'Followers': There seems to be quite a few posts... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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'Followers'

23 Replies

There seems to be quite a few posts regarding 'followers' - one in particular.

Perhaps it would be easy for the admin team to get any followers added to our 'profiles' a bit like on FB with 'friends' etc, with the facility to accept / block etc? Just a thought?

I know you admin guys have a lot of work on your hands, but if this makes things easier/

23 Replies

Agree, it is annoying having no control ie not being able to accept /reject followers - especially ones that seem to have some sort of hidden agenda.

This following would explain how some people who take Thyroid S were recently spammed by private message by some one trying to flog it. The person i suspect, had intentionally sought out/followed those of us who have mentioned we use it.

Framboise profile image
Framboise in reply to

Exactly! I was actually concerned it might be the other way round, someone trying to find out where people buy meds online in order to close the pharmacies down, as has happened in the past.

Finola profile image
Finola

TBH I like that this site is not like facebook. Without sounding rude I don't want to collect 'friends' i come here to share information on getting better and I like the fact that I can come and go without being hassled with emails saying 'sadsack wants to friend you'. I was plagued with emails from LinkedIn and from facebook last year and it is very difficult to stop this stuff once it has started.

I am probably very antisocial. :-D

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply to Finola

Not anti - social at all for not being interested in the mindless activities of social media and this following nonsense.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Treepie

Following doesn't have to be mindless. I have set a follow on someone who, when they post, always makes a valuable and interesting contribution. It is very much a "I don't want to miss out on pearls of wisdom" - and (I think) a million miles away from follower-counting on Twitter.

Nonetheless, I agree that we do not want a follow-culture, only a tool that helps us as individuals to garner the information we need. (I am a facebook refusenik and, so far, have no reason to join Twitter.)

I'd also point out, as does Louise lower down, that admins have an extremely limited role. If you don't like something, please report it to HU.

Rod

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply to helvella

Rod I was not meaning following the helpful advice given on the site but the Twitter type of following the antics and mindless musings of so called celebrities.

Someone pointed out on the original thread that "mom" was used,

Reminded me of several Americans on Ancestry who collect your family structure when there is no verified link other than a surname that is the same. Collectors of names! To be fair it's not just Americans but they were more in evidence pinching my material.

Finola profile image
Finola in reply to Treepie

A person after my own heart!

in reply to Finola

I agree with you Finola, but it's useful to be able to follow individual posts - as not all the posts on the site are relevant to everyone. I too do not wish to collect a string of 'friends' but it is nice to have 'conversations' about a subject with a like minded person, or someone who has experience of what you are going through.

I have found this site to be very supportive and informative, so a big thank you. Just putting it out there!

Finola profile image
Finola in reply to

We are all looking for the same thing afterall. I agree it is useful to be able to follow individual posts and definitely conversations with like-minded people are very rewarding. I was feeling a bit out of sorts yesterday and when like that tend to see things globally - ie everything is bad.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas and a healthy New Year wegelf and the same to everyone else here - including Springful.

penstemon profile image
penstemon in reply to Finola

Absolutely agree. You are not antisocial (or if you are, so am I).

LouiseRoberts profile image
LouiseRoberts

Hi All

Thank you for your comments. :)

As may have been explained previously - this a new function introduced by HealthUnlocked. The Admin team have no control over new functions.

If anyone has complaints and/or suggestions about any aspects of the HealthUnlocked site, these need to be sent to support@helathunlocked.com.

Thanks! :)

L

x

I have just written to HU using the Help facility above to complain about this following business. As it happens my name was put up along with several others from this community and others by HU as popular posters who people might like to follow. I wasn't asked by HU whether this was okay or not and frankly - it isn't!

