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I'm probably leaving

Mummycat

Or maybe only popping by to say hello now. Since the "upgrade", I've had messages removed as offensive, as spam and now they're threatening to stop my whole account. I don't seem to be able to get onto a log in page to change back to being TheCatWoman, so I feel as though I'm being punished. I've been told that one of my posts was flagged as offensive by someone and has been removed and another is under appeal, I've no idea what was offensive or against site rules in the post that has been removed, it was a fairly bland political post neither for or against anyone in particular.

Are we expected now to say nothing that could cause any possible offence to anybody?

Are we no longer allowed to express an opinion?

Who decides what is flagged? Is it one negative tick from one poster who may not like us?

Will we only be able to send vague and bland questions and thoughts in case "somebody" finds them offensive?

Well actually I find that notion offensive, the idea that there can be a chat board for a specific group of people, only we're not allowed to actually say anything that may help us make connections is absurd. I'm not a free speach warrior, but this does feel like normal converations are under attack, what's worse is whilst one may appeal there's no reasons or guidance given as to what the offensive content was. I'm left asking myself who or what flagged my post up as abusive and who or what decided to remove it? Was it human or was it an algorhythm? With no guidance as to how to avoid this alleged abuse, I'm left feeling hurt, confused, unrepresented and very angry, this is suposed to be a supportive place, not one that censors us when we're already a group that suffers from not knowing social rules and have problems communicating to others.

This site feels very dystopian right now

  • in reply to Mummycat

    I am totally with you Mummycat.I joined just as the upgrade was starting or had started and I found it very upsetting and frustrating particularly since it’s not that clear how you can access previous posts notably the first one I made briefly introducing myself and connecting with people on here.

  • in reply to Autistic Not Alien

    I had only just joined and the upgrade was about to or was in progress.I have only just been able to log back in.Its not clear how you access previous posts in particular the ones I made initially introducing myself when I first joined.

    I did find the difficulties with trying to log in disappointing and upsetting and from what I have been reading other people have had really bad experiences.

    A lot of people have gone through a lot of stress 

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    "I wonder how anyone who was desperate for help or just some sort of recognition that they weren't alone would have reacted to being told they were an abusive spammer."

    - Precisely this. 

  • in reply to Autistic Not Alien

    Doesen't it just, I wonder how anyone who was desperate for help or just some sort of recofnition that they weren't alone would have reacted to being told they were an abusive spammer

    But finally today I'm back to being me again, it only took about 10 days

  • in reply to Stardust

    My thoughts exactly. I *knew* I hadn't done anything wrong but I was made to feel like I had...which, ironically, sums up my life as an autistic person!

  • in reply to Autistic Not Alien

    I couldn't log in with my original account at first either, also received that message and when I could finally get in it said there was a problem with my account. It also turned out none of my posts worked......

    The CM said to use this account while they fix whatever's going on with this site. I just hope it stays working. It's very unsettling when the system treats you like this because even though you know you haven't done anything wrong you still can't help but over think it and worry that you have.

  • in reply to Paper

    I think the upgrade has been very unfortunate for autistic people, particularly those who only started using the forum just before the upgrade happened. I was close to quitting because of the automated messages. All very unfortunate and probably entirely avoidable.

  • in reply to Autistic Not Alien

    I received that message as well. I must say it was very demoralising. I tend to not react to such things very well. In the email I received the next day they told me "Please be assured that this is an error generated by our spam filtering software". But from the initial message it really seemed to me that it was the community who had reported me, which makes me feel very unwelcome and like I wouldn't want to come here. I also received the message on a Sunday with the deadline being Sunday night, so I was sure my account would be deleted before someone could review my appeal.

    This forum upgrade has been disastrous for people with autism, but I am thankful to the mods for helping me finally get my account back and login at last.

    I still suspect that someone might have reported me on the old forum and it just didn't do anything until they upgraded it, so maybe there really is an unpleasant atmosphere around here. I have never been abusive and I assume it was someone reporting something that they disagree with.

  • in reply to Mummycat

    I just meant that Jane/Pegg takes really good photographs and paints pretty good too. I missed seeing them. Not asking for portraits, don't worry.

