteen year old minimum age range, simply because it was in force when I joined, as a matter of principle I cannot enforce the new minimum age of eighteen…………….I cannot tell a young man who is doing his best for himself, his family and his community that he is not welcome on our forum and so reluctantly I have asked for my admin badge to be removed and am writing this post in an effort to apply some pressure to HU to reconsider their action and I need your help.

HU have have imposed this raised minimum age because of the new “Children's code" brought in by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which has been designed to safeguard children against certain dangers posed by online services. They define children as those under the age of 18 and it seems that HU have simply decided it would be best to exclude the 16s to 18s from the site. There is a substantial fine involved if the rules of the code are breached.8

ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/ne...

HealthUnlocked have reacted quite understandably to this piece of legislation and I appreciate that it may be difficult for them to find the resources to investigate alternatives…….they are not Facebook or Youtube. However, both those mega businesses have adjusted their procedures and protocols enabling them to maintain their previous, much lower than HU, age limits. theguardian.com/technology/...

Over the last two months both roseabi and I have communicated directly with HU to find out whether they have any intention of reversing the increased age range for the forums. We have been told that discussions are taking place, but after several emails I have concluded that there is no imminent action on this front.

While the intentions of the new Children’s code are laudable, I am sure that in these times of an obesity crisis and rising levels of mental health issues amongst children and young adults, that the ICO did not intend to remove access to support networks, from the very sector of the population it is intending to protect.

My aim is that this post, and the other identical ones that I have posted on all the other sister forums of which I am a member, will act as a show of the strength of feelings of our communities, so I would ask you to LIKE this post only if you agree with the statement below

We ask HealthUnlocked to reconsider its recent raising of the minimum age limit for all its community forums and return it to sixteen, to enable ongoing support to young people who can get married, consent to sex and medical treatment, become parents and even vote in devolved elections, in these times when these self same young people have been exposed to very great stresses.

The number of LIKES we notch up will act in the same way as the names on a petition and you can do this wholly anonymously, or you can comment below and discuss the issues and possible strategies to resolve this. Or you can voice your disagreement. If HU feel unable to put things right, then I will use the numbers generated and arguments from these posts to lobby the ICO, on behalf of HU, to consider the unintended consequences of their new code.

This post is not intended to indicate any criticism of any of my former admin colleagues, nor indeed of HU as an organisation, but purely to highlight the new minimum age and its implications for forum admins and, more importantly, young people. For me this is a matter of principle to support our young people, our nation’s future, and I have far less to lose than these young citizens have at risk.

So it is over to you to tell me, by NOT clicking LIKE, that I am a crazy old man, or that you believe, as I do, in the rights of our young people, simply by clicking the LIKE button below.

Please contact all forum members you know who you believe would agree with the above statement. You can also help the cause by highlighting this issue in other HU community forums of which you may be a member.

If any of you would like to be involved in strategies in this campaign, then please PM me.

Oh, and by the way, keep running, keep smiling.

[Sybilw Graduate10]

Sometimes the baby gets thrown out with the bath water! Sorry to see you go and THANK YOU for all the support you’ve given so many people. Hopefully this can be resolved and we’ll hear your words of wisdom again. I also recognise that the administrators and HU are working hard to current guidelines and I appreciate all they do.

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10 in reply to Sybilw]

Quite...............removing support and membership of empowering forums such as ours, as well as so many other health related communities on HU was surely not the intention of the ICO..........so I will nudge them.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10]

Thank you for all the help and encouragement you have given, especially for those of us new to running. Sixteen/seventeen year olds aren't babies, simply banning them is overly risk averse when you consider what they can access (far more easily than us oldies) on other platforms. This forum is overwhelmingly well behaved, 'adult' in the real meaning of the word, it's a real pity that younger runners will be excluded.

[JonathanP Graduate10]

I fully support the stance you have taken to try and influence this decision. A blanket approach is not helpful and I doubt whether there is any evidence that 16 and 17 year olds have suffered harm from being able to post on HU - quite the opposite I would think.

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

I absolutely agree with everything you’ve said…I have a son who’s 16 & if I thought he was coming here for support and encouragement I know he would receive it in bucket loads…and I know he would be taken under everyone’s wing & get invaluable advice…I’d much rather that than the social media that he is actually allowed on where bullying etc takes place day in, day out!! This is what our future generation needs, forums just like ours…What a wonderful thing that young man has been doing…hopefully we can make a difference & change the age back to 16…after all, like you said, there are many more things they could be doing but shouldn’t!!! xxx

[Granspeed Graduate10]

Thank you for raising this issue and for the constructive and helpful post (so typical of your approach in all the posts of yours I have read!). As one of the oldest runners on the forum, I’ve always loved that it gave me a link with such a spread of ages, all of us trotting/running/zipping along a shared path. Not only can the 16-18s gain a huge amount from this virtual community, they also can bring a lot to it, as your example shows. I do hope this unintended consequence can be circumvented and thank you for leading the charge.

[Folkylass Graduate10]

So at 16 ,17 teenagers can become parents. However they are not allowed to join the health unlocked forum ? where I might add gives wonderful advice ,has so much support for each other and also lots of fun ,joy and laughter. What a breath of fresh air they would be and they could give us oldies a run for our money occasionally of course😂😂 It doesn’t make sense at all?

Many thanks IannodaTruffe for all your pearls of wisdom over the years.

