Message boards - top ten tips

We are all here to help - Message boards are big places with lots going on. It can be easy to feel like people are ignoring you if you don’t get a reply straight away, but it could be for lots of reasons. It can be difficult to respond if you feel that you haven’t had the same experience as another poster. Be patient and reply to other peoples' posts and someone will get back to you. ChildLine is a friendly community and the other posters want to help.

Treat other posters as you would like to be treated and keep messages polite and friendly. Remember, not everyone will think the same way and it’s okay to disagree. You might find that it helps to re-read your message before you post it. Sometimes, what sounds okay when typing can read differently when you read it back to yourself. Everyone is different and whether you prefer to use text talk or write things out in full it is important to be yourself, but do bear in mind that text talk can be confusing for some. If someone says they can’t understand, try and translate for them and don’t judge others for the way they choose to express themselves.

If you would like to reply to a thread try and read what the other posters have said before contributing. Someone might have helped already or the discussion may have moved on to a slightly different area. If you post without checking first your message might not make sense. When thinking about a new thread – is there a relevant thread on the site already? You might find some useful advice there too.

The title is the first thing people will see about your thread. Often it is what will make them click in and read. Choose something that helps other posters to know what the thread is about rather than something non specific like ‘Help’ or ‘Advice’.

Check the time of the last response before posting a reply. If a thread has gone over a month without a reply you might be bringing a problem to light that the poster would prefer stays further down the message board. You can always start your own new thread on the same issue.

Keep it as short as you are able to. ChildLine is a friendly place and other posters want to help you. You can help them to do so by explaining things in as clear and straightforward a way as possible.

Reply to other posters' threads if you can. If someone helps you and you see a thread they have started on the message boards, take time to reply. If you see someone who is going through a similar experience to you, post and let them know. Even if you don’t think you can help with a specific problem, a kind word of support can go a long way.

Try not to post ‘new’ questions or problems in someone else’s thread. This can take it off topic and mean that they don’t get the advice that they are looking for. You can always start a new thread of your own. Instead, if you reply to the person’s thread with some advice they will be more likely to reply to yours in return.

Sometimes it can it can feel like other posters have worse problems than you and it is tempting to exaggerate so that you get a reply, but the ChildLine community is there for all problems, big and small. Posters are more likely to reply if they feel that you are genuine.

If you are not sure about anything on the message boards ask Charlie-Host and the other posters on the ChildLine Information message board. They are always keen to help.