  • in reply to SpikeyMark

    Why do we need photo's? Would we recognise eachother? Are the spaces for photo's big enough for anyne to b recognisable? Still no camera or any knowlege of how to get a photo on here.

  • in reply to Zero - Is not Even a Number

    Hi Number! 

    Zero - Is not Even a Number said:
     which seems a bit like Lazytown to me?

    Indeed... 

    In the estimation of me as a child (and still) Lazytown presents and terrifying dystopian world filled with inexplicable horrors. 

    (Although I concede that for an NT, or indeed, Icelandic child, it probably made more sense). 

    Nice to see you though! Slight smile

  • in reply to Jane

    Hello Pegg.

    Welcome back to a "new normal,"  which seems a bit like Lazytown to me?  I keep expecting to see Robbie Rotten jump out from behind a bush somewhere?  Does anyone have the contact details for Sportacus.....I think we need him at NAS HQ?

    Discombobulation is not great for a gaggle of autistic souls.......personally, it makes me slightly weirder than normal.

  • in reply to Rosie Mod

    Rosie Mod,

    I'm sure you all are working hard behind the scenes, but perhaps you could explain to us, why weren't these problems picked up during testing and I am assuming that the changes were tested?

    ***************************************

    I'm fed up of having to be patient, especially when my apparent need for patience is because of the incompetance of others. 'Be patient' feels like another term for gas lighting, it effectively says yor concerns are unimportant, go to the back of the queue and hopefully you will have got bored and gone away before getting to the front of the queue again, only to to be fobbed off again.

    The fact that things on here seems to be getting worse and not better, dosen't inspire me with confidence or make me feel that this site is worth hanging around for.

  • I am also a long time user, contributor and am now using a different login because the old one isn't working.

    There does seem to be something cruely ironic to a "glitch" in a system that causes Autistic people to be accused of not following the rules some way, making them feel they need to leave a community that they might just feel a part of.

    Perhaps try and take a healing deep breath and hold on for a little while.

    I don't KNOW by any means, but I am pretty dam certain there will be a lot of people being paid good money to try and resolve this, so hang in there CatWoman, I think it'll return to normal(ish) soon. ThumbsupThumbsupThumbsup 

  • Dear Online Community users, 

    We are very sorry that our new online community platform is having these technical issues with an over sensitive spam filter. We understand why you are concerned.

    We would like like to reassure you our technical support team is working hard behind the scenes to try to fix this as quickly as possible. We have published a thread with more information here:  (Missing Forum Thread) 

    Please do contact CommunityManager@nas.org.uk if you have any questions. 

    We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We would like to thank you for your understanding and continued patience during this time. 

    Kind Regards,
    Rosie Mod 

  • Hi The Cat Woman, I hope you don't leave. I'm sorry you and all of us are having so many problems with our accounts but IMHO this community is worth the hassle. Over the years I've found good friends and support here, more support than professionals were able to offer. Rather than a forum a lot of here and the people feel like family to me. Though it's frustrating the IT team at NAS will fix it, hopefully soon, so I hope you'll be able to hang about for that. Take care.

  • in reply to SpikeyMark

    Hi Mark, it's been a while! Photos when I get a chance to take some! Slight smile

  • in reply to Royston Vasey (Roy)

    Hi Roy, 

    Yes, I had similar, so maybe my account will be lost - hopefully not. 

    Half term was good! A much needed rest. Slight smile

  • in reply to Jane

    Pegg! So nice to see you back here! We need photos! Grinning

  • in reply to Royston Vasey (Roy)

    Well they're not working hard enough then! I'm sure that most behind the scenes people work hard and are equally appalled at the slipshod programming., but it was still commisioned and payed for, Did those who created the program not know what they were doing or who they were doing it for> As has been said this has been planed for over a year and it's not fit for purpose, if I bought a product from any normal supplier that was this bad I have a right to my money back, a legal right, is this sort of thing exempt, bcause if it is it shouldn't be and sounds like a case for a legal challenge.

    I've written to the community manager about this so maybe we'll get some sort of explaination sometime next week, if not then I shall keep writing until I get a satisfactory answer. Maybe others should too, let your views be known, this site is supposed to be for us, it's users.