History seems to be repeating itself

I personally don't think the forum should be RSPB members only. Nature and the environment has huge problems coping with how we globally as a species relate to it. To close the door on non, and potential new members, would be the wrong move.

Having recently had massive problems trying to get a tech issue resolved via a chatbot, AI is NOT the answer, it only seems to see black and white solutions. The world is not black and white, there are many shades of grey and that is where the human element comes in.

There are many forum which have been setup and maintained by unpaid volunteers over the years, often requiring some form of sponsorship hence advertising.

I see no reason with the right support and probably training, why volunteers are any less able to provide the right support.

I'm sure many reserve volunteers have proper training and support to run the shops and visitor centres use the tools safely to maintain reedbeds, woodlands and other habitat areas to support the paid staff.

Other conservation organisations utilise volunteers to support their services.

A few thoughts. It is easy to create multiple accounts, so may be a solution for Hazy. I appreciate it's not the ideal solution and shouldn't be needed anyway. May end up requiring it though.

Staff do need to earn a living. Therefore wanting staff involvement doesn't cost. Funding does need to come from somewhere.

Volunteer mods make sense. Would be good to hear the argument against it. Could be perfectly reasonable, but better to hear what it is than silence.

The other point worth raising, that's not been, is for a forum to work well, it does need some sort of sanitising. I don't just mean moderating out of spam and abuse. e.g. There was 'advice' offered recently that, given the info provided, was clearly not sound advice. Does happen quite often, and I appreciate 'sound advice' can be open to debate and personal opinions. But, some cases are clearcut. For example, having a rat problem, publicising it, letting it get out of hand with ongoing feeding......and then advising a liberal scattering of poison around the garden......that was clearly poor advice!!! Sanitising does require paid staff......that then goes back to previous points.......

The latest email from Hazy which I post with her permission ...
****Hi Wendy,
Still haven’t heard anything back from RSPB despite using their form to appeal, also emailing the web team, the membership team and finally Beccy Speight today. !! Thanks again to you and everyone for your very kind support and efforts on my behalf, I can read all the posts with no problem and even use the like (or spam/abuse !! ) tabs but still can’t post replies. I have the feeling it could be a combination of technical glitches with it flagging up abuse when no replies or posts were carried out but also maybe stems back to 15 months ago when I came off the forum whilst Bee-Eater (her account name at the time) was causing trouble and possibly flagged up many of us out of pure spite and misconceptions. I think when I activated my login a week or two ago it may have had her previous malicious flagging still in the system and it thus reactivated the automatic response from rspb when I logged back in after 15 months ? It’s the only thing I can imagine happened to cause this error. Hopefully, I will hear back from one of the departments I have contacted within RSPB especially with the latest deadline for my account removal looming. I’ll keep you all updated if I hear anything back so keep the home fires burning and a spare seat at the community table in the hopeful anticipation that I can eventually rejoin you all. ! Thanks to everyone as I am very humbled by all the support. XX Aitch****

My update was it was being 'investigated' 1st Sept 2023 and I would hear back in the "next few days"........whilst awaiting the response in the next few thousand days, I've created another account......

that would be a good sugestion  we wont know weather she will or not but again good suggestion

so considering how quiet the forum has got im going with no more updates yet

Unknown said:

That is not a surprise! It has been like that for years!

what do you mean?

In a few words. Promising things and then never returning to post again from various RSPB Digital members of staff over the years since the full time moderators left the scene. That is why I can never believe anything the RSPB Digital Team say. Just as 6 plus months ago the RSPB  said that main RSPB website would have everything back to normal by January 2024. Well everything that disappeared from the RSPB reserve listings is still missing. And lots of important details have still not re-appeared and not been updated as promised. And so far absolute silence from the RSPB about the details of RSPB reserves. Such as RSPB reserve events have not been updated for months. There was a big event at RSPB Saltholme on the Sunday just gone and nothing mentioned about that special event. Also the various maps of RSPB reserves which show the footpath with hides. are still not back as promised. Well a few more weeks of January 2024. Maybe hopefully back! Maybe not! The only reason I knew about this special RSPB Saltholme event is because I visit  Saltholme 2 times a week. I would have gone to that event. But the Sunday service of local transport has been cut by so much it would have been difficult and arriving late on Sunday and I would have arrived  back home late on Sunday evening!

I dont usualy look at the RSPB website unless its for conservation news and I havnt checked the conservation news on there or weather they have completed the website cause I havnt had time so I dont know but we will just have to wait until January is over then of its still not complete go from there