AGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE: A BIG THANK YOU.

[IannodaTruffe]

Hi all you runners and thank you so much for your likes and responses to my post about returning my admin badge. (If you don’t know what I am talking about then please click here and take a look healthunlocked.com/couchto5.... )

As of this morning I have had over 370 LIKES and dozens of replies to the three posts on C25k, Bridge and Marathon forums. My intention had been to wait until next week before directing HealthUnlocked to the posts and responses, but I see no point delaying…….this response is impressive and hopefully persuasive, so I will be contacting HU this morning.

What shines out from the responses is the recurrent theme of how safe, well ordered and well behaved our forums are, which is down to the work of all of the members of the admin team (and you) who over the years have maintained the ethos of being accepting, non judgemental and supportive which we all value as being almost unique in the world of modern social media. It was also pointed out that this environment is ideal for all teenagers and I would support a reduction in lower age limit to 13, if it became possible, although it would only be wise to poll the membership on this before implementation.

To date nobody has commented that they would like the lower age limit to remain at 18.

The idea of forum by forum age limits is popular and would be relatively easy to implement (I imagine). While this could get around our issues on these forums, it might not eradicate the lack of access to support from some of the other HU forums which under 18s may wish to access. Alongside this I also realise that for some communities, the 18 age limit may be far more appropriate than 16. An ideal result would be to ask each HU community to actively consider and decide its own lower age limit, according to their content and subject matter and membership preference.

In my communication to HU I will ask them to read the post linked to above and the responses and will stress the points that have been made and ask them to reconsider their stance. I will ask them to give me detailed reasons why they feel unable to change the age limit, if that is the initial outcome, so that I can approach the ICO to see if they can help HU to minimise the unintended consequence of their Code.

In my previous experience of trying to produce a poster/leaflet advertising C25k (Guilty, m’lud) I know that these issues are rarely considered high priority by lumbering bureacracies and it can very much feel like repeatedly impacting the uppermost part of one’s anatomy against a vertical masonry structure.

I have time. I have patience. I do however worry about our young and impressionable teenagers who could be changing the future course of their lives if they were given opportunities which this Children's Code is so lamentably denying them.

If there is anybody with a legal background out there, who would be willing to offer free advice, should it be necessary………..don’t worry, I am not intending to glue myself to the door of the ICO………..I would love to hear from you.

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that my C25k Administrator badge has been removed and replaced by a Mentor badge. So I am still part of the admin team……….you can’t get rid of me that easily.

At some point I will have to get away from my computer………...that yellow Alert icon is driving me mad.

I will keep you posted.

[Coddfish Graduate10]

I am sorry to see you hand in your admin badge IannodaTruffe. You have been on this forum all the time I have been running and have been an enormous help to me. I have mixed feelings about HU’s decision. From an IT background I am well aware of the penalties if the site is open to younger people and harm occurs, so I can well understand their decision. Whilst it may feel wrong, I feel if I was in charge, the pressures of this day and age would probably lead me to take the same decision. Also, as a user of the site, I had always assumed the audience was wholly adult, and suspect many others assume the same. If HU rethink the decision that’s great, so long as it doesn’t overload the team with extra responsibilities or worse. I think it’s a bit more nuanced than just adding up the ‘likes’.

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10 in reply to Coddfish]

Before September we were open to under 18s...........it has never caused any specific issues for the admin team.

I don't believe the ICO intended to restrict young people's access to forums such as those on HU.

This has to change and reason prevail.

[damienair Administrator]

The C25K forum has transformed the lives of so many people and will continue to do so. 16 is a key age especially for girls, it is the age where the overwhelming majority leave sport. It is key that they have the support which is offered on the C25K forum and plan to continue with sport and exercise. Best wishes and thank you so much for all your help and support from when I was trudging along through the C25K plan. If only Facebook, Instagram, TicTok and Twitter etc could properly enforce an 18 year old and over membership.This is a very special forum, accepting of all abilities and ages. It is friendly, supportive, reassuring and motivating. An Oasis in the Social Media arena, everything that the other social Media sites are not. Well done with this project, I support it wholeheartedly.

Damien

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Thanks Damien.The likes of Facebook do not have an 18 minimum membership limit. They have the resources to get round it. For a much smaller player like HU it is obviously much easier to ban under 18s and then they comply with the law, with no visible cost to themselves.........what cost to young people though?

[Jell6 Graduate10]

Keep chipping away!. I read a reply from Roxdog on the marathon forum about the possibility of younger runners posting details of their whereabouts during runs, which may make them vulnerable. Personally this has always made me nervous so I think that vulnerability is shared across all ages!

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

We had under 18s prior to September.........it wasn't an issue.

I have replied to Roxdog.