I do have a few followers who are known to me from another community so didn't wish to offend them by complaining on the community in question - and don't object to them following me at all - in fact it is rather flattering! But this evening I received an email from HU telling me that I had a new follower - who has left very little information about herself apart from that she's based in the U.S. I don't want to be followed by someone who has never posted and about whom I know nothing. This isn't Facebook and I can't block someone or chose to like or unlike them as can be done on FB at least. I think it would be courteous to receive a request from HU rather than a statement that someone is following you.

So I suggest that anyone who also feels strongly that this is wrong please do complain to HU using the Help facility above as I have.

gracesgrandma profile image
gracesgrandma in reply to

Hi twitchytoes I presume we had the same person. I was only checking this out this morning and also noticed that she has since disappeared. I searched HU and that is why this link came up. Her name was springful. I find this very odd and a bit disturbing. I was going to do as you suggested about written to HU but have since noticed that they are going to give you the option in the near future :o)

in reply to gracesgrandma

Thanks - yes. I received a helpful response from someone at HU admin explaining the train of thought for having followers - that many are silent because they don't have the confidence to participate by commenting or posting. And this "following" system is to allow them to see how more confident participants get along so they then feel they can contribute when ready to.

But as you say there will soon be an opt in opt out for people who don't want to be followed in this way and I think that is will make things much better for those of us who like to protect our privacy. Twitchy

JoyceA profile image
JoyceA

Hi,

Does anyone know how to "unfollow" people. I "followed" three (or maybe four) people who's posts are always very helpful to me but with most people saying how uncomfortable they feel (on a different post) about being "followed" I actually feel really weird now.

I've learnt a lot on here but tend not to post much because I don't feel confident or knowledgeable. I still need to learn more about this illness to be able to help myself and hopefully help others but I don't want to cause anyone discomfort in doing so. I can always read their posts when I get the regular alerts about new questions relevant to me.

So if anyone knows how to "unfollow" please kindly let me know.

Thanks ever so much

Joyce

Framboise profile image
Framboise in reply to JoyceA

Joyce that thread wasn't about genuine followers, it was about someone who I discovered had caused problems in a couple of the many forums she'd joined in HU and had then disappeared. It seems most of the people she followed did not post much here, that's why we all thought it odd. Please don't be put off following someone's post because of that.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to JoyceA

Joyce, you are obviously a genuine person who is trying to learn about her health problems, and you have a comprehensive profile which makes you 'real'. I don't think anyone would object to you following them. It's more about being told that you are being followed by someone that you've never heard of, because they've never posted so much as a reply, and when you go to their profile, there's nothing there. That is a bit worrying! lol But this is not your case at all. So, don't worry about it.

Hugs, Grey

Nan123 profile image
Nan123

I agree with you there, as we all seem to 'followed' by the same person and can,t do anything about it.

Joyia profile image
Joyia

If I find a particular person is writing information that appeals and I want to delve much deeper I blog them privately, this works well as you have their consent if they respond, something we have always been able to do.

in reply to Joyia

Great comment Joyia

Zephyrbear profile image
Zephyrbear

It's all very well to follow others and have other people follow you, but there has to be a proviso for the followee (???) to be able to reject followers if they wish to do so. Personally I have had a couple of messages now advising me that I have followers and I feel pretty damned uncomfortable about it. If people want to access my pearls of wisdom I would prefer it if they contacted me by private message rather than make me feel as though I'm being stalked.

Zephyrbear profile image
Zephyrbear

I did contact HU and got the following reply:

'Simone Pereira replied:

Hi Zephyrbear,

Thanks for your email. I am sorry to hear your are concerned about our newest feature.

The follow featured was designed in part by thinking about the many HU users that choose to read rather than post. We know from hearing from them that they either need time to work up the courage to post something or simply feel that reading and browsing is what they’re here to do. That being said, we’ll soon give users the ability to remove themselves from being followable.'

So, hopefully, we can look forward to a resolution soon.

Jennyfluff profile image
Jennyfluff

I had a follower I have no idea who they are and its a brand new profile but now I can't find the notification of it. It did seem somewhat iffy.

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