Keep smiling and keep running 👍👏👏👏😀

[Jell6 Graduate10]

When you set it against being able to drive at 17 this ruling is heavy handed. I imagine that younger members could get some sound advice and encouragement on this forum, and the admins and members are sensible enough to ensure that this is a safe space. Personally I appreciate your principles and have always found your advice to be unambiguous and to the point. I hope we don't lose your input for ever 🥺

[Week7 Graduate10]

I totally agree with your comments. I belong only to the running and fitness communities the on HU. I do not generally feel comfortable on public platforms but

I have been consistently impressed by the supportive and friendly vibes in these communities .

I would have happily introduced my (now grown up) children to these groups at the age of 16. I feel that the system of administrators etc to which we may report any inappropriate posts/comments is a good back up if required.

My experience is that 16/17 year olds are exposed to many negative experiences both on and off line. The opportunity not only to receive support but also to see how people can discuss issues over which they do not necessarily agree in a polite and constructive way is an added benefit given the manner of communication on line and in the media in general .

Could a possible additional safety measure perhaps be introduced restricting the direct message facility for 16/17 yearolds to administrators only if that is one of the causes of concern for HU?

May I just say they I have read many of your posts and replies and sincerely hope that you will still be with us even if you have changed your badge. Thank you.

[Roxdog Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

I like the idea of restricting the private messaging facility for under 18s, makes complete sense.

[Hidden]

I was not aware of this age rule, but I don't fully understand it. Especially not for groups such as these regarding running. These are safe groups where people - including youngsters - can get tips and support in their quest to a healthier lifestyle. I can only see positive things happening from this. I honestly think these groups are more safe for a youngster than eg. Facebook.

[Gwenllian1 Graduate10]

This is a classic example of unintended consequences, surely! I don’t often post but I always read and I can’t think of a safer, more supportive space for youngsters to be online. I too have benefitted personally from your knowledge and considered replies and really hope we won’t lose your wisdom!

[Roxdog Graduate10]

I agree and have 'liked' the posts. This is such a safe space and is a tribute to everyone involved. Whilst I understand the roots of this rule, there could be exceptions. I hope you will stay on the forum (well, I've seen posts from you so you are still part if this wonderful community).

[TailChaser Graduate10]

Hear hear Ian. As mother to two boys in their mid to late teens who I struggle to drag away from their computers to exercise, the last thing their age group need is this. They can communicate in nearly every other online forum but not one that encourages a healthy lifestyle? That is just madness. Another hammer to crack a nut, I hope the ICO can make some exceptions.

Thank you for highlighting this and fingers crossed your sacrifice makes a difference. You all do such a brilliant job, and Ian, we need you on here, you’ve made such a difference to so many of us for so many years.

[R2Bears 60minGraduate]

I agree with you and also understand HU. I'm actually surprised that there was a age limit at all in this forum. This forum can help so many people including children of all ages, especially if they don't know where to look for and they don't have a support system around them. I have a great family and friends but this place is where I get the most of the support regarding running/exercise. Without it, I can't say for sure that I'd still be running. I would've needed a mighty will power. I hope HU finds ways to be more inclusive. And I hope you get to stay as admin as you're doing a wonderful job!

[alpacagirl 60minGraduate]

I totally support the minimum age limit of 16, I have always found the tone and support of Bridge and Couch forums to be encouraging, positive and supportive - the volunteer admins are a large part of this (thank you for all you do). There is nothing abusive or coercive on this forum which would harm a sixteen year old’s mental health. I’m not sure I would have continued my running journey without these hugely valuable forums.

[Ktkinns]

thankyou for the excellent guidance you gave me, which undoubtedly helped me get to 30 minutes running, then to 5K, and now slowly approaching doing 5k in 30 minutes . I 100% agree with your view and hope the decision is reversed, as in this instance, it is a safe place to encourage young people - old enough to marry and join the army! - to be active. thank you for your help and your integrity. K 😀

[NetballKitty Graduate10]

Sorry that you feel you have to hand back the badge, but fully understand. The decision seems crazy that 13 year olds can be on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc with little or no moderation, whilst HU, which is fully moderated, and aims to encourage healthy lifestyles blocks them. With the amount of coverage in the media about inactivity amongst youngsters, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for both physical and mental health, if anything surely the age limit should be 13 to bring HU in line with other social channels (although I appreciate that arugably the age of these platforms should be raised to 16).

[PeggySusi]

I fully agree with you that 16-18 year olds should be able to access support here.. I hope the decision will be reversed and that your invaluable support will return for all. If you don’t return, thank you for your past help and encouragement and I wish you good health and future happiness. Sue x

[Tkaye Graduate10]

Thank you for all that you have and are doing, I absolutely agree with your statement and hope that this issue will be resolved soon.

[Sunnytom Graduate10]

Fully support your statement. And thank you for all of your hard work encouragement and support.

[Yurtle]

Thanks for all the support you have given people here Ian. This is a crazy decision to block 16 to 18 year olds. At that age they are well experienced in finding things on the internet but can often lack the life experiences to know where else to find help for any issues they are going through. These forums are great for finding a community to help with advice especially from people like yourself who put a lot of effort in to support and advise. But blocking 16 to 18 year olds is a step too far - they will either create an account with a false age to stay here or else they will go somewhere else to sites which are not moderated and end up at greater risk from the dangers the ICO are trying to keep the young people away from.

[Plumpinthenorth]

I totally agree with your aim to facilitate support for young people to improve their health and fitness and be part of the HU forum. I fully back your approaches to the ICO on this matter.